Our values guide every decision we make, ensuring our actions align with our goal of improving quality of life for everyone we connect with.
We’re a team of dedicated supporters for NDIS Participants. Each of us has loved ones in the NDIS, so we bring a deep understanding and personal experience to the work we do. Our mission is to empower you to lead a mindful, compassionate, and self-direct life. Focusing solely on your needs, so you can reach your full potential through greater choice and control.
The lotus flower came into our lives while we had the privilege of working with a beautiful Cambodian family. Their connection to the flower was profound. Since then, it’s played a significant role in our lives. The lotus rises above murky waters, its stem firmly anchored but flexible: a symbol of our goal to help you stand tall. The pods at its core represent our support networks whose support helps us bloom, one petal at time. As the lotus blooms, it creates ripples in surrounding waters, signifying our personal development, and the possibilities ahead, as we gain more wisdom and compassion.
We empower you to rise and thrive. The stakes are high for you and your family. We knock down barriers to ensure your long-term success.
We envision a brighter future for people experiencing adversity. Anything is possible when we work hard, stay focused, and act in service to others.
We learn from each other, share information, own our mistakes, and celebrate each other’s success.
We’re passionate about working with people of different backgrounds, cultures, and thinking styles. There is strength in diversity.
We’re here because of our unique talents, experiences, and the fire in our belly to do something meaningful. We raise the bar and never stop growing.
We appreciate and understand others’ stories and take focused action to improve people’s lives.
We take care of managing payments, claims, and admin related to your NDIS budget so you can focus on what matters most: finding the best support and reaching your goals.
Helen has dedicated her 20 year long career to supporting individuals with mental illness and vulnerable community members. Of Spanish heritage, Helen is bilingual in English and Spanish, and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, shopping, and cooking.
Throughout her life, Helen has:
Helen has also completed formal qualifications and courses in various areas, including Community Services, Counseling, Business Administration, Mental Health, Trauma Informed Care, and Cultural Awareness.
Nicole is the unstoppable problem-solving guru with a knack for numbers and a heart as big as her appetite for adventure! With a “bring it on” attitude and an unwavering focus on finding solutions, Nicole takes on challenges big, small, and even the ones that seem impossibly tricky. When she’s not crunching numbers, you can find her in the kitchen whipping up delicious meals to share with friends and family or dancing her heart out to the rhythm of life.
But there’s more to Nicole than just her passion for numbers and culinary flair. Working and supporting people is her passion! She’s all about fostering a team of like-minded individuals and helping them achieve their personal goals, as well as the collective business goals.
Plus, Nicole is a supermom with four incredible children, two of whom are on the NDIS. Her neuro-affirming way and incredible support and guidance for her own children, combined with her in-depth knowledge of the NDIS from both sides, make her the go-to person to help you get the absolute most from your NDIS plan. She understands the system inside out and knows how to make it work for you like nobody else can.
Throughout her colourful career, Nicole has donned many hats, one of her most meaningful roles was at the Partners in Recovery Program, where she lent a helping hand to those battling severe and persistent mental illness. With her laser focus on the NDIS, she made sure support hours and data were loaded fast and accurately and worked closely with participants to break down barriers and achieve goals!
But Nicole’s not just a financial wizard; she was also a canteen hero. Her time at Grahamstown Public School in the canteen was all about promoting healthier choices and getting students involved in growing, cooking, and savouring seasonal delights. The result? The canteen was awarded the “Healthiest Canteen in NSW” title.
What really gets Nicole’s heart racing is teaching life skills like meal planning, food prep, and cooking. By giving individuals with serious health conditions access to nutritious, budget-friendly meals they can whip up themselves, she’s helping them change their life’s trajectory.
Did we mention she also has a Diploma in Business Administration and Certificate IV in Accounting & Bookkeeping. Nicole’s a true Renaissance woman, making the world a better place one number at a time, one meal at a time, and one happy dance at a time!
Alisha is a Specialist Endorsed Behaviour Support Practitioner who has worked across the disability, psychosocial and out-of-home care sectors since 2009. She is passionate about helping people feel safe, understood and empowered, and believes the best outcomes happen when people are genuinely heard and supported without judgement.
