VNRS provide services across metropolitan Melbourne and areas of regional Victoria including Mornington Peninsula and Geelong. Our consulting rooms are in Fairfield.
Our services include neuropsychological assessment, counselling for individuals with an ABI, and behaviour support for individuals with behaviours of concern.
We are registered to provide behaviour support to NDIS participants with Improved Relationships funding. We are also registered to provide services funded by TAC and WorkSafe.
Click on our services listed for detailed information.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
REASONS FOR REFERRAL
Neuropsychological assessments are conducted to address a range of issues including the following:
- To determine whether an individual has an Aquired Brain Injury (ABI). This can be for the purpose of assessing eligibility for funding or services.
- To help the individual with an ABI, their family and their treating team understand how thinking skills (e.g., memory, problem-solving, reasoning) have changed since the ABI.
- To support the individual with an ABI to understand strengths in his/her thinking skills, and to implement strategies to compensate for ABI-related changes.
- To assess an individual’s capacity to make decisions in areas including managing finances, appropriate accommodation, medical issues and making a will.
- To support the process of returning to work following an ABI.
- To establish if there are cognitive changes impacting on an individual’s ability to return to driving after an ABI.
See our Client Information page for the following:
- Preparing for the Assessment
- What Happens At The Assessment
- What Happens After The Assessment
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING
Individuals with an ABI sometimes experience emotional difficulties associated with changes to their life.
Counselling can help with learning new ways of coping with these changes, as well as address problems including anger, depression and anxiety.
BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT
Individuals with an ABI can display a range of behaviours of concern, including impulsivity, aggression, socially inappropriate behaviour and adynamia. Behaviour support input can be helpful in addressing many of these behaviours.
The behaviour support practitioner will commonly work with the individual with the brain injury and work with other people in his/her life to develop a behaviour support plan. Behaviour support plans commonly include information on how the person wants to be supported, maximising the person’s participation in valued and enjoyable activities, triggers to behaviours of concern, proactive strategies and how to respond to behaviours of concern.
VNRS is registered to provide behaviour support to people with Improved Relationships funding in their NDIS plan.
EDUCATION
Group education sessions on a range of topics can be arranged, including:
- Understanding cognitive, behaviour and emotional changes associated with ABI.
- How to work with clients with ABI and behaviours of concern.
- Understanding alcohol related brain injury.
Training can also be arranged for staff to support them in working with specific clients who have an ABI.
MEDICO-LEGAL ASSESSMENT
Medico-legal assessments are arranged through the individual’s solicitor.
SECONDARY CONSULTATION
In some cases, the individual with the ABI may not want to, or may be unable to engage with the neuropsychologist, but the team working with the individual may require support in how to effectively work with the individual. Secondary consultation can be provided in these instances.
PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION
Professional support is provided to other psychologists working with people with ABI.