Meet the Team :

Sussanne Pyers

Lead Coordinator

Social Worker

Lead Coordinator & Social Worker

Available Monday to Friday

Sussanne is Founder and Lead Coordinator of Total Care Team .

Sussanne has been happily married for the past 42 years and has 4 adult children; 1 Step Son and 9 Grandchildren.

Sussanne graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honors) from Monash University in 1983. Sussanne has worked in various roles which include: Child Protection; Intellectual Disability ; Foster Care ; Education Dept Student Services & Carer Respite and Support before moving into a role as Regional Coordinator with Multiple Sclerosis Victoria for 29 years. This role also included working with Neurological conditions including Huntington’s Disease, Muscular Dystrophy & Motor Neuron Disease. Other part time roles Sussanne has worked in have included: Carer Respite; Rehabilitation; Senior Social Worker Warrnambool Hospital, Barwon Health Carer Support, Grief Counselling & Sessional Teaching.

Sussanne Pyers was co-founder of Pyerscarlin Consultants until starting Total Care Team.

It was from this vast and varied experience and knowledge base that led Sussanne to support those transitioning to the NDIS at the commencement of NDIS rollout in South West Victoria on 1st October 2017 .

Sussanne’s extensive knowledge and experience form the foundations of the quality support provided to Total Care Team NDIS Participants. Sussanne follows the principle that all interactions and supports must reflect participant’s own decisions & choice ,ensuring participants have control of their NDIS journey.

Sussanne not only supports Participants already accessing the NDIS yet can support those navigating the NDIS for the first time .

Qualifications: Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

Renee Dodson

Senior Support Coordinator

Specialist Support Coordinator

Available Monday to Friday

Renee has a Diploma in Community Services – Case Management and is currently working towards her Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education with Flinders University.

Renee has worked in various roles over the last 20 years including Aged Care Facilities, Child Protection, Council Aged and Disability services and as Rural Access and Inclusion Officer.

Most recently working in the NDIS - as a Local Area Coordinator for Southwest Victoria and as a Specialist Support Coordinator with Gateways Support Services.

Renee is passionate about her work and loves supporting participants and their families to enable people to live their best life and make their lives a little easier where she can.

Having a special interest and lived experience in Dementia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)

Renee is a mum of 3 children who have a combination of ASD, ADHD and ODD disabilities.

Renee is now available to meet in person : participants, families and service providers within the Southwest Victoria or by phone or online Australia wide.

Tom Bishop

Senior Support Coordinator

( Available Monday to Friday)

Tom has over 10 years experience working within the healthcare and disability sector where he has gained extensive knowledge in a variety of roles and has been able to form strong partnerships with services and providers within the region.

After working within the NDIA as a planner, Tom gained a vast amount of knowledge and endeavored to take on a more hands on approach in being able to further support participants and their families by moving into a Support Coordination Role.

Tom is passionate about what he does and getting positive outcomes for his clients. He is hardworking and has a wealth of knowledge which he is able to utilise to support participants to maximise their funding and access the best supports available for their needs.

Tom has a friendly and relaxed personality, he loves sport and is an avid Carlton supporter. He enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his young family. Tom will be available Monday to Friday to support all of your Support Coordination needs as required

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Mark Sonego

Support Coordinator

Psychosocial Recovery Coach

Specialist Support Coordinator &

Psychosocial Recovery Coach

( Available Monday to Friday)

Mark has an Advanced Diploma in Community Services and has been working in the social welfare sector for over 20 years.

Mark has extensive knowledge of the NDIS having worked with the NDIA as a delegate creating plans for people to support them to achieve their goals.

Mark has also worked as a local area coordinator advocating and working with families to get the best outcomes for their present and future needs.

Mark has experience in aged care and acquired brain injury having managed a neuropsychological clinic for Southwest Victoria and case managing a diverse range of people and needs with community care packages.

Mark is passionate about supporting and working with you to achieve your goals. Mark has a friendly and relaxed demeanor and will advocate strongly for you and what you would like to work towards.

Mark is available Monday to Fridays and looks forward to supporting you meet your NDIS goals

Cheryl Umbers

Support Coordinator

Available Monday to Thursday

Cheryl has over 30 years in the Community Welfare Sector both here in Victoria and in Far North Queensland.

