At Mercy Community, we’re proud of the lengths that our team members go to, providing the best possible service to the people we support. So, we thought we’d celebrate Alison Charpentier, a Mercy Community Support worker who embodies the spirit of Mercy Community’s mission and values and inspires inclusion every day.
Meet Alison Charpentier
Alison knows from personal experience how much of a difference appropriate and genuine support can make in someone’s life. Her mother was one of those special people who devoted her career to looking after children who were diagnosed with vast ranges of disabilities, including Rett Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder impacting the brain’s development.
Having grown up under such positive influence and compassion, combined with lived experience of her own (Alison identifies as a person with a disability and is also the primary carer of her adult son who has Autism), it stands to reason Alison’s own career path would lead her to a role where she can also make a difference in someone’s life. And she does. Every day.
Alison is one of Mercy Community’s 100 support coordinators making a difference to the lives of people living with a disability and contributing to positive outcomes for participants.
Equipped with emotional intelligence, highly developed problem-solving skills, previous business experience, a diploma in community services, and undergoing a bachelor’s degree in social work, along with lived and learned experience, Alison truly understands what it takes to achieve successful outcomes for society’s most vulnerable people.
As a high-performing support coordinator, Alison works on average with over 20 participants or their stakeholders each week and manages cases that are considered challenging. Whether it’s phone calls, home visits, stakeholder meetings with social workers, psychologists or others, Alison spends her day building trust and connections, identifying opportunities or gaps, and taking ‘deep dives’ when a participant’s situation changes to ensure they receive the best support available to them.
For Alison, the participant is the only person who matters.
“For me, participants come first. I genuinely care and am rewarded every day when I know I have succeeded in achieving a positive outcome for a participant, big or small.”
With assistance from a colleague, Alison recently helped to secure approval for a breathing machine for a young female participant who suffers from the severe impacts of Rett Syndrome.
“Knowing I have helped secure this device so the young participant can not only breathe, but also swallow, is the most satisfying and rewarding experience and reminds me why I do the work I do.”
We thank you Alison for the work you do every day for participants and Mercy Community.
If you would like to know more about the support services Mercy Community offers and how we can help you achieve the most from your NDIS plan, why not visit our website here or contact us today:
