Publications

Dr Fiona Davis – Publications

Dr Davis has been central to a range of research teams of which several articles have been published as a result of the work.

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Clinical supervision is a skill in and of itself that has to be developed and maintained. Clinical supervisors need a role orientation toward both program and client goals and a knowledge base to complement a new set of skills. Clinical supervisors in the community services will function most effectively when they achieve competency both in clinical supervision as a discipline generally, and in considerable competency as relevant to their specific context.

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Supervisees are advised to maintain the following attitudes and behaviours to ensure clinical supervision is a worthwhile pursuit that benefits their work, clients and organisation:

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POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT IN AUSTRALIA: A STATE OF THE NATION REPORT 2023

International Journal of Positive
Behavioural Support

Australia has seen an expansion in the use of positive behavioural support (PBS) in recent years. PBS in Australia was originally conceived in disability and school-based settings. Two areas of recent PBS expansion include the aged care and psychosocial disability, often through legislated approaches, which may not be well referenced in the current evidence base of PBS in terms of application or efficacy. The emerging use of PBS approaches across Australia is additionally complicated by the socio-political environment of being a federated country. States will often take differing approaches to each other, whilst at the same time being guided by national federal policy and legislation, which presents its own challenges at a service delivery level.

This paper focuses on the current state of PBS in Australian disability and school contexts using a socio-political perspective and conclude with recommendations for a national approach to PBS in Australia.

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OUTCOMES FOR STAFF PARTICIPATING IN POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT TRAINING

International Journal of Positive
Behavioural Support

Severity of cognitive disability and mental health court determinations about fitness to stand trial.
This project was to establish a baseline of clients who had mental health court outcomes within a defined period (2013-2014) due to cognitive disability.  Conclusions estimated that severity of cognitive disability is associated with determinations of unfitness but does not predict unsoundness in the Queensland Mental Health Court.  Psychiatric assessment plays a pivotal role in court determinations.

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POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT TRAINING IN A SECURE FORENSIC SETTING: THE IMPACT ON STAFF KNOWLEDGE & POSITIVE
BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT PLAN QUALITY

International Journal of Positive
Behavioural Support

Outcomes for staff participating in positive behavioural support training.

Positive Behaviour Support is the current model of practice used within the Australian context to support persons who live with an intellectual disability and who have challenging behaviours. Staff training in PBS to a diverse range of practitioners has resulted in increased knowledge and practice changes that have benefitted client contexts. Increases in staff knowledge of PBS as a practice and the capacity of practitioners to write effective PBS plans was high.

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SEVERITY OF COGNITIVE DISABILITY & MENTAL HEALTH COURT DETERMINATIONS ABOUT FITNESS TO STAND TRIAL

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

The outcome of a statewide audit of the quality of positive behaviour support plans.

Positive Behavior Support Plans in Australia have historically produced many and varied results not only for client outcomes but also with regards to staff implementation. The use of an assessment instrument to measure the quality of PBS plans was conducted to establish a baseline of sector PBSP standards. The BSPQE-II was modified for Australian context and utilised to determine whether plans demonstrated the correct elements to effect behaviour change. Additionally readability scoring identified that the language used in plans was not understandable by the audience who are required to implement plans.

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CAN THE BEHAVIOUR INTERVENTION PLAN QUALITY EVALUATION, VERSION 2,
BE SIMPLIFIED FOR USE BY STAKEHOLDERS WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT?

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

Behaviour support plan (BSP) quality auditing tools like the Behaviour Intervention Plan Quality Evaluation, Version 2 (BIPQEII), assess the quality of a BSP from the perspective of technical compliance with behavioural principles. However, these principles may be inaccessible to interested stakeholders with limited experience and knowledge of positive behaviour support (PBS). The aim of this study was to test if a simplified version of the BIPQEII [the Behaviour Support Plan Audit Tool (BSPAtool)] offers a reliable and valid assessment of a BSP’s technical compliance with behavioural principles when used by professional stakeholders with varying levels of PBS experience and knowledge.

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THE OUTCOME OF STATEWIDE AUDIT OF
THE QUALITY OF POSITIVE
BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT PLANS

Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability

Positive behavioural support training in a secure forensic setting: the impact on staff knowledge and positive behavioural support plan quality.

Offenders with an intellectual disability require supports and interventions for not only criminal behaviours but also for other challenging behaviours. Training of staff in forensic settings in the model and practice of positive behaviour support can provide knowledge and practice improvements that ultimately improve the outcomes for persons with an intellectual disability within a forensic context.

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