Cheryl holds an Associate Diploma in Applied Social Sciences (Welfare) , Diploma in Financial Counseling, Advanced Diploma in Business Management as well as numerous Certificates in Mediation, Cultural Competence, Tenancy Law and Quality Assurance.

Cheryl’s last position was working With Multiple Sclerosis QLD as a Support Coordinator assisting people with Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neuron Disease and other neurological conditions to implement their NDIS Plans. This work across the Far North Parts of Queensland was some of the most satisfying of Cheryl’s career due to the close enduring relationships Cheryl enjoyed with both participants of the NDIS and other service providers.

Cheryl has 2 adult children and 4 Grand Children and now lives locally in Warrnambool. Cheryl enjoys reading, crosswords and socialising with family and friends.

Cheryl is available to meet you in person, phone or via MS Teams / video conferencing . Cheryl has capacity for new Participants and looks forward to meeting you .

Pauline Pearce

Social Worker & Counsellor

Available by Appointment

Pauline comes to us with 30 years of experience in the Social Work field in a variety of settings including medical social work, mental health, aged care, child and family services and most recently domestic and family violence.

Pauline has a range of skills including complex risk assessment, case planning, risk management , critical incident stress debriefing and trauma informed counselling.

Having worked predominantly in the South West region of Victoria she is familiar with our service network and remains committed to ongoing professional development.

Pauline welcomes your contact & can accept referrals for Aged Care participants as well as NDIS .

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Lisa Bayliss

Allied Health Assistant

Available Wednesdays & Fridays 9am til 3.00pm

Lisa Bayliss is a dedicated and compassionate Allied Health Assistant with a strong commitment to supporting individuals through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as well as People receiving Home Care Packages .

With a profound understanding of the unique needs of NDIS participants and those on Home Care Packages , Lisa brings her experience in providing essential assistance to allied health professionals.

Her empathetic approach and effective communication skills foster a positive and inclusive environment, ensuring that each individual receives personalized care and support.

Lisa is passionate about empowering people with disabilities to achieve their goals and enhance their overall well-being. She has a genuine commitment to making a meaningful impact within NDIS & Aged Care community.

Lisa looks forward to supporting your NDIS goals or Aged Care Goals

Stephanie Fedley

Occupational Therapist

Available Thursdays and by appointment

Total Care Team is currently taking referrals for Functional Capacity Assessments, Assistive Technology Applications , Equipment Trials and Report Writing.

Stephanie comes to Total Care Team with over 35 years experience, is caring and compassionate and builds effective communication with everyone she meets.

Stephanie has a well established network of peers , teachers & therapists enabling her to coordinate & recommend interventions to best meet & achieve participants goals around skills development & capacity building in daily life .

Stephanie is able to assist NDIS & Aged Care participants with Functional Capacity Assessments , reports and Assistive Technology Applications. Stephanie has capacity to complete home visits across South West Victoria during School holidays. , and will maintain involvement during school term through emails or phone etc.

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Megan Jol

Life Skills Development & Early Childhood Support

Megan comes to Total Care Team with a Bachelor of Education working as a Primary School Teacher for the past 20 years.

Megan describes herself as friendly, open minded & trustworthy with a genuine interest & enthusiasm for helping others.

Megan has worked with children and adults of 'all abilities' and have particularly enjoyed working 'one on one' in Special Education. Megan has always strived to embrace the changes and challenges of life with a positive mindset, flexibility and a sense of fun!

Megan's experience has included aged care, supporting people with vision and hearing impairments, brain injuries, heart conditions, autism, anxiety, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, numerous physical disabilities and mental health conditions.

Nicky Bryant

Administration & Finance Officer

Office Administration

Available Monday ,Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays

Nicky has a positive attitude and is committed to excellence and always demonstrates innovative approaches in her work. Nicky has a Certificate in the Introduction to the NDIS & a Certificate IV in Business Administration.

Nicky has previously worked as a NDIS Plan Manager, Receptionist, Bookkeeper, Administration & Placement Officer at Southwest TAFE, IT sales & repair, Compliance & Administration Officer & Certificate IV Disability Coordinator with WDEA Training.

Nicky has lived in Warrnambool most of her adult life and enjoys spending time with her 2 adult children. Nicky’s hobbies include walking her rescue dog Whisper and craft