Headstart Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Services founder and long-standing Chief Executive Officer, Sue McHattie OAM has formally retired following nearly four decades leading specialised brain injury support across the Hunter region. Sue established the organisation in 1987 alongside three volunteers to address a critical gap in post-rehabilitation care, building an enterprise that transitioned community disability services from short-term acute care toward long-term social re-integration.
Prior to Headstart’s establishment, clinical care for acquired brain injury focused primarily on immediate medical rehabilitation, offering limited community-based support once formal hospital programs concluded. Recognising that long-term recovery required ongoing navigation of cognitive, behavioural, and social changes, Sue launched Headstart as a six-week pilot program through Hunter Region Rehabilitation Services.
The organisation secured permanent operational headquarters in Turnbull Street in 1996 with backing from the Motor Accidents Authority. This capital stability enabled Headstart to scale its service footprint across Newcastle and the broader Hunter, pioneering strengths-based, individual-centered support frameworks decades prior to the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Founding Chief Executive Officer of Headstart ABI Services, Sue McHattie OAM stated that bridging acute medical care and long-term community participation remains the core mission of the service.
“From the outset, Headstart was envisioned as a bridge between formal rehabilitation and community life,” Sue said.
“The goal was to ensure that people with brain injury had opportunities to continue rebuilding their lives, managing roadblocks, developing skills and pursuing meaningful goals.”
Sue’s operational philosophy, centered on “Do with, less for” and “Work ourselves out of a job,” prioritised participant autonomy, independence, and skill building over institutional dependence. In recognition of her service to people living with brain injury, their families, and the broader disability sector, Sue was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2021.
Following her retirement event on 22 July 2026, colleagues, participants, and community advocates gathered to mark her contribution to regional allied health and disability care. Headstart Ambassador and former professional footballer, Craig Johnston highlighted the personal impact of Sue’s leadership, referencing his family’s long-term connection to the service following his sister Faye’s brain injury in 1986.
“Headstart was the only real help we found and my family and I are probably Sue’s biggest ever admirers,” Craig said.
“She wasn’t Faye’s hands-on carer—but Sue made sure, without fail, that someone always was. That’s the mark of a true leader and changemaker: building something. Thank you, Sue. Thank you for your love, your leadership and your support, which helped Faye and our family get through our very darkest days… and every day since.”
Headstart ABI Services continues to operate as a specialised regional provider, delivering community access programs, advocacy, recreational frameworks, and family support systems across the Hunter.
IMAGE | Headstart CEO Sue McHatttie, Faye and Craig Johnston at Sue’s “Sailing into Retirement” farewell function on 22 July 2026.
