This week we’re celebrating World Allied Health Professions Day on October 14th. The 2025 theme, “Stronger Together”, highlights the importance of collaboration across different disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for the people we support.
At Challenge Community Services, our allied health team includes psychologists, social workers and behaviour support practitioners who share a common goal: helping people better understand themselves and building the supports they need to live fulfilling lives.
To mark the occasion, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our incredible practitioners Nakita Yates, to learn more about her work, motivations, and what she loves most about her role.
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How long have you been with Challenge?
I have been with Challenge for almost 2 years now. It will be my 2-year anniversary on November 13, 2025.
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How did you find your way into working in Allied Health?
I was in my third and final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science when I stumbled across this role. At the time, I was at a bit of a crossroads, trying to decide whether to continue studying and pursue postgraduate qualifications, or step into full-time work and start putting my skills and knowledge into practice.
I always knew I wanted to fulfil a clinical role, but university doesn’t really prepare you for what positions you can apply for once you graduate. So, I started asking around and making connections, and that’s when I heard about this role. The job description immediately caught my attention and included all of the things I was hoping to do.
It all happened quite quickly after that. I came across the role by chance, but it sounded like a perfect fit. It offered opportunities to build my skills, grow my career, and work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
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What does a BSP do? What does your typical day look like?
Ahh, I love this question — it’s such an interesting one because I honestly get asked about it all the time! I’m convinced my family still doesn’t fully understand what I do for work, so if they’re reading this, here’s my chance to explain it to them too!
There’s really no such thing as a typical day in my life as a Behaviour Support Practitioner. Every day brings something a little bit different. Most days, though, involve some form of report writing. That might be developing a new Positive Behaviour Support Plan, reviewing an existing one, preparing an NDIS review report, or writing a letter of recommendation to support a significant change in a client’s life.
When I’m not writing reports, I might be attending stakeholder meetings with people involved in my client’s life, like occupational therapists, speech pathologists, family members, advocates, schools, case workers, and support workers. I also consult one-on-one with parents or foster carers, and I work closely with disability support workers and foster care teams.
I regularly conduct one-on-one behaviour support sessions with clients who need ongoing behavioural support. These sessions are usually held fortnightly, either in the clinic or out in the community. They could be at home, at school, or wherever the client feels comfortable. During these sessions, I might be helping a young person strengthen their social skills. For example, learning how to manage friendships or communicate with others more effectively. With another client, I might be working on emotional regulation, helping them recognise and manage their emotions in healthy ways.
Every client is different, and that’s what I love about the role. The work is always tailored to meet each person’s unique needs while equipping the people around them with the knowledge and tools to provide effective support.
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What do you enjoy about your role?
I think the part I love most about my role are the people I get to meet, my clients, their families, their wider care team of supports who all share the same goal – to assist my client to meet their needs so they can live a fulfilling, rich and quality life.
My favourite days at work are the days when I am out and about interacting with my clients in the form of one-on-one behaviour support. I also enjoy just spending time with them, rapport building, and getting to know them better.
It’s also extremely rewarding to see clients achieve their goals, especially when it’s something we have been working on together for a long time. Watching their progress reminds me of my purpose and why I do what I do.
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What do you enjoy about working in the Allied Health Team?
I love that there is a diverse background of clinicians who each add their own little sparkle or insight/ knowledge to the team. Everyone also sort of has their area of expertise or area of interest. Which is so rich because something I might not think of, they think of and we all sort of can come together and problem-solve together, which I love the most about working in a team environment.
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Why are you passionate about your role?
I think most people who go into allied health share a genuine passion for helping others and making a real difference in people’s lives. For me, as a Behaviour Support Practitioner, that’s absolutely true. I’m so passionate about what I do because I know it works. The strategies we recommend, the resources we source, and the psychoeducation we provide are all evidence-based and backed by strong research, and seeing those approaches make a tangible difference is incredibly rewarding.
I’m also passionate about helping people who might initially be unsure or skeptical about behaviour support to see the value in it. When you can shift someone’s perspective and show them the positive outcomes, it’s such a powerful feeling.
Another big motivator for me is giving my clients the opportunity to learn skills and knowledge they may have missed developing earlier in life; or, for children, introducing these skills through early intervention. The goal is to help them build strong foundations from a young age and see those skills grow and carry through into their teenage years and adulthood.
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What advice do you have for someone looking to become a Behaviour Support Practitioner or start a career in allied health?
My advice is to give yourself some grace and recognise that while the work we do is deeply appreciated by many, not everyone will fully understand what we do or the impact it has. That’s why it’s so important to back yourself and to stand strong in what you believe in and what you’re trying to achieve.
Learning to be assertive is also key. When you’re new to the role, especially as a recent graduate, people might be unsure about your skillset or hold some reservations simply because you’re still building experience. In those early stages, it can sometimes feel like you need to prove yourself through your work and the recommendations you make.
But if you trust in your ability, keep learning, and stay confident in the value you bring, you’ll go far. Over time, that confidence, when paired with resilience, earns you a great deal of respect from the people you work with and support.
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What is something that you want people to know about your role?
Although we hold the title of Behaviour Support Practitioner, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we can fix behaviours of concern overnight. I wish that I had this power and frequently mention this to my colleagues and carers I work with. I wish I had a magic wand to wave and work my magic overnight. However, the recommendations we make, support we provide, and strategies written into our reports all take time, consistency and a lot of work before change can happen.
A lot of time and energy goes into writing a thorough and personally tailored behaviour support plan, and I take pride in doing this for every client I work with. They are directly related to each individual, highlighting their strengths, likes, dislikes, and goals. It paints a very vivid picture of what the person needs from others. It is one piece of a larger puzzle, and it truly takes a whole team to come together and make a difference in a client’s life.
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What are your other passions outside of work?
You’ll find me up bright and early at 5:30am each weekday at the gym. It took a while to find the right place for me, but about 12 months ago I joined a family gym that I absolutley love, and to make it even better my younger sister attends with me. We do classes together and sometimes go for a cheeky coffee afterwards before work.
In fact, I loveeeee coffee dates, and most weekends I am out with friends for a coffee and a yap session by the lake or beach. I grew up on the lake, so in the warmer seasons I’m usually hanging out with my family there kayaking, having picnics and watching the boys fishing.
I also dance on Friday nights – not your typical jazz, hip-hop, or contemporary style, but something a little different. It’s best described as feminine, empowering, and all about celebrating your body and everything it can do. I’m extremely passionate about empowering women and love seeing them embrace who they are, fully and unapologetically.
I like hanging out with my friends, going on walks, brunch dates, and weekends away with my family. I love traveling. But working full-time makes it a little bit trickier to go travelling as often as I would like. I would opt to go overseas 3 times a year if I could. My most recent holiday overseas was Colombia in South America, and my next destination is going to be New Zealand!
