NDIS Funded Psychological Services

What is NDIS Funded Psychology

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding for services and support to people with permanent and significant disabilities aged under 65, their families, and their carers.

The NDIS may fund psychology if the treatment is non-clinical. If you have a psychosocial disability and require functional or capacity-building psychology support, you may be able to fund it with your NDIS Plan.

Non Clinical Psychology can include

• Coaching to help you improve motivation, focus, knowledge and skills, resilience and decision-making so you can be more independent with day-to-day activities
• Assistance to help you work with other mental health supports and services by ensuring the support you receive outside of the NDIS helps you achieve your recovery goals.
• Support is needed to connect positively with family, friends, and others.

The treatment for mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, is provided by the mainstream health service, which may include obtaining a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

What NDIS services are available?

The NDIS is all about helping people with disabilities live ordinary lives. It aims to help people achieve greater independence, increase their community involvement, gain employment, pursue their goals, and improve their health and well-being. Services and support can include personal care, home help and domestic assistance, home maintenance, home modification, social support, community participation, transport, and more.

Am I eligible to access the NDIS?

You may be eligible to access the NDIS if you:

• Are aged between 7 and 65 years
• Live in Australia and have Australian residency
• Have a permanent and significant disability

If you have a six-year-old or younger child, contact your local Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Partner or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. Your ECEI coordinator can help you access short-term support and services or help your child apply for the NDIS.

If you are aged 65 years or older, you may be eligible for the Continuity of Support (CoS) Programme. Please phone My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for more information.

• Disability Care
• Personal Care
• Social Trips

How can I access the NDIS?

Suppose you have received disability support services through a Commonwealth, State or Territory programme. In that case, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will contact you as the NDIS becomes available in your area.

To become an NDIS participant and receive support for the first time, you will need to make an ‘access request’ to the NDIA. You can do this by phoning 1800 800 110, contacting your Local Area Coordinator (LAC), or visiting your local NDIA.

Alternatively, you may prefer to fill out an ‘Access Request Form’ available from your LAC, your local NDIA, or by phoning 1800 800 110.

A family member, friend or support worker may help you when applying for the NDIS. With your permission, they can request access to the NDIS on your behalf.

Once you have made an access request, the NDIA will require more information to assess your eligibility for the NDIS. The information they may need could include evidence of your age and residency, details about your disability and how it impacts you each day, and any reports you may already have from medical specialists or health professionals.  You may also seek help from a family member or friend to provide the information.

Create an NDIS plan.

You will receive a letter notifying you of your NDIS eligibility. The NDIS will contact you if you are eligible to arrange a planning meeting. The purpose of the planning meeting is to create an NDIS plan that will help you achieve your goals. Therefore, it’s a good idea to consider your short-term and long-term goals before the meeting so it’s easier to determine which services you will need to help you achieve them.

Your NDIS plan will also outline the funding available for you to pay for support and services. You will also be asked how you would like to manage your NDIS funding. There are three options: you may wish to self-manage your funds, choose a plan manager, or opt to have your plan managed by the NDIA (sometimes called agency-managed).