2021 Allevia Annual Report

Natalie and her mentor Gania.
mental and physical health and wellbeing.
I loved this placement and really bonded
with the staff and the people who attended
Elevate. I was sad to end my placement
but was so pleased when I was offered
casual work in the Day program. I snatched
that opportunity up immediately and was
supported and mentored by Gania. I gained
so much more knowledge of the sector.
The NDIS was just starting to roll out
around this time so there was a new layer
of information to take in and learn. As my
knowledge of the NDIS increased I applied
the skills I had gained completing my
degree to my work, such as the benefits
of practices like person centredness and
multi-disciplinary interventions which
assist a person’s independence, skills, and
quality of life. I was rewarded when I was
offered the role of Team Leader in Elevate.
In a leadership role I learnt so much and will
look back on that time as a wonderful skill
building opportunity.
With Allevia’s Support Coordination
service under Gania’s very successful
stewardship going into overload, I was
offered the opportunity to apply my
Social Work degree and join Gania my
mentor in my early days at Allevia, as
a second Support Coordinator. Once I
gained my full Social Work registration
and with twelve months experience as a
Support Coordinator, I was able to take
on a Specialist Support Coordination case
load and further expand Allevia’s service
offering. I have now been in this role for
Allevia 2020/21 Annual Report • 33