In this article, we will discuss mental health and NDIS, including the benefits of NDIS for mental health, common mental health supports and services available in the NDIS, and NDIS funding and eligibility for mental health services.

Overview of NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian government-funded scheme that provides support and funding for people with disabilities. The NDIS is designed to help people with disabilities achieve their goals and lead an independent life. It provides funding for a range of services and supports, including assistive technology, home modifications, transport, and personal care.

How the NDIS helps with Mental Health Conditions

The NDIS provides a range of benefits for people with mental health conditions. It offers support to help people manage their mental health and achieve their goals, including employment, education, and social participation. NDIS funding can be used for a range of services, including daily living supports, various therapy types, and support coordination.

Mental Health and Disability

Certain mental health conditions are recognised as a disability under the NDIS. Accordingly, NDIS recognises that mental health conditions can significantly impact a person’s ability to function and participate in daily life. It can provides support and funding to help people manage their mental health and lead a fulfilling life. The NDIS does this by providing funding for supports and services that assist in areas of an individuals life that may be impacted by their mental health condition. These can include (but are not limited to):

Support Coordination

Support coordinators can assist with finding and accessing NDIS services, coordinating support from other service providers, and monitoring progress towards goals. Therefore, this service can be beneficial for people with disabilities who have complex and diverse support needs, specifically including supports from other mainsteam sectors such as health.

Psychosocial Recovery Coaches

Psychosocial Recovery Coaches work with participants to help them achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. These coaches can provide support in a range of areas, including socialisation, housing, education, and employment. Additionally, they can work with participants to identify their NDIS goals and work within their NDIS plan to help achieve them.

Support Workers

Support workers provide one-on-one support to people with mental health conditions. They can help people manage their day to day activities, engage in socilisation and community participation, and help achieve an individuals NDIS goals.

Employment Services

The NDIS provides support to help people with disabilities find and maintain employment. This includes assistance with job searching, resume writing, interview skills, and workplace modifications.

Positive Behaviour Supports (PBS)

Positive Behaviour Support is a person-centred framework for understanding and addressing challenging behaviour. Specifically, PBS aims to promote positive behaviour and improve the quality of life for the participant and their friends and family. PBS can offer a range of benefits for NDIS participants with mental health conditions, including increased independence, improved quality of life, and improved coping skills.

Allied Health Services

Allied Health services including; psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and more, are cornerstone capacity building supports within the NDIS. Depending on their specialty; they can assist in therapeutic goals including; improving emotional regulation, improving mobility, communication, and more

Mental Health and the NDIS Access

To access NDIS support for mental health, you will need to meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. This includes having a permanent and significant disability that affects your ability to perform daily activities or participate in the community.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will need to apply for NDIS support through the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). You will need to provide evidence of your disability and undergo an assessment to determine the types of supports and services you need.

Once you have been approved for NDIS support, you can work with a planner or support coordinator to develop a plan that outlines your goals, needs, and the supports and services you will receive.

Potential Challenges in Mental Health and the NDIS

While the NDIS provides many benefits for individuals with mental health conditions, individuals can experience common challenges when accessing NDIS support, including:

• Difficulty navigating the system: For instance, the NDIS can be complex and confusing, which can make it difficult to navigate the system and access the supports, and services.
• Terminology: The NDIS has it’s own terminology for supports and services, and aspects of an NDIS plan that can lead to confusion. For example, a planner, plan-manager, and support coordinator; all provide very important but significantly different services.
• Funding Allocation: The NDIS provides funding for a range of supports and services, but there is a limit to the amount of funding that is available. As well as funding being allocated to certain ‘line items’ (indicating what the funding can be used for), which can prevent the funding being used for other services that may be more appropriate or needed at the time . This can mean that individuals with mental health conditions may not receive all the support they need, or the specific types of services they need – even if the NDIS plan has enough funding.

If you would like more information on the NDIS, the NDIA’s website host a range of helpful resources, which you can find here.