Overview
Availability
- Dr Maria Vassos is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, University of Melbourne
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Melbourne
- Professional Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, RMIT University
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Parent stress and seeking voluntary out-of-home care (relinquishment) for children and young people with disability
My work has focused on understanding the causal factors behind parental decisions to seek voluntary out-of-home care (e.g., lack of access to support, children with high support needs and challenging behaviour), profiling parenting experiences based on these factors, and developing screening and identification tools to enhance early intervention support for parents and families experiencing stress and crisis.
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Behaviour support
My work has focused on behaviour support plan quality, specifically the evaluation of plan quality at an organisation, state, and national level. My work has also focused on determining the reliability, validity and usability of existing tools that measure plan quality (e.g., the Behaviour Intervention Plan Quality Evaluation, Version 2), and the development of a new plan quality evaluation tool that is accessible to a wider group of stakeholders (e.g., parents and disability support workers in addition to behaviour support practitioners). Also, my work has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of positive behaviour support plan training to enhance staff knowledge and capability to develop quality plans.
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Work-related issues for disability professionals
My work has focused on understanding the predictors of job burnout and work engagement in the disability support worker population (e.g., role ambiguity, job feedback, large workload) and identifying inherent sources of role ambiguity in the disability support work role. My work has also focused on organisational culture (clinical governance in particular) in the disability service sector and the impact that poor culture has on the day-to-day work of allied health professionals (e.g., psychologists, speech pathologists) supporting people with disability.
Works
Search Professor Maria Vassos’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2023
Journal Article
The ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and disability: findings from a scoping review and their human rights implications
Vassos, Maria, Faragher, Rhonda, Nankervis, Karen, Breedt, Radostina, Boyle, Fran, Smith, Simon and Kelly, Jo (2023). The ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and disability: findings from a scoping review and their human rights implications. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8 (1), 151-166. doi: 10.1007/s41252-023-00362-1
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Can the Behaviour Intervention Plan Quality Evaluation, Version 2, be simplified for use by stakeholders with limited experience of positive behaviour support?
Vassos, M., Carberry, T., Davis, F., Wardale, S. and Nankervis, K. (2023). Can the Behaviour Intervention Plan Quality Evaluation, Version 2, be simplified for use by stakeholders with limited experience of positive behaviour support?. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 67 (5), 488-497. doi: 10.1111/jir.13020
Featured
2019
Journal Article
Using Common Determinants of Out-of-Home Care to Profile Parents of Children and Adolescents with a Disability: an Exploratory Study
Vassos, Maria, Nankervis, Karen, Gavidia-Payne, Susana and Chan, Jeffrey (2019). Using Common Determinants of Out-of-Home Care to Profile Parents of Children and Adolescents with a Disability: an Exploratory Study. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 3 (3), 267-280. doi: 10.1007/s41252-019-00108-y
Featured
2019
Journal Article
Clinical governance climate within disability service organizations from the perspective of allied health professionals: clinical governance climate
Vassos, Maria, Nankervis, Karen and Chan, Jeffrey (2019). Clinical governance climate within disability service organizations from the perspective of allied health professionals: clinical governance climate. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 16 (1), 67-77. doi: 10.1111/jppi.12281
Featured
2017
Journal Article
Can the job demand-control-(support) model predict disability support worker burnout and work engagement?
Vassos, Maria, Nankervis, Karen, Skerry, Trevor and Lante, Kerrie (2017). Can the job demand-control-(support) model predict disability support worker burnout and work engagement?. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 44 (2), 1-11. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2017.1310818
Featured
2016
Journal Article
The outcome of a statewide audit of the quality of positive behaviour support plans
Wardale, Simon, Davis, Fiona, Vassos, Maria and Nankervis, Karen (2016). The outcome of a statewide audit of the quality of positive behaviour support plans. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 43 (2), 1-11. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2016.1254736
Featured
2013
Journal Article
What qualities are valued in residential direct care workers from the perspective of people with an intellectual disability and managers of accommodation services?