Alisha’s approach is trauma-informed, person-centred and neuroaffirming. She takes the time to understand each person’s individual experiences, strengths, needs and environment, working alongside participants, families and support teams to develop practical strategies that enhance quality of life, independence and inclusion.
Throughout her career, Alisha has developed extensive experience in positive behaviour support, functional behaviour assessment and behaviour support plan development. She is skilled in supporting people with complex needs and brings a strong understanding of the NDIS, psychosocial disability, mental health and recovery-oriented practice. Alisha also provides clinical supervision and is passionate about supporting behaviour practitioners to grow their knowledge, confidence and skills.
Alisha holds a Bachelor of Behaviour Studies, majoring in Psychology, as well as a Certificate IV in Disability and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. She has completed additional training across areas including trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, cultural awareness, LGBTI-inclusive practice and domestic violence awareness.
At the heart of Alisha’s work is a commitment to creating meaningful and sustainable change. By building trusting relationships and collaborating closely with each person’s support network, she helps develop supports that are respectful, achievable and tailored to what matters most to the individual.
Charlene is passionate about supporting people with a lived experience of mental illness to live positive, productive, and meaningful lives. She believes by helping people develop their strength and skills, they overcome barriers to achieve their goals with a sense of control and empowerment. Her adventurous spirit sees her regularly out in nature. You’ll often find her climbing up rock faces or abseiling down them.
Charlene’s career in mental health began as a mental health worker at the Western Sydney PHN across various mental health programs. Charlene helped many participants access and navigate the NDIS. She has also trained and supported other mental health workers and support coordinators to grow in their roles.
A major highlight of her career was when she was asked to create and implement a program in one of Western Sydney’s Acute Mental Health Units where, in collaboration with social workers, she promoted awareness around the NDIS, provided information about local mental health services, and completed referrals on the spot. This increased the likelihood of patients receiving support upon discharge from the hospital and had a huge impact on their wellbeing, reducing the risk of recurrent hospital admissions.
Charlene’s experience as a counsellor has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of trauma informed care and enables her to maintain a person-centred and recovery focused approach to mental health support.
Through her special interest in suicide prevention and crisis support, also she volunteered at Lifeline as a crisis support worker.
Holly is your Plan Management guru and a true diamond in the rough. She loves a good laugh but don’t let her fun-loving nature fool you – when it comes to NDIS and plan management, she knows her stuff like no one else. As someone with firsthand experience navigating the NDIS system with her child, she brings a wealth of knowledge and empathy to her role. Her goal is to create a welcoming space for you to ask questions, seek advice, and feel empowered on your NDIS journey. She’ll meticulously monitor your budgets and maintain clear communication throughout your NDIS journey.
Holly’s love for numbers and administration was evident in her previous roles in real estate and rural sectors, and her role of fundraising vice president at her children’s school, where she organised and coordinated all events, raising substantial funds for the school.
Holly has a bit of a “neuro-spicy” side. Yes, you read that right! When she’s tackling complex tasks of diving into intricate paperwork, her brain goes into overdrive, making her a neurotic genius at getting things done. It’s what gives her the edge in handling fine details and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. It’s her superpower that comes alive when she’s in her element, working with numbers and managing the nitty-gritty aspects of plan management.
Honesty and staying true to herself are the values she lives by. Outside of work, she enjoys nothing more than collecting hobbies, buying craft supplies and half finishing projects.
But through it all, she’s driven by one goal: to make everyone’s life easier. Her strong attention to detail and ability to streamline processes is unparalleled. Thanks to her, everyone around her can rest easy knowing she’s taken care of everything.
To support her expertise, Holly holds a Certificate IV in Accounting & Bookkeeping.
Carly is a proud Ngunnawal Woman living and connected to Wonnarua land, country, and community. After over 20 years’ experience in the disability industry, she remains driven to walk alongside people who need support, treating everyone as equal while recognising that at times some people need extra support to achieve their dreams. She’s committed to living by her values of honesty, loyalty, trust, patience and acceptance. She loves spending time with her family and their Sausages – she’s obsessed with sausage dogs! And she’s a keen follower of the NRL – Up Up Cronulla!
