Joshua comes to Youth Options with two decades of experiencing in working with young people across a range of settings. He is a qualified high school educational specialist, a registered teacher, and has additional significant experience and qualifications in business management, not-for-profit governance, and pastoral care.

Joshua believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to discover their passions, to engage in learning opportunities that are meaningful, to try new things, and to be encouraged to develop in their character and mastery over self. Youth Options is a wonderful avenue for young people to know that they are important, they are loved, and they have their own mark to make upon the world. It is Joshua’s privilege to lead the team entrusted to carry out this work.

Outside of his work life, Joshua is a keen home cook; a lover of travel, nature, and the outdoors; a musician and a marriage celebrant; and proud dog-dad. Living in the hills, Joshua is heavily involved with the Country Fire Service (CFS) – with responsibilities covering Fleet Maintenance and Management for the local area, cadet program coordination, training coordination, along with his duties as Brigade Lieutenant.

Nathan is passionate about empowering individuals, particularly those navigating the NDIS, to build independence, confidence, and meaningful pathways forward. His work centres on strong, trust-based relationships, understanding each person’s story, and designing supports that create real, lasting change.

With experience across mentoring, advocacy, program design, and stakeholder engagement, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the opportunities created through person- centred practice. He advocates for improved access, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, and leads initiatives that enhance service quality and participant outcomes.

As the NDIS Engagement Lead at Youth Options, Nathan draws on a background in social work, client engagement, and mentoring, supported by a Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Master of Social Work. Over the past three years, he has specialised in NDIS mentoring, matching clients with long-term mentors, streamlining onboarding, and strengthening participant engagement. Previously, Nathan led student engagement and wellbeing work, collaborating with schools, families, and service providers to support individuals in building skills, resilience, and self-confidence. He now brings this experience into his current role, ensuring every client receives personalised, outcome-focused support that aligns with their goals and needs.

At Youth Options, Nathan remains committed to delivering services that are adaptable, effective, and genuinely transformative, whether working directly with clients or shaping broader program improvements across the organisation.

As the NDIS People and Practice Lead, David supports the Youth Options team to deliver high-quality, individualised services for every participant. This includes providing supervision, reviewing client progress, and helping mentors tailor support that addresses barriers while building on each individual’s strengths.

David joined Youth Options during his student placement while completing a double degree in Psychology and Social Science, following nearly a decade in the AOD and homelessness sectors. After seeing the impact of the NDIS programs, David stepped into the role of NDIS Mentor, where he spent over three years supporting clients to grow his confidence, independence, and capacity. Being invited to lead the People and Practice team has been the highlight of his career, allowing him to support both clients and the dedicated mentors who walk alongside them. His role also includes staff development across Youth Options, providing training on evidence-based approaches for supporting people with Autism, Intellectual Disability, ADHD, Alexithymia, and other diverse needs. David is excited to see the NDIS team continue to grow, especially with the expansion of the Salisbury site. His focus is on shaping truly individualised programs that meet people where they are and help them become the best version of themselves.

For the past four years, Lenet has had the privilege of being part of the Youth Options community. She have recently stepped into the role of Tailored Learning People & Practice Lead, a position that aligns deeply with her long-standing commitment to young people and community. Lenet’s career began in community medicine and evolved through a Master of Social Work and a Master of Health and International Development. Along the way, she developed a strong appreciation for how wellbeing, learning, and opportunity shape a young person’s sense of possibility.

Her work now centres on pastoral care for Tailored Learning students, supporting young people as they navigate education, personal growth, challenges, and change. Walking alongside students, their families, schools, and partner agencies brings together everything Lenet has valued over the past two decades. Watching a young person recognise their strengths, find confidence, and move toward a future that excites them remains one of the greatest privileges of this work. Learning is not one- size-fits-all, and every young person deserves to feel seen, supported, and valued. In this role, Lenet are committed to fostering learning environments where students feel safe to belong, safe to try, and safe to grow. Her focus is on ensuring the experience of Tailored Learning is genuinely tailored, responsive to students’ goals, wellbeing, and individual journeys.

Michelle Braham has been the CEO of Youth Options since 2017, contributing to the organisation in various roles since 2007. She is deeply committed to empowering young people through social and emotional learning, skill development, and work preparedness.

Her leadership is grounded in delivering inclusive, person-centred programs that help young people overcome social disadvantage by building independence, resilience, and social connection. Michelle’s approach is highly collaborative, working closely with individuals and community partners to tailor support that meets diverse needs.

Michelle also serves as a Board Member and Governance Chair of Amplify Alliance Australia, contributing to the national not-for-profit sector by strengthening governance and strategy to better support vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians. Her professional background in human resources, career development, and service design informs her systems-thinking approach to leadership and innovation. At the Social Enterprise Open Camp, Michelle hopes to gain insights into social entrepreneurship and explore long-term strategic change that can be implemented to strengthen Youth Options’ mission and influence broader transformation across the sector.

Rick is our ‘Action Man’ because he gets things done! No task is too small or too big for Rick and he has a knack for finding a way to get it done. Rick manages our finance systems, supervises our Internship Students and oversees our Volunteers. Rick has developed our Drive Me program with a passion for helping young people get their P’s.

Rick is an experienced operations manager who joined Youth Options in June 2019 after 12 years’ service with the City of Salisbury. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Applied Science, Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, Diploma in Youth Work and Certificate of Business.

Rick is an active member and past President of the Rotary Club of Salisbury and a Justice of the Peace in SA. In addition, Rick has led us into the digital space with a major IT transformation.