NRBC is led by Carl Patterson. Carl is a registered Psychologist with over 25 years experience providing, managing and leading professional services to vulnerable people. While his focus has been working with and supporting people with a disability and their families, importantly his experience includes working with children in out of home care and their carers, women and children escaping domestic violence, people who are experiencing homelessness and those with challenges with drugs and alcohol and/or their mental health. This breadth of experience enables Carl to understand the complex issues that people face. He understands the way that service systems interact with each other and the people that they are intended to serve.
Carl commenced his career as a direct support worker, providing support to adults with an intellectual disability living in institutions and community-based homes. This early experience gave him a valuable insight into the competing priorities faced by care-givers and supporters. This experience has assisted Carl to develop an empathic and practical approach to the support that he provides- recognising that the recommendations that he makes need to be sustainable in the real world of day to day life if they are to bring about truly enduring change.
Carl is recognised as a leading practitioner in supporting people with a disability who present with behaviour that challenges their support networks. He played a number of leading roles in the development and implementation of Queensland’s Restrictive Practices regulation. He is frequently requested, by Public Guardians and Advocacy agencies, to provide support to individuals that challenge service systems because of his track record of achieving positive outcomes for individuals whose needs are not well served by typical support providers.