Carly loves being able to support each person to increase their confidence, skills and capacity to drive their own life and live as independently as possible and Support Coordination and Psychosocial Recovery allows her to do this. Carly’s motivation each day is the people she supports.
Carly has had experience with NDIS since the trail site in Newcastle. Carly has also worked across many programs funded by ADAHC. Her experience ranges from support work, to supporting school leavers transition into the workplace, developing programs and supporting participants engaging in work experience, co ordinating holiday programs and creating a Living skills program.
She’s worked as out-of-home care in mentoring programs, Aboriginal liaison officer and Coordinator of Supports. Her experience extends across both small and large organisations, as well as successfully running her own businesses.
Carly has a Diploma in Community Services, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Certificate III in Disabilities.
Noah is a Proficient NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner with more than six years of experience across the disability, youth justice and out-of-home care sectors. He has supported children, young people and adults with complex behavioural, developmental, psychosocial and forensic needs, always bringing a calm, compassionate and participant-focused approach.
Noah’s work is grounded in trauma-informed, person-centred and strengths-based practice.
He takes the time to build genuine connections with participants and understand the experiences, needs and environments influencing their behaviour. Noah believes meaningful and sustainable outcomes begin with trust, collaboration and ensuring each person feels safe, respected and heard.
He is experienced in completing functional behaviour assessments and developing and implementing Positive Behaviour Support Plans. Noah works closely with families, carers, schools, support workers, accommodation providers and allied health professionals to create consistent, practical strategies across home, school and community settings. His goal is to improve quality of life, emotional regulation, independence and meaningful participation for every person he supports.
With experience supporting people involved in, or at risk of involvement in, the criminal justice system, Noah understands the importance of approaching complex situations with empathy, curiosity and without judgement. He is skilled in responding to distress and emotional dysregulation, analysing information and adapting strategies as a participant’s needs and circumstances change.
Noah holds a Bachelor of Criminology with Distinction and a Bachelor of Psychological Science with Distinction from the University of Newcastle. He is also a licensed Wisdom in Your Life facilitator and has completed LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.
Outside of work, Noah is an active member of the Newcastle City Australian Football Club, where he is a committee member and vice-captain of the first-grade men’s squad. His leadership, teamwork and commitment on the field reflect the same qualities he brings to supporting participants and collaborating with their wider support networks.
The mastermind behind the magic in our Plan Management team, Eoin has a wealth of experience as aa Accounts Administrator. With lightning-fast fingers and an extraordinarily sharp eye for detail, he works diligently in the background, processing invoices and ensuring prompt payments. After more than 2 decades in the finance sector, Eoin’s expertise in managing budgets is truly astounding. He knows the ins and outs of navigating the complex financial landscape and his strategic thinking ensures we get the best outcomes, every time.
As a seasoned professional in the finance sector, Eoin understands that your needs are unique. Whether it’s setting up budgets, tracking expenses, or adjusting to accommodate changing circumstances, Eoin’s proactive approach ensures that you get the most from your journey.
Outside the office, you’ll find him enjoying great music and competitive swimming. In fact, he’s also a competitive swimming coach, mentoring athletes when he’s not conquering the numbers world.
This same dedication and coaching mentality translate into his work at Lotus Assist. Eoin takes the time to empower you, providing clear explanations and regular updates so you can make informed decisions confidently. You can count on him to be responsive, addressing any queries or concerns promptly and with the utmost professionalism.
Eoin continuously updates his knowledge to provide you with the latest insights and changes.
With a robust background in sales management, Stephen has evolved his professional journey to become a devoted advocate for making a positive impact on the lives of the people he works with. Stephen’s daily drive finds its roots in his own lived experience with disabilities. This unique perspective equips him with an exceptional understanding of your needs. His communication and resourcefulness form the bedrock of his approach as he leverages his extensive knowledge of NDIS systems to offer invaluable guidance.
Stephen is resolute in his mission to empower individuals, providing them with the tools to navigate this intricate landscape with confidence and support.
