Mr Francisco de Paula1
1The Calmer Approach, Wentworth Point, Australia
Biography:
Francisco de Paula is a Neurobehavioural Practitioner and Director of The CALMER Approach Limited, and the developer of the CALMER® Approach, evidence-informed neuro-behavioural practice framework grounded in the principle that safety underpins healthy individuals, teams, and communities. His work focuses on supporting people to feel safe and be safe, particularly when distress shows up as behaviour. An NDIS Advanced Behaviour Support Practitioner, Francisco holds a Bachelor of Education (Habilitation) and has worked in the disability sector since 2000. He brings over 15 years’ practitioner experience, alongside lived experience supporting a family member with dementia, and regularly presents nationally and internationally.
Abstract:
Remote health services have a unique opportunity to build relationships, strengthen trust, and get to know local communities closely. In remote contexts, however, pressure is felt quickly and personally, especially when people do not feel safe or are not safe. When safety and trust are stretched, relationships can break down and distress can surface in many ways, placing both people and continuity of care at risk. The future of remote health depends on practical alignment and congruency across policy and practice, so everyone can feel safe and be safe even when distress shows up as behaviour.
This presentation draws on CALMER® (Cortex, Amygdala, Limbic, Memory, Emotional Regulation), an integrated neuro-behavioural, evidence-informed practice framework developed through practice-based knowledge translation. CALMER® offers a practical and accessible framework for collaboration between remote health teams and local communities, supporting early recognition of distress and safe responses within staff teams and community contexts, helping to protect continuity of care.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between emotional regulation and behaviour, including the importance of distinguishing intentional behaviour from distress-driven behaviour to support safer responses. Participants will also build skills to co-design and plan therapeutic responses when distress arises, and access tools that support collaborative practice with health professionals and local communities. Key learnings emphasise the importance of planning for safety, making it explicit and central to practice. Safety cannot be assumed.