Each fortnight, a tight-knit team of four board a red eye flight in Adelaide and travel 370 kilometres to the regional town of Mount Gambier. Calling themselves the “Possum Posse”, this dedicated fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) crew provide crucial disability support services to the local community.
Speech Pathologists, Rose and Kiana, and Occupational Therapists, Kiah and Pat, generally see clients in central Adelaide where they live. But in regional areas, like Mount Gambier, disability support can be hard to come by. The time and resources of local practitioners are often stretched, so the team have become a much-needed lifeline for families and communities – many of whom were on long waiting lists prior.
We spoke to Rose and Kiah about the value of these bi-weekly trips, both for the clients and families they support, and for them as practitioners.
A comprehensive approach
After carrying out a thorough assessment, Rose often finds it’s the case that people living with disabilities could benefit from a variety of supports. That’s why having a multidisciplinary team fly in is a major asset. “A lot of the time the clients need both speech pathology, that communication side of support, and then also occupational therapy support – help with aspects of daily living to assist in all areas,” she explains.
Outside of providing these different treatment modalities, Kiah says a critical part of their work is getting families more familiar with the ins-and-outs of the NDIS so they can navigate it successfully. “As there aren’t many practitioners to assist them with it, it's great that we're able to go there and empower families, their children and other clients that we see,” she says.
The team are always looking for ways they can equip the people they support with more knowledge to strengthen their capacity for self-advocacy. That’s where they draw upon the expertise of Mount Gambier locals. “We've started to develop the Allied Health Assistants model. This is where we service clients, complete their assessments, and then liaise with Allied Health Assistants who see them regularly in Mount Gambier,” Kiah says.
The FIFO team tell us they’ve been incredibly pleased with how well this system is working. They also receive great feedback from clients, who have been able to make excellent progress and establish lasting working relationships with their local Allied Health Assistants, who are consistently guided and upskilled to best support them.
So… where do the possums come in?
Rose, Kiah, Kiana and Pat have become close friends over the course of their trips and can always count on one another when things such as flight delays and COVID-19 travel restrictions throw their plans out of whack. In fact, they’ve come to take such logistical errors in their stride, and even have a running joke that, ‘It’s not a trip to Mount Gambier unless something goes wrong!’
That’s why the four of them cherish the rituals they’ve created to wind down at the end of the day – and their favourite routine is a furry one. “We go and visit some possums in one of the sinkholes in Mount Gambier and feed them quite regularly – it's a lot of fun,” enthuses Kiah.
A photo of Kiah working at The Benevolent Society office
While their possum patting trips earned this group their unofficial title, the “Possum Posse”, Kiah says the whole overnight experience is a rewarding one. “Because we all share the work that we do, and it takes certain characteristics to work in a position like ours, we really get along. We just really love spending time with each other,” she says.
Growing and evolving
Rose reflects on how the fly-in-fly-out trips have shaped her professional development. “They’ve been a huge benefit. They’ve supported my independence as a clinician and helped me build my skills collaboratively,” she says.
A photo of Rose at The Benevolent Society Office
Rose also loves that she can live and work in Adelaide, but also support rural communities who really need her services. “It's been such an amazing privilege to be able to work with all the families that I do, and help them reach their goals,” she concludes.
For more information on our disability services, visit our disability services page or call our friendly Support Centre team on 1800 236 762.