18
THEYEAR IN GENERAL
2012
has been a more stable year
despite changes to staff roles and
new developments in our area.
Chelsea took on her new role as
Clinical Services Manager and
part-time Occupational Therapist.
We also welcomed Jane Harling as
our team’s new full time OT. The
transition of roles was smooth. We
have had some wonderful support
and sponsorship this year to help
improve and keep our centre going.
The Dalby team has recognised
the increased need to adopt a team
approach to service delivery and
have innovated and successfully
delivered multidisciplinary groups
and treatment sessions. This has
increased our understanding of one
another’s roles and has fostered
positive team morale and promoted
holistic, effective service delivery.
AROUND OURAREA
Noticeably more people sport the
‘
fluorescent shirt and steel-capped
boots’ fashion with an increase in
development and the number of
mining sites around the region.
Cotton crops started the year off
well with extra floodwaters, but are
now in need of some rain!
ACTIVITYAND OUTPUTS
Clients referred to our service are
requiring more input from us than
before. We recognise the need for
a more holistic approach and have
developed and delivered a number
of multidisciplinary groups and
therapy sessions.
Family Health Support Worker
Julie and psychologist Eleanor
teamed up to run a successful anger
management and social problem-
solving group. Jane and speech
pathologist Joshua created and
delivered a successful literacy and
handwriting group.
They also ran joint treatment plans
for some individuals. Eleanor and
Jane are also trialling treatment
plans for children with difficulties
in social skills and social problem
solving.
Each team member also ran groups
with children on their separate
waitlists, but the opportunity to
run multidisciplinary groups and
therapy sessions highlighted the
value of working as a team and
the overlap of each profession. We
have harnessed this to provide a
full-bodied service to the children
and families within our community.
Joshua also revised his case load
management approach this year,
successfully cutting his waitlist,
and now conducts conducts regular
screening clinics.
IN OUR COMMUNITY
We have been very fortunate to
have a number of supporters within
our community provide donations
to our centre. All Dalby staff have
been involved in fundraising events
this year, including the BUSHkids
Race Day, selling raffle tickets on
weekends and supporting our
sponsors at public events.
We were very fortunate that Thiess
chose to sponsor us for the life of
their project in Dalby. Thiess has
been very generous in its support
and has initiated and participated
in numerous fundraising events for
our centre. Thiess is also planning
renovations for our back therapy
room to make it a more usable
space for everyone.
The Australian Army Band has also
provided support, performing at
schools in the area and at an end
of year concert. Their performances
amazed staff and teachers and
definitely inspired the children!
All proceeds from their end of term
concert were donated to the Dalby
centre.
DALBY
Peranga, a very small town near
Dalby made up of about 12 houses,
celebrated the centenary of its post
office, and donated proceeds from
a raffle and gumboot-throwing
competition to BUSHkids Dalby.
Our increased liaison with schools
in our community has highlighted
the need to change our approach to
service delivery to comprehensively
address the needs of children, and
provide more support before they
reach school age.
We intend to meet this need by
adopting the early intervention
principles of therapy, screening
children younger and providing
education to parents who have
pre-school aged children in our
community.
Chelsea and Jane also had a catch-
up networking session with the OT
from Education Queensland and
found it very interesting discussing
our different roles.
IN OUR OFFICE
We have just celebrated Julie’s
decade working at BUSHkids! She
has been a great support to each
of us as we started here and has
remained a constant for BUSHkids
in the community and in our team
which is great.
Julie has made – and continues to
make – a positive difference and
we had been so looking forward
to thanking her for being here for
all of us – staff and clients and
community.
We recently had solar panels
installed on our roof which we
hope will help to reduce our carbon
footprint.
The Thiess renovations to our
back therapy room are eagerly
anticipated, as this will provide a
more versatile and usable space for
everyone at the centre.