My Goal is passionate about providing support to people with complex needs. We sat down with Michael Riley, whose son Danny Riley has been supported by My Goal for over 12 months. Michael shares his story on how the organisation brought Supported Independent Living and purposeful programs to life for his son.
“Danny is 26 years old and has a diagnosis of Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Communication Disorder and a moderate Intellectual Disability,” Michael said.
“I had heard of My Goal and its success with high needs complex like Danny, so I got in touch with them through Danny’s NDIS Coordinator of Supports (COS) and met with organisation’s Directors Dean and Belinda Kidd.”
“I let them know Danny was a high-needs case and it was not going to be a picnic. They were unfazed, genuinely concerned in regards to Danny’s welfare and committed to making it work.”
“We had a series of meetings where we talked through Danny’s needs, my desires for his wellbeing and future goals, and strategies My Goal could implement to achieve this.”
“It was identified that Danny required dedicated one-to-one support, 24 hours per day, seven days per week in a stable, low-sensory, safe and caring environment where he could learn to manage his needs and behaviours to reach a level of comfort in the community.”
“My Goal stayed committed and strong through the tough times and now we are all reaping the rewards,” Michael continued.
“My Goal staff have been calm, dedicated and resilient, respectful of Danny’s disabilities and committed to learning how to best manage his behaviour, a lot of which comes down to his communication style preferences.
“They have also implemented specialised behaviour plans and provided training to staff which was specifically orientated to Danny’s needs.
“There has been ongoing and constant communication on Danny’s progress, and when certain strategies or situations haven’t been successful, they listened to me as the legal guardian and parent of Danny and valued my input, including me in the preparation of any plans relating to him.”
“My Goal organise and attend medical appointments with Danny, and collect data and analysis to assist medical staff in making informed decisions in regards to Danny’s medical supports. They also assist with his daily living, which includes personal care, preparation of basic foods and drinks, accessing the community, shopping tasks, handling money and utilising public transport.”
“The ultimate goal is for Danny to feel happy and settled in his own environment so he is not so reliant on his day-to-day interaction with me,” Michael said.
“My Goal have put in place practices to slowly accommodate this without bringing undue stress to Danny’s environment. Danny has improved dramatically, he is laughing and smiling again and learning a lot of new skills.
“We continue to see the benefits of him being in the My Goal environment.”
My Goal Australia is located at 1/63 Ridley Street, Charlestown. For more information, visit https://mygoalaustralia.com.au/.