Over the past three years, he has honed his expertise as a Local Area Coordinator for the NDIS, gaining invaluable insights into the workings of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Stephen’s portfolio boasts noteworthy projects like the instrumental role he played in ensuring the safety and functionality of the Lane Cove Tunnel’s interconnect fire doors and his contributions to the Aruma woodwork contract for ‘Wallboards’, as well as streamlining sales systems at National Poly Industries. These endeavours underscore his commitment to process enhancement and fostering meaningful change.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Stephen finds joy in caring for his partner Tania and his mother. Balancing these responsibilities with personal passions, like embarking on renovation projects, indulging in motorcycle adventures, nurturing his garden keeps him perpetually motivated and inspired.
Denver is an experienced Behaviour Support Practitioner with a background in disability support and house management. She has supported children, adolescents and adults across Out-of-Home Care, Supported Independent Living, schools and community settings.
Denver believes all behaviour is meaningful and should be understood within the context of a person’s environment, communication, experiences and unmet needs.
Her practice is person-centred, trauma-informed, neuroaffirming and strengths-based, with a strong focus on helping each person feel safe, respected and genuinely heard.
She is experienced in completing functional behaviour assessments and developing, implementing and reviewing Positive Behaviour Support Plans. Denver works collaboratively with participants, families, carers, schools, support coordinators, allied health professionals and broader support teams to develop practical and consistent strategies across all areas of a person’s life.
Throughout her career, Denver has supported people with a diverse range of disabilities and complex support needs. She understands the importance of looking beyond a person’s diagnosis and taking the time to recognise their individual strengths, preferences, communication style, goals and aspirations.
Denver also has experience working within Out-of-Home Care, Supported Independent Living and Individualised Living Option settings, including supporting participants under Public Guardianship. She brings a strong understanding of the NDIS Practice Standards, restrictive practice requirements, safeguarding and the rights of people with disability. Denver is committed to reducing restrictive practices and ensuring each participant’s voice, rights and informed choices remain central to their support.
Currently completing the final trimester of a Bachelor of Psychological Science at Deakin University, Denver combines her growing academic knowledge with practical, hands-on experience. She values collaboration, reflective practice and evidence-informed decision-making and is committed to continuing to grow as a practitioner.
Above all, Denver aims to build trusting relationships that empower people to experience greater choice, independence, inclusion and quality of life. She believes the most meaningful outcomes are achieved by working alongside each person—not simply providing support around them.
Rachel is a compassionate and dedicated Support Cordinator and Psychosocial Recovery Coach who brings over a decade of experience in mental health, disability support, and community services. As a proud neurodivergent person herself, Rachel offers an authentic and deeply affirming approach to support, rooted in empathy, lived experience, and a strengths-based perspective.
Rachel has worked extensively across the sector in roles such as Case Manager, Senior Support Coordinator, and Engagement and Support Coordinator. She has supported individuals with complex mental health needs, intellectual disabilities, and those navigating housing instability or transitional life stages. Her approach is always person-centred, grounded in empowerment, and focused on helping people identify and achieve goals that matter most to them.
With qualifications in Community Services, Mental Health, Counselling, and Disability Care, Rachel combines strong clinical insight with a practical, heartfelt commitment to walking alongside those she supports. She brings a thorough understanding of the NDIS and has worked both within service provider roles and as a direct advocate for participants, helping them confidently navigate their plans and access the supports they need to flourish.
Outside of work, Rachel finds joy and balance through nature and creativity. She loves going to the beach—especially taking her kids surfing, no matter the weather. She also enjoys reading, camping, yoga, crosswords, running, hitting the gym, and cooking. A lover of both tea and coffee, she’s proudly built up a collection of both! Rachel is social by nature, enjoys the occasional shopping trip, and is happiest when surrounded by her beloved animals. You might also find her out on the water fishing or enjoying a quiet moment in the outdoors.
Now part of the Lotus Assist team, Rachel is proud to create safe, inclusive spaces for neurodivergent individuals and others to feel seen, respected, and empowered in every step of their journey.
Cheryl is a highly experienced Support Coordinator and Psychosocial Recovery Coach, dedicated to guiding and empowering individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges to navigate the NDIS system effectively. With over 23 years in the community services sector, Cheryl has a deep understanding of the complexities of support systems and is passionate about ensuring that participants receive personalised, high-quality support tailored to their unique circumstances.
