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consulting
Chenai Mupotsa-Russell works across both Australian and international contexts, delivering consulting, training, program development and community-based initiatives that sit at the intersection of developmental education, mental health, disability, migration and social systems.
Her work spans regulated Australian service environments alongside international and humanitarian settings, with each context requiring distinct governance, accountability frameworks and modes of practice.
The sections below outline the focus and scope of work in Australia and International contexts respectively.
Australia-based Practice & Systems Work
Chenai Mupotsa-Russell is a Developmental Educator, Registered Art Therapist and PhD Researcher in Community Psychology with extensive experience working across disability, youth mental health, education, migration, justice, and community systems in Australia.
Her Australia-based consulting and practice work focuses on developmental capacity, functional participation, early intervention, and system navigation, supporting individuals, services, and organisations to deliver outcomes that are ethical, inclusive, and practically effective within Australian policy and funding environments.
This work is grounded in direct frontline practice and senior program leadership across NDIS, schools, local government, community organisations, and national early-intervention service models.
Areas of Practice
Developmental Education and Functional Capacity
• Developmental education support for children, adolescents, and adults
• Functional capacity and strengths-based assessment
• Skill development across daily living, emotional regulation, communication, identity, and participation
• Support aligned with NDIS frameworks, reporting requirements, and outcome expectations
• Practice informed by developmental theory, relational models, and real-world functioning
This work prioritises practical capability rather than diagnostic labelling and is designed to translate support into meaningful participation in everyday life.
Disability, Neurodivergence, and Participation
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Neuroaffirming, disability-inclusive approaches
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Support for autistic and neurodivergent individuals across the lifespan
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Practice that balances support needs with autonomy, dignity, and identity
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Collaboration with families, schools, and services to reduce exclusion and escalation
Schools, Education, and Child–Youth Systems
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School-based consultation and program development across early childhood, primary, and secondary settings
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Early intervention support within education systems, including early childhood and primary school contexts
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Family-inclusive practice supporting caregivers, educators, and schools to respond to developmental, emotional, and participation needs
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Youth and child participation and co-design initiatives appropriate to developmental stage
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Support for students experiencing disengagement, distress, exclusion, or unmet support needs
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Translation of child, young person, and family needs into institutional processes, adjustments, and support planning
Gender and Sexuality-Affirming Practice
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LGBTQIA+-affirming program design and facilitation
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Youth participation, peer programs, and identity-affirming group work
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Experience working within schools, councils, and community services to support safe and inclusive environments
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Practice informed by safeguarding, consent, developmental appropriateness, and wellbeing
This work supports young people and communities to engage safely with identity, belonging, and participation within education, health, and community systems.
Arts-Based and Embodied Methodologies
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Arts-based, play-based, and embodied approaches used as methods rather than endpoints
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Integrated into developmental education, mental health, and community programs
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Approaches designed to support regulation, expression, engagement, and relational safety
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Particularly effective for individuals and groups who do not engage with traditional talk-based models
These methodologies are applied strategically to support participation, learning, and wellbeing, rather than as stand-alone creative interventions.
Youth Mental Health and Early Intervention
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Early intervention mental health support for young people aged 12–25
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Integrated psychosocial approaches addressing wellbeing, identity, trauma and participation
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Experience within national early intervention models, including headspace
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Bridging clinical care with prevention, outreach and community engagement
Consulting and Capacity Building
Chenai provides consulting and advisory support to:
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Disability and NDIS-funded services
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Schools and education providers
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Youth and family services
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Local government and community organisations
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Specialist NGOs and not-for-profit providers
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Private practices and multidisciplinary teams
This includes:
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Program design and review
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Workforce development and reflective practice
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Functional capacity and developmental frameworks
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Safeguarding and ethical governance
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Inclusive practice across disability, neurodivergence, gender, and identity
International Consulting
Chenai provides international consulting and advisory support across humanitarian, development, and post-conflict contexts, drawing on experience spanning early childhood development, disability inclusion, youth and adolescent programming, community mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and child protection.
Her work integrates clinical insight, program design, and systems thinking, with a strong emphasis on caregiver-centred, disability-inclusive, and culturally grounded practice. Engagements are designed to support both immediate response needs and longer-term capacity building across the humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus.
Areas of technical focus include early childhood development in emergencies (ECDiE), disability inclusion and caregiver-centred approaches, community-based MHPSS, youth and adolescent life skills education, child protection and safeguarding, and the design, review, and adaptation of programs in fragile and low-resource settings. This includes Training of Trainers (ToT), facilitator capacity building, and the development of knowledge products such as thematic briefs, curricula, and practice frameworks.
