Katie Hilton is an experienced Behaviour Support Clinician with almost 10 years in disability. At Ignite, she’s our resident hobby-enthusiast and the go-to person for all hard-hitting PBS queries. Our Marketing Coordinator, Eleanor, met with Katie to learn more about her role at Ignite, what inspired her to pursue PBS, common misconceptions in the field, and a standout moment she’s had in the NDIS space.
Hi Katie, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. To get us started, could you please tell me a bit about yourself; how did you end up in PBS and what made you choose this profession?
I have been working in PBS for 7 years, my first role out of university was a dual provisional psychologist/behaviour support practitioner role. Before that I was a disability support worker and before that I worked at KFC.
When I was studying psychology, I worked as a disability support worker for about 3 years and really loved it. While on a shift with a child with complex behavioural needs I read his PBSP and knew that is what I wanted to do. PBS gives me the opportunity to continue working with people with complex behavioural needs in a different way, while getting to use those psychology skills I spent so much time (and money) studying.
“PBS to me means increasing quality of life….”
7 years, wow… you’ve been working with people with disabilities for may years now. What’s been a standout moment for you in the industry?
I worked with a young man for a number of years who always considered himself to be a “bad kid” because he really struggled with complex behavioural needs. He was expelled from school, struggled to make friends and keep himself calm. After years of working with him, his family and his school, he barely needed to engage in behaviours to meet his needs anymore. He was able to sign up for and finish multiple TAFE courses and he even won recognised award within his local community, which he was incredibly proud of.
That’s such a wholesome outcome. I love hearing about the positive impact the PBS team get to be a part of. Before we dive deeper, could you share a bit about what you do at Ignite?
My official title is Positive Behaviour Support Clinical Excellence Lead.
I work with the PBS team on making sure that the clinical work that they are doing is effective, evidence based, and person centred. I am the one in the background making sure all of our templates are up to date and make sense, developing training for our PBS staff to make sure they are always increasing their skills and working with each member across our Melbourne and Brisbane teams individually to support them to continue to provide high quality supports. I also have a smaller caseload of participants who I develop PBSPs for.
I love working with so many great, passionate PBS clinicians. I love seeing them develop their skills further and the great outcomes they achieve with their participants.
So between your own caseload, and supporting our PBS practitioners, it sounds like you have lots to keep you busy. What does day to day look like?
It really depends on the day. One of my favourite parts of this job is there is so much variety. Some days I am in front of my desk, reading or writing reports. Other days I am out and about seeing clients. I have days full of back-to-back meetings, catching up with PBS clinicians or running trainings and days where I hide myself away to make sure I get a report done in time.
Wow, we really keep you busy here – thanks again for taking the time to chat with me today. Now, we all know that working in PBS can take its toll. How do you stay energised and look after yourself?
Coffee, coffee, coffee – A flat white with almond milk, the more espresso shots in it, the better
I also have so many hobbies haha. I like to try new things and learn new skills so I am always starting 101 projects outside of work (please don’t ask me how many I finish…). My current favourites are crocheting, reading, boardgames and puzzles.
“I love working with so many great, passionate PBS clinicians… seeing them develop their skills further and the great outcomes they achieve with their participants.”
Oh, I can totally relate! Between crocheting, painting, and a few other hobbies, I’ve my fair share of half-finished projects collecting dust.
PBS is such a misunderstood field—what’s one misconception you’ve noticed people often have about it?
That a PBS clinician is going to come in and do 10 sessions with the person with complex behaviours and then they will be stop using the behaviours.
Most of the time, a lot of the PBS clinician’s role is working with the participant’s support team and environment. We focus on helping identify why the person needs to use complex behaviours to meet a specific need, and then develop strategies to help them meet that need in safer and easier way, which often involves the help of their support team.
I remember feeling the same way when I first started. PBS is so different from the other disciplines we have here...Thanks again for sharing your time with us. Before we wrap up, I’d love to hear—what does PBS mean to you personally?
PBS to me means increasing quality of life. An individual with a life which aligns with their goals, filled with what they consider to be meaningful activities and feels that their needs are being met daily is much less likely to need to resort to engaging in complex behaviours.
Thank you for the wonderful conversation and for shedding light on your experiences in PBS. For those inspired by what you’ve shared, what’s the best way to get involved with PBS, or engage a PBS practitioner?
For any Psychologists, Social Workers, Support Workers, or Allied Health Therapists including OTs and Speechies considering PBS, our Careers Team are always happy to chat, and I’d be happy to have you on board 😊
Otherwise, if you are exploring engaging with a PBS therapist, you can learn more about PBS on our other blogs or refer now online.
Thanks again Katie – I appreciate your time and look forward to chatting again in the future 😊
Katie Hilton is the Clinical Excellence Lead for Positive Behaviour Support at Ignite Healthcare. With 10 years in the sector, including 7 years as a Behaviour Support Practitioner, Katie specialises in forensic cases, particularly those involving children and young adults. She is highly skilled in supporting participants with complex mental health needs, as well as developmental and intellectual disabilities. Katie’s expertise makes her a valuable resource in navigating challenging behavioural and mental health landscapes
Eleanor Quinn is the Marketing Coordinator at Ignite Healthcare, she is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels valued and supported, no matter their background or abilities. Eleanor draws on personal and professional experiences in the disability sector, she believes in recognising people for who they are, championing strength-based support and the Human Rights model of disability to ensure that everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
