THE SAGE STORY
With a background in humanities and a passion for helping people achieve their NDIS goals, Sages' experience and success add up to a positive step for you when engaging their services.
KELLY RYAN
Director/Specialist Support Coordinator
BA Arts, (Hons) Politics, Diploma of Counselling, Cert IV in training and assessment, Accredited Mental Health First Aider.
WORK HISTORY
Kelly Ryan is Sage’s Specialist Support Coordinator and Owner. Since 2015 Kelly has delivered Complex Support Coordination for families living in the Geelong and Surf Coast regions.
Prior to working in the disability sector Kelly was delivering a parenting program within the correctional space. For the 10 years before that Kelly was developing and proactively advocating training and coaching programs that were based around capacity building.
QUALIFICATIONS AND PASSION
Kelly’s specialities include complex families, Autism, Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Health. Kelly has qualifications in counselling, and an Arts degree with Honours – focusing on humanities.
Kelly has a large network across the disability sector and is extremely passionate about working with participants and their families to assist them to achieve their NDIS goals. Driven by creating opportunities where everyone is able to experience life equally. Kelly’s core passion is embedded in having a deep commitment to people.
NGAIRE YOUNG
Specialist Support Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts from Deakin University, Accredited Mental Health First Aid
WORK HISTORY
Driven by a passion for helping others, Ngaire transferred to the Disability sector following a career in Finance and Corporate Coordination. Ngaire holds a Bachelor of Arts and is currently pursuing qualifications in Mental Health. Ngaire uses her strong practical skills in innovative problem solving, partnership building and communications as an asset in her role as a Specialist Support Coordinator. Ngaire has demonstrated experience coordinating responsive individualised supports to participants who present with complex behaviours, ASD, trauma, mental illness, and intellectual disability. Her tenacious and professional approach to building effective and collaborative support networks enables her to deliver positive outcomes for the participants she works with.
Within her role as a Specialist Support Coordinator, Ngaire will assist you to develop a service plan to address complexities and barriers within your support network. Ngaire will work collaboratively with your informal supports, mainstream supports and funded disability supports to establish a process to enable you to overcome barriers and assist you to achieve your personal goals, develop your resilience within your networks and increase your functional capacity and overall independence.
Ngaire is passionate about acting within the framework of the social model of disability and takes a person-centred approach to ensure Participants are given opportunities to achieve their goals and lead full, independent, and empowered lives of their choosing. Outside of work Ngaire spends her time exploring Geelong and the Surf Coast with her three children but only after she has drunk all of the coffee.
ADELLE McCASKILL
Senior Support Coordinator
Cert IV Disability, Accredited Mental Health First Aid.
WORK HISTORY
Adelle has over 11 years’ experience working in the Disability Sector.
Adelle’s caring and understanding nature enables her to positively work with Children, Young Adults, and their families. Adelle takes pride in sitting down with each participant, to understand their unique strengths and NDIS goals. Adelle is constantly looking for the right supports to ensure each individual is able to have the opportunity to live a meaningful life, within a diverse healthy community.
Outside of work Adelle loves exploring the outdoors with her daughter and golden retriever. Adelle’s attitude to having an active, and healthy lifestyle is something she transfers to her role as a Support Coordinator, to help people lead a fulfilled life.
JAKE JANSON
Senior Support Coordinator
Cert IV in Youth Work, Accredited First Aider, Accredited Mental Health First Aid
WORK HISTORY
Jake has an ever-growing passion for supporting people and helping them achieve their goals. Originally starting his journey within the youth sector, Jake volunteered as a mentor with the non-for-profit organisation, Ocean Mind. His role with Ocean Mind continued to evolve until he became the first paid employee as a program coordinator, running surf therapy programs.
Jake found the most value in spending one on one time with the youth in Ocean Mind and began running a disability support business ‘Believe and Achieve Youth Support’ to provide more in-depth support tailored to his clients. As a disability support worker, Jake worked with a diverse range of people to help them achieve their goals and provide the support and care they needed. Jake has extensive understanding of working with complex participants and through his individualised work, has had extensive exposure to Child Protection, Justice and other interfacing systems, where he has developed further understanding and created professional networks to assist him in his professional development.
