Our story

Lauren Watkins started Darwell Supports in 2025, after almost 10 years working as a Behaviour Support Practitioner, Clinical Lead and accredited mental health social worker. She built Darwell Supports wanting to work in a way that reflected her own values and clinical judgement.

The bigger shift happened earlier, at home. As the parent of a non-verbal autistic son, Lauren has dealt with the pool fence in the lounge room, the fridge locks, and systems that didn't fit her family. That experience shapes the reason Darwell Supports exists the way it does.

What started as one practitioner has grown into a small team who work the same way. No judgement at the door, no jargon left unexplained, and no participant turned away for being too complex.

Connect. Collaborate. Celebrate.

Sums up how the practice runs day to day.

Connect with the people being supported and the people around them.
Collaborate with families, carers and support teams.
Celebrate progress, on the participant's own terms.

meet the team

Meet Lauren

Lauren is the Director and Clinical Lead at Darwell Supports, an Advanced NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner and Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. Her work spans both sides of Darwell, hands-on with participants, families and support teams, and overseeing the clinical and business side of the practice, from behaviour assessments and Behaviour Support Plans through to training and quality.

She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and is an AASW Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, with ongoing study across positive behaviour support, mental health, disability and complex support needs.

Lauren has spent close to ten years in the disability sector, starting as a Local Area Coordinator during the first NDIS rollout in Western Sydney, before working as a social worker across hospital and community settings. She works across the full lifespan with particular experience in complex presentations, autism, intellectual disability, psychosocial disability, mental health and forensic disability. She also provides external clinical supervision to social workers, supporting their confidence and reflective practice around complex work and the NDIS.

Her approach starts with understanding the person before trying to change anything. Behaviour usually makes sense once you understand what someone is communicating, what they've been through, and what needs aren't being met. She writes plans the participant, their family and everyone supporting them can actually use day to day. She believes change doesn't only sit with the participant, sometimes it's the environment or the support team that needs to shift. Her favourite line, one she comes back to a lot in this work, is "people do well when they can."

Lauren is also a parent to an autistic child, which shapes how she shows up in this work as much as her professional training does. She understands the systems from the practitioner's side, and what it feels like sitting on the other side of the table. It's given her a real appreciation for the mental load families carry and how much it matters that professionals actually listen.

Outside of work she's usually at the lake with her family, on the electric bikes or the jet ski, at reformer Pilates or indoor netball, or having a day at home pottering around.

Meet Alisa

Alisa is a Behaviour Support Practitioner who works alongside people to improve their quality of life, build independence, and reduce reliance on restrictive practices. Her approach is grounded in trust, empathy, and genuine relationship building with every person she supports.

Before joining Darwell, Alisa worked as a Specialist Support Coordinator and managed a team within a large organisation, giving her a solid understanding of how the sector operates from both a frontline and leadership perspective. She holds a Certificate III in Aged Care and a Certificate II in Mental Health, alongside training in medication administration, and has recently completed further study in behaviour support at Monash University. She brings a strong, ongoing commitment to learning and continuing to grow her practice.

For Alisa, good behaviour support starts with listening. She believes in showing up without judgement, understanding each person's situation on its own terms, and working together to find real solutions. Participants and families know they can reach her when they need support, and that clear, honest communication is something she prioritises every time.

Outside of work, Alisa is a mum of two who values time with family and friends above all else. She's often found crocheting, working on a mosaic project, or curled up with a good book, and considers a quiet, creative Sunday a good weekend well spent.

Meet Dani

Dani is a Behaviour Support Practitioner at Darwell Supports, focused on understanding the why behind behaviour and building strategies around that understanding for each person.

She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of New England and is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

She's worked with people with disabilities since 2020, starting as a support worker before moving into clinical work, and has been in behaviour support since 2023. She's worked mostly with teens with significant trauma histories and complex presentations, and has a particular interest in working with people diagnosed with Huntington's disease.

Her approach is strongly person-centred and focused on strengths. She's genuinely fascinated by the why behind behaviour, since it looks different for every person. Families and participants know her as non-judgemental and willing to meet people exactly where they're at.

Outside of work she's a diehard Knights supporter, spends a lot of time playing backyard footy and cricket, and balances that with gardening, knitting and crochet. She lives with her husband and two sons, five years and six months old, which she'll tell you is complete chaos. She spent her early twenties backpacking around the world, including a couple of years living and working in London and Berlin. Her outlook comes down to one line: putting good vibes into the universe can only help.

Meet Chethi

Chethi is Darwell's Finance and Operations Manager and a Behaviour Support Practitioner. She oversees finance, payroll, operations and systems, and also works directly with participants as a practitioner.

She holds a Master's degree in Accounting from the University of New England and a Bachelor of Commerce from Macquarie University, plus Xero certification and training through the Institute of Public Accountants. She completed her behaviour support studies through Monash University.

She has over 21 years of experience in finance and business operations, including 16 years in senior management, and has worked in the NDIS sector since 2017. She started at Darwell on the finance and operations side, then completed intensive practical training in behaviour support and gained her certification.

She's not looking to specialise in one area of behaviour support. She'd rather stay open and learn from the range of participants and support networks she works with. Honesty, transparency and accountability matter to her, and she treats everyone she works with the same way, with dignity, empathy and respect.

In 2016 Chethi had major brain surgery and a long rehabilitation, which affected her facial nerves and left her without full movement on one side of her face. Recovery has been slow, and she still hasn't fully regained what she lost. It taught her what it feels like when abilities you once took for granted change, and how much that affects the people around you too, not just the person going through it. It's part of why she brings patience to her work.

Outside of work she loves travelling with her family, especially European cruises, and getting everyone together for a good meal. She collects a fridge magnet from everywhere she goes, loves Hallmark movies, and could watch an aquarium for hours. Heights are a hard no. She's a big believer in running her own race, everyone's journey looks different, so there's no point comparing yours to anyone else's.