Our Team
If you're considering referring yourself, your friends, family, or colleagues to Distinct Directions (or perhaps you're considering a career change), we encourage you to take a look at our team page. Our team is made up of talented individuals with diverse backgrounds and a wealth of cumulative experience. Getting to know the people behind our company can help you feel more confident in your recommendation and give you an insight into our collective expertise and skills which we bring to mental health and behaviour support.
By browsing our team page, you'll gain valuable insights into our culture, experience, and the unique contributions each member brings to our company. We're proud of our team and the wealth of knowledge and experience they represent. So, take a few moments to get to know our team, and we hope you'll consider referring us to those you know who may benefit from our services. (individual photos to come)
"We are dedicated to improving access to mental health and behavior support services for all. We're proud to offer compassionate, evidence-based care that addresses the unique needs and goals of each of our clients, and we're committed to providing the highest level of service every step of the way.."
Psychology Team
Eliza Daley - Team Leader (Bathurst Psychology) & General Psychologist
Eliza Daley is a Psychologist based in Bathurst, NSW, who specializes in providing high-quality theraputic services to individuals struggling with various mental health and life challenges. Her compassionate and empathetic approach to therapy makes her a popular choice for clients of all ages and backgrounds.
With more than a decade of experience in the field of mental health, Eliza has helped hundreds of clients achieve their goals and overcome their obstacles, whether it be anxiety, depression, PTSD or relationship issues. She has a reputation for being knowledgeable and professional at all times, while also fostering a relaxed and comfortable environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings.
Eliza has a degree in Psychology from Charles Sturt University and is a registered member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Eliza is currently on extended leave and we are very excited to have her back with us in early 2024!
Emily Puddicombe - Provisional Psychologist
Emily Puddicombe is a registered Provisional Psychologist based in Bathurst, with a passion for helping individuals overcome life's challenges and reach their full potential. Her empathetic yet straightforward approach to therapy makes her a sought-after practitioner among people from all walks of life.
Emily is a skilled practitioner with extensive experience in helping clients deal with a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Emily holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) from Charles Sturt University (CSU) and is due to complete her Master of Clinical Psychology in 2023. Once completed, this study will allow Emily to register as a Clinical Psychologist. In addition to her extensive experience in these areas, she is also qualified to complete autism diagnostic assessments for both children and adults.
Emily brings a variety of life experiences and professional skills to her role with Distinct Directions. From growing up on a farm and later working as a station hand in Queensland and Canada; as administration support in a rural solicitors’ practice to financial services and recruitment in the corporate world of Sydney, to working in diverse fields such as construction, mental health and hospitality in London. After graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary)/Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology), she taught English at a day and boarding school for boys in regional NSW. Emily is currently completing her Master of Professional Psychology. Emily is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a Provisional Psychologist and is expected to obtain general registration early in 2023. She is committed to ongoing professional development and keeps up to date with the latest developments in psychological research and practice.
Behaviour Support Team
Peter Halvorson - BSP & Team Leader (Orange Behaviour Support)
Peter has been employed as a Behaviour Support Practitioner with Distinct Directions since June 2019. As an NDIS registered behaviour practitioner Peter provides services to people in the context of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funded supports. This generally entails behavioural assessment and development of behaviour management plans with strategies to support people to work towards their goals.
Peter enjoys the opportunity to working with a diverse group of people and a wide range of services and situations. Peter accustomed to working collaboratively within a support system of professional disciplines to form holistic and practical solutions aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the people being supported.
As a senior clinician and Team Leader, Peter is also involved in supporting other behaviour practitioners through mentoring and supervision arrangements. Peter provides guidance and support capacity building within the sector as a DCJ NSW Restrictive Practice Independent Specialist panel member.
"Working at Distinct Directions provides me with access to a wealth of tools and access to a team of experienced clinicians with diverse specialist knowledge. Being part of such a strong team promotes the achievement of better outcomes for the people I am supporting."
James Baker - BSP & Team Leader (Bathurst Behaviour Support)
James Baker is a Behaviour Support Practitioner based in Bathurst however you might see him in Orange, Dubbo, Parkes and Forbes.