Jake has been recognised for his work within the local community, being nominated for Surf Coast Youth Awards in 2019 and later being named as the winner of Westfield Geelong Local Heroes in 2020.
In his spare time Jake enjoys keeping active, and loves spending time with his partner and their fur babies, often travelling and seeing the coast. Jake looks forward to working with individuals and helping empower them to make informed decisions and choices, in order for them to live their best lives!
CHARLOTTE HAMPSHIRE
Senior Support Coordinator
Certificate IV Disability, Certificate IV Business, Certificate IV Health Administration
WORK HISTORY
Charlotte has worked within the community and disability services industry for over 5 years. Charlotte worked as a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) prior to commencing her role as a Support Coordinator for Sage. Charlotte has extensive experience developing and implementing individualised support plans with a variety of supports including, home modifications, assistive technology, behaviour and relationship supports, employment supports, home and living supports (STA, MTA, SIL, ILO, SDA) and disability related health supports.
Charlotte knows how to meet the legislative requirements of the NDIS Act and will assist to ensure participants and their nominees are adequately informed to assist them to utilise their funding appropriately. Charlotte can support you to build your capacity to self-manage your plan to enable you to have choice and control with how you choose to utilise your funded supports.
Prior to working as an LAC, Charlotte worked in Centrelink/jobactive, supporting participants of jobactive to identify and pursue their employment related goals by enhancing their vocational skills, addressing employment related barriers, and supporting them to identify their individual strengths.
Charlotte loves spending time with her dogs, doing yoga and going camping on the weekends. Charlotte is passionate about human rights and strongly advocates for the rights of individuals living with a disability.
MICHAELA RODGERS
Support Coordinator
Bachelor of Youth Work, Cert IV in Alcohol and other Drugs
Cert IV in Disability , Cert IV in Mental health
WORK HISTORY
Michaela originally studied and worked in the youth work field but found her passion within the disability industry, when she was finishing off her study placement hours working on camps with children. From that moment she was hooked and while still working within the youth work sector, she continued to volunteer at camps on her weekends off.
When her temporary job in youth work came to an end, she was approached to work at an organisation that ran group-based activities for adults with ASD. There she gained an enormous amount of experience working with people with complex support needs.
Throughout her 10 year career she has gained a range of different knowledge and experience within the industry and has worked in all areas such as: respite, recreation, working alongside the LGBTIQ+ community, camps, holiday activities, community participation, mental health, education, group based activities and has recently enjoyed her time in management within supported accommodation.
Michaela is enthusiastic and passionate about ensuring all participants that she works with have their goals and needs met by thinking outside of the box and using a holistic approach. She enjoys watching people grow, learn, gain confidence within themselves, and lead happy and successful lives (however that looks for them!).
In her down time, Michaela enjoys going on day trips, snuggling on the couch with her cats, and spending time with her close-knit family.
TEAH CARROLL
Support Coordinator
Cert IV in Disability, Cert 3 in Aged Care, First Aid
WORK HISTORY
Teah has over 5 years of experience in the community services sector, the last 2 years focusing on disability supports. Coming from a background in aged care, Teah has always had a passion for helping others in any way that she can.
Starting off as a community disability support worker, Teah came to understand how important it was for people living with a disability to have someone they can rely on to always have their best interests at heart, and this is what motivated her to move her way into support coordination. Being a safe space for participants while helping them build capacity and connect with the perfect supports is her ultimate goal.
Outside of work-life, Teah enjoys downtime with her husband, 3 young daughters, and two Labradors, getting away to their on-site caravan – enjoying the river views and campfire (and don’t forget the marshmallows!)”
RUBY DELISLE
Support Coordinator
Accredited Mental Health First Aider.
WORK HISTORY
Ruby has two years of experience in the disability sector as a support worker. This is where Ruby began her passion for understanding clients with disabilities, as she focused on making personal connections and discovering creative ways to support their individual needs. Ruby feels most successful when she sees genuine results in the clients she works with.
Ruby is new to the coordination industry but is looking forward to using the skills she has developed in her experience to assist more clients in finding their path to the correct supports they need in order to live a fulfilled life. Ruby’s experience has provided her with knowledge and understanding of the disability support world.
Outside of work you will find ruby hanging out with friends and family, going on weekend trips and playing with her two cats. She loves to travel and hopes to see as much of the world as she can one day.