Areas of Practice
Early Childhood Development in Emergencies (ECDiE) and Disability Inclusion
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Technical focus on early childhood development (0–8 years) in crisis and displacement contexts
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Disability-inclusive approaches addressing the compounded vulnerabilities of young children with disabilities
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Integration of nurturing care domains, including caregiver support, stimulation, protection, and psychosocial wellbeing
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Experience translating developmental theory into accessible, community-level practice in low-resource settings
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Attention to early identification, participation, and inclusion where services are disrupted or absent
This work centres caregivers, community structures, and relational safety as critical components of child development in emergencies.
Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
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Design and delivery of group-based psychosocial and community wellbeing programmes
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Arts-based, embodied, and dialogical methodologies used as engagement and regulation tools, not therapeutic endpoints
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Practice aligned with MHPSS guidelines, safeguarding principles, and do-no-harm frameworks
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Experience supporting children, adolescents, women, and families affected by conflict, displacement, and chronic insecurity
Programs prioritise dignity, participation, and collective resilience rather than individualised pathology.
Youth, Adolescents, and Life Skills Education
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Development and facilitation of youth and adolescent programs in humanitarian and fragile contexts
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Experience supporting conflict-affected youth, including former child soldiers
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Life skills, psychosocial, and identity-supporting work aligned with education, protection, and peacebuilding objectives
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Approaches that integrate cognitive, social, and emotional skill development
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Alignment with education-in-emergencies and adolescent development frameworks
This work supports transitions from learning to participation, with attention to safety, agency, and local relevance.
Gender, Protection, and Family-Centred Practice
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Gender-responsive and family-inclusive approaches across community programs
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Work with young women, caregivers, and families affected by conflict and displacement
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Attention to power, consent, safeguarding, and culturally embedded gender norms
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Integration of protection principles across psychosocial, educational, and community interventions
International Consulting and Advisory Support
Desk reviews and evidence synthesis, including analysis of academic literature, global guidance, policy documents, and programme evaluations related to disability, ECDiE, MHPSS, education, and child protection, with findings translated into accessible, practice-relevant insights.
Training, facilitation, and capacity building, including Training of Trainers (ToT), development of facilitator guides and supervision frameworks, and delivery of workshops and learning exchanges to support sustainable, locally led implementation.
Program and curriculum development, encompassing the design of inclusive, age-appropriate curricula, toolkits, and learning modules for children, adolescents, caregivers, and facilitators, aligned with global and national frameworks and adapted for crisis-affected and displacement contexts.
Program review, monitoring, and learning, including quality and fidelity reviews, development of practical M&E tools suited to low-resource settings, documentation of lessons learned, and contribution to learning products and advocacy-oriented knowledge outputs.
Technical advisory roles, providing guidance to UN agencies, NGOs, government partners, and alliances on inclusive programme design, safeguarding, ethical implementation, and integration of child-centred and disability-responsive approaches within policy and operational systems.
Stakeholder engagement and systems alignment, including consultation with government partners, service providers and community members. Facilitation of shared planning and dialogue; and support for aligning programmes with existing policies, systems, and local realities.
How This Work Is Approached
International and humanitarian work is guided by strong safeguarding and duty-of-care frameworks, respect for local leadership and lived experience, cultural humility, and ethical reflexivity.
Clear role boundaries, accountability, and attention to power dynamics underpin all engagements. The focus is on producing practical, implementable outputs that strengthen local capacity, support sustainable systems, and avoid extractive or externally imposed models of care.
Positioning for International Agencies and Partners
This work is relevant to international NGOs and humanitarian agencies, UN and UN-adjacent organisations, government partners and ministries, research and advocacy alliances, and organisations working across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus.
Chenai brings a practice-informed perspective that bridges frontline realities, technical programme design, and strategic systems thinking, with demonstrated capacity to collaborate across sectors, disciplines, and contexts characterised by complexity, constraint, and transition.
Professional Registrations, Memberships and Affiliations
Chenai’s work is situated within, and accountable to, multiple professional and scholarly communities that inform ethical practice, governance, and knowledge development across developmental education, disability, mental health, education, dispute resolution, and community practice. She is a practising member of Developmental Educators Australia Inc. (DEAI) and a professional member of the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA), and operates as a registered provider within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Her practice is further informed by engagement with the Victorian Association for Dispute Resolution (VADR) as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, participation in autism research communities through the Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASFAR), and involvement with the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH). She is also affiliated with the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Community Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, and holds registration as a Yoga Alliance RYT 200 teacher, supporting embodied, regulation-informed approaches across clinical, developmental, and community contexts.
Contact
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