Since starting in disability support work back in 2015, James has always had a deep interest in supporting people with Challenging Behaviours and has sought to understand what drives a person and teach better methods of support and skills. Through education and training, both to the person at the center and their supporters James strives to achieve the desired outcomes. Over the next 5.5 years as a Team Leader of multiple high behavioural group homes, James' experience and understanding grew and his curiosity turned into a passion.
Over the last 5.5 years James has participated in numerous study opportunities, some of which including Cert IV in disability, Person-centered programming, Positive behaviour support, Crisis intervention training, Guide to incident response training (G.I.R.T), Diploma in Leadership and Management, studies through the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis and most recently, James has embarked on a new learning journey studying the Graduate Certificate if Applied Behaviour Analysis through Griffith University.
Patrick Kelly - Behaviour Support Practitioner
Patrick has been working at Distinct Directions since 2021 where he left a substantial career working as a disability support worker, working closely with and supporting people with challenging behaviours. Patrick has completed studies through the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis, a Certificate IV in Disability and is now studying to achieve a Graduate Certificate of Applied Behaviour Analysis through Griffith University.
Patrick has a passion for working with people living with acquired brain injuries and strives to continue to develop his skills to support people through their many varied challenges to achieve their goals.
Abby Shaw - Behaviour Support Practitioner
Abby's is currently on extended leave and will be back with us in 2025!
Billie Costello - Behaviour Support Officer
Billie is a part of the Behaviour Support Team at Distinct Directions, joining the team in March 2023. Billie strives to encourage others to achieve the best of their potential. She works with a variety of people, priding herself on giving her clients a voice and motivation to achieve and exceed the goals that they set.
Prior to joining us, Billie worked in the disability and mental health sector including providing face to face support for clients, she strived to increase her knowledge base to be able to best support her clients and better their lives.
Billie is based in Bathurst but will often be seen travelling around Orange.
Ashlee James - Behaviour Support Officer
Ashlee started with Distinct Directions in July 2023, joining us from a career as a Registered Nurse. Ashlee is a member of the Rural Fire Service and is passionate about supporting her local community both through her volunteer work and her work here at Distinct Directions.
Ashlee's biography is in the works! Check back soon!
Alex Hourd - Behaviour Support Officer
Alex has been working in the disability sector for nearly 5 years, starting in Disability Support Work for 4.5 years. He has developed a huge number of skills in that time and built understanding and respect for how different people "work" and how important it is to develop communication skills and tactics tailored to each person.
In August 2023 Alex joined Distinct Directions as a Behaviour Support Officer and he has been using his knowledge from being a DSW to help find his feet while he starts helping new clients achieve their goals.
Since 2019, Alex has also been studying two university courses. He completed a Bachelor of Paramedicine through CSU, and is also 70% of the way through completing his Bachelor of Nursing. This will mean that Alex is both a qualified paramedic and registered nurse once this course is completed. Alex's vast understanding of human health is a major asset to his work in behaviour support and working with people living with complex needs.
Administrative Support Team
Danielle (Danni) Rimmer - Intake & Executive Assistant
Danni is the Senior Admin at Distinct Directions however she predominantly manages intake and provides the management team with executive support.
Danni has lived in Bathurst since 2009 with her young family. Prior to moving to Bathurst, she lived in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Before starting with Distinct Directions in 2016 Danni worked in retail, wholesale, and merchandising, but Admin was where she wanted to be.
Danni has completed a Certificate III in Business Administration and is currently studying my Double Diploma in Business Administration and Practice Management.
Please feel free to contact Danni for any intake related queries via intake@distinctdirections.com.au or admin@distinctdirections.com.au.
Sarah Glynn - Accounts Officer
Sarah is always happy to help with any enquiries you may have so please do not hesitate to contact her for accounts related matters via accounts@distinctdirections.com.au or admin@distinctdirections.com.au.
Tanya Bushell - Receptionist
Tanya is one of the first voices you might here when contacting Distinct Directions as along with her counterpart in Orange, Tanya mans the front-line customer services for Distinct Directions.
Tanya has been working at Distinct Directions since 2022 and works consistently to provide an excellent level of customer service to all Distinct Directions clients.
Tanya has a passion for sewing and regularly brings in her pieces to share with other staff.
Please feel free to contact Tanya and our Administrative Team for any queries via admin@distinctdirections.com.au.
