Meet the team: Tracie Cockburn

Meet Tracie, support coordinator and recovery coach for the Whitsundays region. 

In her role, Tracie partners with consumers to ensure they understand the NDIS, have plans and goals in place and know the services that are going to get them closer to their goals.

This includes connecting consumers with therapists, getting them involved in group activities for social interactions, and joining them with NDIS providers of their choice. Support can be via community, mainstream, internal supports or government services.

Tracie’s approach is to work with (not for) consumers to assist them in reaching their goals.

“In order to successfully achieve this I need to build a rapport, understand consumers’ needs and most importantly listen to them,” said Tracie.

Tracie liaises with numerous stakeholders in a consumer’s team in order to achieve great outcomes.

“I enjoy seeing the personal satisfaction of consumers and staff achieving goals.”

A resident of Whitsunday for 25 years, Tracie describes herself as a humble small town girl. She comes from a work background in education and disability. She was a teacher’s aide for primary school Hard of Hearing (HOH) students. Following that she spent her time as a Disability Support Worker leading to a Service Delivery Team Leader.

After years of working in disability, Tracie felt a desire to change career direction within the community sector. She had experienced hopelessness in not knowing how to help loved ones affected by suicide and depression. This deeply touched her and she wanted to help people in this situation.

When selectability announced they were coming to Bowen, Tracie knew it was her calling. She joined the team in February 2022 as a Lifestyle Support Worker. Her aim was to progress in this role, gaining experience with the mental health sector, consumers and how selectability operates.

However, two months later she was given the opportunity of Support Coordinator/Recovery Coach for the Bowen region. She has been thriving ever since!

“The best part of my job is having consumers NDIS plans come to life and seeing them engaging in supports.”

Tracie adds diversity to the workplace, having a disability herself. She suffered profound hearing loss resulting from meningitis at the age of six. In 2020 she received a Cochlear Hearing Implant and now hears life in a world of colours.

Outside of work, Tracie loves to spend quality time with family and friends. She’s often outdoors fishing or sitting around the campfire swapping stories. There is nothing she likes better than getting dirt under her fingernails and salt water on the skin.

She loves being part of a driving force bringing much needed mental health services to a rural regional town and said, “I am proud to be part of selectability.”