The Act on Ability team
Fiona MacFarlane – Support Coordinator – Director
0417 690 446
Fiona graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of NSW in 1997. Since then she has spent many years in the disability sector as well as having worked in health, various family services, Centrelink, management roles, and has also taught social work at universities as well as supervising students in the field.
As a support coordinator and director of the Act on Ability, Fiona is committed to social justice and believes in ALL people having the right to a life where they are valued within their communities and have opportunities to participate in a way that is most meaningful to them.
Fiona also offers social work therapy, assisting participants to find and utilise their strengths as well as supporting them to find strategies which better assist them to manage their daily lives in a sustainable and meaningful way.
“Fiona at Act on Ability is understanding, caring & an amazing support. I always feel warmly welcomed when I visit. Fiona is excellent with communication, very responsive & clear which I value greatly due to my specific needs associated with ASD. I feel I have someone advocating for me who understands me & meets me where I am, by creating a space of inclusivity & safety.”
Suzie Johnston – Support Coordinator – Director
0490 030 865
Suzie has worked in the community, disability, and non-profit sectors as a facilitator, contractor, coordinator, and manager for over 20 years. Her experience includes transitioning a service to NDIS support delivery from NDIS trial including establishing their support coordination service. Suzie has worked in the creative industries as a facilitator, artist, and producer, served on the boards of arts and community organisations, and worked as a consultant with non-profits and businesses to support them to plan, develop team culture, and sustain their services.
Suzie collaborates as a support coordinator with a diversity of people in the NDIS space including children and their families, and adults, in order to support people to live the lives they want. She also delivers consulting and some training services for Act on Ability.
I can’t thank Suzie and her team enough for what they have done for my daughter. Suzie has performed ‘mission impossible’ in supporting us to ensure my daughter is well cared for.
Julia Selke – Support Coordinator
Julie is a registered social worker with twenty years of experience working with families and individuals needing support in a range of settings including disability, mental health, out-of-home care, education, homelessness, and unfortunately more so in the last few years, disaster welfare.
With qualifications in psychology, social work, and family therapy, Julie works from a solutions-focused, person-centered perspective, using a combination of motivational interviewing and brief therapy techniques to help people recognise their strengths and live the life they want to create.
“Watching people’s confidence and skills build over time, see them overcome often significant challenges to reach or even exceed their potential and what they thought they were capable of to reach their goals, is always rewarding and enjoyable to be a part of.”
While her clients can benefit from Julie’s ability to implement solution-focussed therapeutic elements into her work, her experience in government policy and program development plus the implementation of skills development-based training provides clients with confidence in their interactions with support providers, the NDIA, and the use of their NDIS plans.
“We unexpectedly required NDIS assistance quite late in life and had no idea how to best manage the funding for the best outcomes for my wife. “Managing” on my own wasn’t working. Julie, our Act On Ability support coordinator, has guided us through the maze of requirements and supports available via NDIS, which has markedly improved my life as a carer, and of course, my wife has also significantly benefitted.I still make all decisions, but AOA let us know what they recommend and is available, and has negotiated quick, beneficial outcomes with those providing the services my wife needs.I will always appreciate the assistance Julie and Act On Ability have provided us during these very difficult times”
Nadia Kankindji – Support Coordinator
0455 542 635
Act on Ability has provided efficient service coordination for me by helping me to gain supports and community involvement with great organisation. I am grateful for Nadia and she is trustworthy. She listens to me and explains how I need to understand things. She has been a great help in my life.
Armanda Marshall – Support Coordinator
0452 589 570
Armanda has recently come on board with Act on Ability as a Support Coordinator.
For the past 25 years, Armanda worked in administration and the community in both government and not-for-profit organizations, most recently with NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Armanda worked as a social educator in disabilities in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, was a case manager for people under court orders and has worked on projects such as suicide prevention, domestic violence, and men in the prison system.
Armanda has had a wide range of experience with intellectual, physical, and psycho-social disabilities, drug and alcohol dependence, aged-related conditions, and those in the justice system.
Armanda is a warm, open-minded, animal lover who loves meeting new people. Armanda is passionate about helping people achieve their personal goals and aspirations.
Kylie Farr – Support Coordinator
Kylie has worked in the HR industry for the past 25 years. Although new to support coordination as a profession, she is not new to the NDIS system.
Kylie has lived experience and is mum to a now adult son, who has accessed the NDIS since its inception. She understands the daily challenges that people living with disability and their families face, from navigating the system itself to accessing the right support services including therapies, assistive technology, equipment and daily supports.
Miriam Blackshaw – Plan Management
Miriam has been specialising in bookkeeping and office management for over 20 years. In addition to her certified accounting & bookkeeping training, she has vast experience in small businesses ranging from trades, food manufacture, retail, disability services and more.