Distance Doesn’t Mean Disconnection

Living in a regional town shouldn’t mean missing out on great support. Our mate Jamie, who has been working with his Crosslinks Support Coordinator, Chelle, since July 2020, is proof of that.

While Jamie’s life has changed a lot over the past few years, one thing has stayed the same: support that understands his goals and keeps things moving, wherever he lives.

After moving from Perth to Kalgoorlie almost three years ago to be closer to his brother, Jamie continued his support coordination with Crosslinks. Today, he lives with a housemate, stays actively involved in his local community, and is chasing some pretty big goals with mostly just phone-based support.

Making Support Coordination Work in Regional WA

For Jamie, living remotely hasn’t meant losing connection. Most of his support coordination happens through regular phone calls, backed up with clear follow-up emails.

“Phone calls work best for me,” Jamie says. “They’re flexible, easy to organise, and fit around what I’ve got going on.”

That flexibility has been key. If Chelle isn’t immediately available, Jamie knows there’s plenty of back up to pass on the message and make sure he gets a call back. It’s a small thing, but it builds trust – especially when you’re managing supports from hundreds of kilometres away!

When Jamie travels to Perth, he decides whether or not to include a face-to-face catch-up with Chelle. There’s no pressure – they meet in person only when he feels it’s needed, usually every one to two months. It’s support that adapts to Jamie, not the other way around.

A Life Filled with Purpose, Community and Fun

At home, Jamie’s days are full! He enjoys gaming on his PlayStation and painting his Warhammer figurines, carefully preparing them for a weekly Warhammer group in Kalgoorlie that’s specifically for people with disability. It’s a social highlight that brings connection, creativity and routine into his week.

He runs a gardening business, getting that set up is one of the things that Support Coordination has helped to achieve.  His dream is to grow the business to hire other individuals with disability to, in his words, give them the chance that he never had.  

And then there’s Jamie’s commitment to community service.

In 2020, Jamie volunteered with the Bushfire Brigade, before volunteering with the SES in 2022. Since then, he’s helped during bushfires, floods and storm damage across the region. His next goal? Completing first aid training so he can volunteer with the Air Force and put his field radio skills to use.

This is what good community inclusion services look like – real participation, contribution and belonging.

Planning Big Adventures

One of the highlights of Jamie’s journey has been travel. With Chelle’s support, he’s been on trips to Tasmania, Queensland, and even Bali. Having someone who said “yes” instead of “no”, understood the details and kept funding on track meant that he could turn ideas into real experiences.

Now, he’s setting his sights on the Philippines later this year.

Why Choose Crosslinks

Jamie’s story reflects what we aim to provide across all of our disability: consistency, trust, and genuine relationships.

For referrers in regional WA, we understand the pressure of finding providers who can work flexibly, communicate clearly, and truly put participants first.

Whether participants prefer phone calls, occasional face-to-face meetings, or a mix of both, our team makes support coordination work in a way that feels practical, personal and reliable.

Support That Reaches Beyond Perth

If you live in a regional or remote area and you’re looking for a trusted partner in NDIS support coordination, we’d love to chat.

Reach out to our team; call us on (08) 9374 1600, or send us an email at [email protected].