Throughout her extensive career, Cheryl worked as a Community Services Manager at the Samaritans Foundation from 1997 to 2020, where she played a pivotal role in program development, service delivery, and case management. She has worked closely with individuals, families, and service providers to create inclusive, person-centred support plans that enhance quality of life and promote independence. Her expertise spans NDIS support coordination, psychosocial recovery coaching, advocacy, crisis and complex case management, and community engagement. She is skilled in helping participants access and manage their NDIS plans, ensuring they receive the right supports and services to achieve their goals. As a psychosocial recovery coach, she works alongside participants with psychosocial disabilities to develop strategies for daily living, emotional resilience, and long-term recovery.
Cheryl believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a fulfilling and independent life, regardless of the challenges they face. She takes a holistic, strengths-based approach, focusing on an individual’s abilities rather than their limitations. By collaborating with participants, their families, and multidisciplinary teams, she ensures that each person has a clear path to achieving their aspirations, whether that’s improving daily living skills, finding employment, or building stronger social connections. She empowers participants to take an active role in shaping their futures, ensuring that they feel valued, heard, and supported every step of the way. Her solution-focused approach helps individuals overcome barriers and build resilience, while her ability to connect them with local services, social opportunities, and employment pathways fosters independence and inclusion.
Passionate about disability rights, social inclusion, and mental health recovery, Cheryl is a tireless advocate for her participants. She understands the challenges that individuals face in navigating systems, securing appropriate services, and maintaining positive mental well-being. Her dedication to ensuring that her participants receive the respect, care, and opportunities they deserve is evident in everything she does.
Outside of her professional life, Cheryl is a dedicated family person who enjoys spending time with loved ones and offering support wherever she can. She finds fulfillment in helping others overcome obstacles and is known for her compassionate, patient, and understanding nature. Her ability to form trusting relationships with those she supports is a testament to her deep commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
Cheryl is more than just a Support Coordinator and Recovery Coach—she is a trusted guide, a strong advocate, and a compassionate mentor. She is committed to helping participants thrive, grow, and lead meaningful lives, ensuring that they feel empowered and supported on their journey toward greater independence and well-being.
Tamika is a warm, energetic and compassionate Behaviour Support Practitioner who supports people of all ages. With more than eight years of experience across disability and community services, she brings creativity, patience and a strong sense of advocacy to every person she works alongside.
Proudly neurodivergent herself, Tamika brings valuable lived understanding to her practice. She recognises that behaviour is a form of communication and takes the time to understand what a person may be expressing
through their behaviour, including the impact of their environment, sensory needs, communication preferences and life experiences.
Tamika’s approach to Behaviour Support is person-centred, trauma-informed, neuroaffirming and strengths-based. She is passionate about developing respectful and practical supports that promote safety, autonomy and quality of life while honouring each person’s individual identity, preferences and goals.
Collaboration is central to Tamika’s work. She values the knowledge and experience of participants, families, carers and support teams and works alongside them to develop strategies that are meaningful, achievable and consistent across a person’s everyday environments.
Tamika is deeply committed to diversity, equity and human rights. She believes every person deserves to feel safe, valued and celebrated for who they are. Her outgoing nature, empathy and strong communication skills help her build trusting relationships while approaching challenging situations with sensitivity, professionalism and determination.
Tamika’s studies include a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in Human Services, through the University of Newcastle, as well as a Certificate IV in Community Services. Her education and practical experience have strengthened her understanding of people, relationships, social systems and the importance of truly individualised support.
Outside of work, Tamika’s creativity and imagination continue to shine. She enjoys gaming, creating fantasy stories, drama and art, and can happily spend hours talking about cows, ancient mythology and Harry Potter. Tamika brings this same joyful curiosity to her work, using each person’s interests and strengths to build connection and make support feel safe, engaging and genuinely meaningful.
Declan is a passionate Behaviour Support Practitioner with experience supporting people with disability and complex mental health needs across all stages of life. His experience ranges from working with young children and adolescents through to adults and people receiving end-of-life care.
Declan believes behaviour is a meaningful form of communication. He takes the time to understand what may be influencing a person’s behaviour, including their environment, experiences, communication needs, relationships and physical and emotional wellbeing.
His approach is person-centred, trauma-informed and grounded in evidence-based practice.
With a background in disability and peer support work, Declan understands the realities and challenges experienced by participants, families, carers and frontline support workers. He works collaboratively with everyone involved to develop practical strategies that can be applied consistently across a person’s everyday environments.
Declan is experienced in conducting functional behaviour assessments and developing and implementing comprehensive Positive Behaviour Support Plans. He is committed to improving quality of life, building each person’s skills and independence, and reducing the use of restrictive practices. Declan also has experience identifying and reporting unauthorised restrictive practices and working within the requirements of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Much of Declan’s experience has involved supporting people living in Supported Independent Living environments with complex physical, behavioural and mental health support needs. This has strengthened his skills in crisis support, collaborative care and developing strategies that are realistic, meaningful and tailored to each person’s circumstances.
Declan holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours from the University of Newcastle and is currently completing a Master of Clinical Psychology at Western Sydney University. He also holds provisional registration as a psychologist. His Honours research focused on non-suicidal self-injury during adolescence, strengthening his research, analytical and evidence-informed practice skills.
Above all, Declan is passionate about building strong and respectful relationships with participants and their support networks. He is committed to reflective practice, ongoing professional development and helping each person achieve meaningful outcomes that support their individual goals and the best possible quality of life.
As an experienced People and Culture professional, with over 13 years’ generalist Human Resources experience, Moira loves partnering with the leadership team to establish and continuously improve culture and employee experience. Her role has a dual client focus as she assists in providing administrative support to set you up and support you through your journey with us. When not at work, Moira loves spending time with her three children, cooking and relaxing with a great cup of coffee. She is an absolute nature and animal lover and loves walking her dog every day.
Moira’s career in Human Resources began in large professional services firms, including accounting firm Deloitte & Touche and Pricewaterhouse Coopers Legal.
More recently, her experience has included Human Resources consulting to small business regarding all people and culture. Moira is passionate about building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with staff, management and clients and contributing to positive transformations in people and businesses. People and culture are of the utmost importance to LotUs Assist and Moira’s role is to provide internal HR support and develop initiatives to foster a positive team environment and ensure strong staff engagement and retention.
Moira also has a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Industrial Psychology and Business Economics.
Antonio is one of a kind. No matter the day (rain, hail or shine) you’ll always find Antonio outside getting his hands dirty. It’s what he loves. Whether he’s in his or someone else’s garden or in his shed repairing, building, and creating, there’s nothing he enjoys more. He’s a genuine gentleman with a heart of gold and a green thumb that we all wish we had. He loves what he does and because of that he’ll help your house and garden bloom!
Antionio has spent his career working in the building and trades industry and has done a variety of work from fencing to concrete balustrading, hills hoist installations, to building. The list goes on.
Even as a child, he would always take things apart, look at how they worked and try to put them back together. Over time, he became a Jack of all trades. He loves nothing more than having a chat and getting to know anyone he meets. He is hardworking, caring and extremely friendly.
Always a dedicated super hard worker, Antonio is someone who can be relied on to do the most thorough job. He has a great eye for detail and with his problem-solving nature, he always finds a way to get the job done.
Over the years Antonio has also had a keen interest in farming. In the past, he owned a large farm producing large quantities of fruit and vegetables and now has his own hobby farm at home, which he takes great care of and produces wonderful organic produce. He’s also a keen fisherman and takes his boat out when he can.
We’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank local Artist, Felicity Kennedy for giving us the gift of this beautiful piece of art and permission to use it as part of our branding. Indigo Expressive Arts fine art prints are produced and developed in Newcastle NSW. They provide a platform for sharing a passion for arts, understanding it’s importance in understanding, creating meaning, and fostering a sense of belonging in the world, while raising awareness of Women’s Cancers.
Get in touch today, and one of our friendly team will get in touch to answer your questions, explain how it all works, and make sure you’re before comfortable moving forward.