Dodevska, G. A. and Vassos, M. V. (2013). What qualities are valued in residential direct care workers from the perspective of people with an intellectual disability and managers of accommodation services?. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57 (7), 601-615. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01565.x
Featured
2013
Journal Article
Work engagement and job burnout within the disability support worker population
Vassos, Maria, Nankervis, Karen, Skerry, Trevor and Lante, Kerrie (2013). Work engagement and job burnout within the disability support worker population. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34 (11), 3884-3895. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.08.005
Featured
2012
Journal Article
Investigating the importance of various individual, interpersonal, organisational and demographic variables when predicting job burnout in disability support workers
Vassos, Maria V. and Nankervis, Karen L. (2012). Investigating the importance of various individual, interpersonal, organisational and demographic variables when predicting job burnout in disability support workers. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33 (6), 1780-1791. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.04.016
2025
Other Outputs
The Right Direction Project: findings from the resource piloting and evaluation study phases of the project
Vassos, Maria, Nankervis, Karen, Faragher, Rhonda, McVilly, Keith, Frean, Jennifer and Hall, Julia (2025). The Right Direction Project: findings from the resource piloting and evaluation study phases of the project. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
2025
Conference Publication
Involving people with disabilities and families in behaviour support
McVilly, Keith, Nankervis, Karen, Vassos, Maria and Faragher, Rhonda (2025). Involving people with disabilities and families in behaviour support. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
The Positive Behaviour Support Plan Quality Assessment (PBSP-QA) - A brief introduction to its development and psychometric properties
Vassos, Maria and Nankervis, Karen (2025). The Positive Behaviour Support Plan Quality Assessment (PBSP-QA) - A brief introduction to its development and psychometric properties. ASID 2025 Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 12-14 November 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Exploring solutions to tackle disability support worker (DSW) workplace stress –Perspectives from an Australian DSW wellbeing survey
Vassos, Maria, Carberry, Trent and Nankervis, Karen (2025). Exploring solutions to tackle disability support worker (DSW) workplace stress –Perspectives from an Australian DSW wellbeing survey. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
What people with disability have to say about behaviour support and the use of restrictive practices
McVilly, Keith, Ramcharan, Paul, Doyle, Liam, Slingsby, John, Broadway, Zoe, Hall, Julia, Nankervis, Karen, Vassos, Maria and Faragher, Rhonda (2025). What people with disability have to say about behaviour support and the use of restrictive practices. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
What can disability support organisations do to limit disability support worker (DSW) stress in the workplace? Perspectives from an Australian DSW wellbeing survey
Vassos, Maria, Carberry, Trent and Nankervis, Karen (2025). What can disability support organisations do to limit disability support worker (DSW) stress in the workplace? Perspectives from an Australian DSW wellbeing survey. ASID 2025 Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 12-14 November 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Facilitating the engagement of people with disabilities and their families in behaviour support planning – An evidence review
Vassos, Maria, Hall, Julia, Nankervis, Karen, Ramcharan, Paul, McVilly, Keith and Faragher, Rhonda (2025). Facilitating the engagement of people with disabilities and their families in behaviour support planning – An evidence review. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
What families of people with disability have to say about behaviour support and the use of restrictive practices
Ramcharan, Paul, Hall, Julia, McVilly, Keith, Nankervis, Karen, Vassos, Maria and Faragher, Rhonda (2025). What families of people with disability have to say about behaviour support and the use of restrictive practices. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
What practitioners have to say about the involvement of people with disabilities and their families in behaviour support planning
Karen Nankervis, Vassos, Maria, Faragher, Rhonda, McVilly, Keith, Ramcharan, Paul and Hall, Julia (2025). What practitioners have to say about the involvement of people with disabilities and their families in behaviour support planning. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
The Positive Behaviour Support Plan Quality Assessment (PBSP-QA) – A Psychometric Evaluation
Vassos, Maria and Nankervis, Karen (2025). The Positive Behaviour Support Plan Quality Assessment (PBSP-QA) – A Psychometric Evaluation. IASSIDD 5th Asia-Pacific Congress, Singapore, Singapore, 15-17 October 2025.
2024
Journal Article
A positive behaviour support practice framework for disability and community services in Australia that prioritises human rights and evidence-based practices
Fisher, Alinka, Louise, Kymberly, Dobek, Monika, McRae, Jo, Clissold, Maverick, Reschke, Katrina, Fox, Russell, Leif, Erin, Vassos, Maria, Ellis, Jane, Annear, Katharine, Figueiredo, Sessina, Cubis, Lee, Cheung, Sau Chi, Spicer, Matthew, Nankervis, Karen, McVilly, Keith and Freeman, Rachel (2024). A positive behaviour support practice framework for disability and community services in Australia that prioritises human rights and evidence-based practices. Disability and Rehabilitation, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-12. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2402079
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Maria Vassos is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Active engagement of people with disability in genomic research: honouring their knowledge and perspectives in creating recommendations and evaluation framework for designing value enhanced participatory research.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Rhonda Faragher, Professor Karen Nankervis
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Doctor Philosophy
The effects of Tier 1 Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) practices on student behaviour and achievement in Queensland primary schools
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Nankervis, Associate Professor Shiralee Poed
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Educational Quality of Life: A conceptualisation of the educational experience of high school students with disability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Nankervis, Professor Rhonda Faragher
Media
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