"We believe that everyone deserves access to quality mental health and behavior support services. That's why we're passionate about providing personalized care and support to each of our clients, helping them achieve their goals and live their best lives."
Psychology Team
Felicity Crome - Provisional Psychologist & Behaviour Support Practitioner
Felicity Crome is a compassionate psychologist serving the Orange, NSW, community. With her empathetic and warm approach to therapy, Felicity creates a comfortable and safe space where clients are supported to address their mental health challenges.
Felicity is also a skilled Behaviour Support Practitioner with extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities and their families. Her understanding and non-judgmental approach to behaviour support has helped many clients achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.
Felicity holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) through Charles Sturt University and is a registered Provisional Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). She is committed to ongoing professional development and is constantly expanding her knowledge and skills to better serve her clients.
Felicity grew up in the Central West and developed an interest in supporting and understanding people from a young age. Whilst studying, Felicity worked as a dental assistant and receptionist, aiding patients through dental anxiety and phobias. In addition to this, she volunteered as a crisis support worker with Lifeline. Felicity's time with Lifeline really emphasised to her the great need for mental health support in our society and reinforced her enthusiasm for understanding others.
If you're looking for a compassionate and skilled psychologist who can also provide behaviour support in Orange, New South Wales, Felicity Crome is the ideal choice. Book a session with Felicity today and take the first step toward better mental health and positive behaviour change.
Behaviour Support Team
Hana Vordermeier - Behaviour Support Practitioner
Hana is a Behaviour Support Practitioner based in Young, NSW, and provides Behaviour Support services to Young, Cowra & the surrounding areas. Hana joined the Distinct Directions team in July 2023 as our first ever satellite practitioner. She has a special interest in working with children and youth, and was formerly employed at an Early Intervention service, where she worked closely with families to create customised behaviour support plans.
Hana has recently completed a Bachelor of Social Science with a major in Behavioural Studies through Swinburne University and will commence post graduate studies in psychology starting in 2023.
Tania Fryer - Behaviour Support Practitioner
Tania Started with Distinct Directions in July 2023 and predominantly works in the Forbes and Parkes areas.
Tania’s passion for working with disabilities started when she worked as a learn-to-swim instructor. Teaching people with a disability to be confident and safe in and around water, and so they can benefit from all the great things that being in the water brings was extremely rewarding. Her passion for working closely with a person with a disability led her to a career in support work. After working as a support worker for 3 years, and completing Certificate 4 in disability, her passion continued to grow.
She has always had an interest in supporting people living with challenging behaviours and helping them to learn how to communicate with the people around them. This passion and interest led Tania to embark on studying for a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Griffith University and a diploma in mental health through TAFE NSW.
When not busy working and studying Tania is busy helping out around her family farm, playing netball, and being a mum to her three beautiful daughters.
Administrative Team
Adam Davey - Practice Manager
Adam's bio is in the works! Check back again soon!
Lauren Gosper - Receptionist
Lauren Gosper - Receptionist
Profile coming soon!
"We are committed to breaking down barriers to mental health and behavior support services. Through our exemplary level of care and service, we're empowering individuals and families to overcome challenges, build resilience, and thrive."
Psychology Team
Currently Recruiting - Provisional & Established Psychologists!
Explore exciting career opportunities in Psychology! Whether you're an early career enthusiast or an experienced clinician seeking new horizons, we would love to hear from you. Join us to embark on a fulfilling journey, making a meaningful impact on mental health. Your next adventure begins here!
Behaviour Support Team
Kerry Carney - Behaviour Support Officer & Aboriginal Liaison Officer
Kerry Carney - Behaviour Support Officer & Aboriginal Liaison Officer
Kerry joined Distinct Directions in December 2022 and is based in Dubbo, but you will often see her providing behaviour support to participants in the regions surrounding Dubbo. Kerry's background has always been supporting people who are most vulnerable; from working with the elderly to her previous role as a disability support worker. She has worked with a lot of challenging and intense behaviours and brings with her a wide breadth of experiences.
Kerry is passionate about supporting those most vulnerable in our society. She continually strives to learn new skills at every opportunity, developing her toolbox to provide ever better support people and their families.
Outside of work, Kerry loves to spend time with her grandchildren.
"We strive to support our employees to provide exemplary services to our local communities and surrounding areas, because your mental health matters and you deserve the best of care and support from us."
Daniel Jarvis - Managing Director & Principal Psychologist
My name is Daniel Jarvis and I am a registered Psychologist and Behaviour Support Consultant (Registration #0001883699).
As part of becoming a psychologist I have completed an internship requiring over 3080 hours of supervised practice in addition to rigorous demonstrations of abilities to conduct formal psychological testing, various therapy engagement techniques and counselling skills. This internship was completed under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency guidelines between 2014-16.
I hold a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), a Post Graduate Diploma of Psychology from Charles Sturt University, a Specialist Certificate in Criminology (Forensic Disabilities) from the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Forensic Mental Health from Griffith University.
I am currently completing a Masters of Clinical Psychology through the University of New England. I previously studied with the Institute of Applied Behavioural Analysis (IABA). I like to remain actively engaged in both education and research.
I have extensive experience in working with children and adolescents with behavioural related problems such as ADHD, ODD and Conduct Disorder. Concurrent with this work, I have made a focus on psychological assessment services of varying types. In addition, I enjoy working with adults seeking assistance with various issues from mood disorders to relationship support.
I have extensive experience in working with people with Intellectual Disabilities across Australia. A passion of mine is Forensic Disability work and I have worked with all levels and associated agencies within the Criminal Justice System. On a broader level I have also done extensive work with systems design and reviews within the disability sector, restrictive practices authorisation, reviews and establishment of systems; staff training and development.
My experience includes extensive work within related fields such as Substance Abuse treatment and Mental Health in co-occurring presentations with Intellectual Disabilities. I am a passionate believer in evidence based practice and ongoing education.
I have a passion for supporting the development of exceptional clinicians from passionate members of our local communities and encouraging the movement of qualified professionals from other areas to increase access to exemplary mental health and behaviour support services across the Central West and Far West of NSW.
Conference Papers:‘Volatile Substance Abuse Treatment in Central Australia: A Five Year Review’ Daniel Jarvis; Michelle McGuirk; Dorian Dent. Paper presented at the Anex National Drug Abuse Conference (2010)
Lynda Jarvis - Clinical Director & Behaviour Support Clinician
Lynda Jarvis is a woman with a lifetime of professional experience in health, disabilities and welfare services. Although born overseas, she lived most of my childhood and youth in South Australia. Lynda commenced her professional journey as a hospital trained Registered Nurse in South Australia and it was through this role that she was introduced to assisting people with chronic and severe pain, living at home in the community. Here at Distinct Directions, Lynda is the Clinical Director and thoroughly enjoys working as a Behaviour Support Practitioner while building the next generation of Practitioners to exceed the level of excellence she expects of her own work.
Her next major professional role was in the support of long-term unemployed people living in remote areas of the Northern Territory. These roles introduced me to a greater practical understanding of how social and health determinants are inextricably connected and an appreciation of how individuals with disabilities and their families rely on a strong community.
Lynda's passion for working alongside people with disabilities was extended through her professional journey in government services which included working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. She has worked ‘behind the wire’ providing assessment, planning and transition services to men and women, many with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, to transition back to community.
Lynda firmly believes that she has been privileged to meet and work alongside a wide range of people from varying cultural worlds and professional backgrounds throughout her career. As you can see, she is somewhat a ‘practical’ person who relishes experiential learning.
Lynda's learning has been enhanced through academic qualification including: Registered Nursing, Bachelor of Business, Master of Forensic Mental Health, Specialist Certificate Criminology (Intellectual Disability) and studies in Applied Behaviour Analysis.
Kate Davey - Operations Director
Kate joined the Distinct Directions team officially in 2021 after playing a supporting role behind the scenes for a number of years. Kate comes to us with a Certificate IV of Business Administration (CDU), Diploma of Sport and Exercise Science (CDU) and a Graduate Certificate of Commerce (CSU). She also brings with her a wealth of knowledge of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) after working as a Complex Support Needs Planner in both New South Wales and the Northern Territory for 3 years.
Kate manages many aspects of Distinct Directions from facilities through to heading our Administrative Team. If you ever have any enquiries please contact Kate via admin@distinctdirections.com.au and Kate and her team will be happy to assist you.