People with severe and persistent mental health issues will have improved access and support in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Morrison Government announced last month.
Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, and Assistant Minister for Disability Services, Sarah Henderson, jointly announced a new ‘psychosocial disability stream’ for the landmark scheme during World Mental Health Day.
Psychosocial disabilities are those that may arise from severe and persistent mental health issues. They are varied, complex and often multi-faceted. The NDIA has been under pressure from both mental health and disability advocates to recognise the impacts psychosocial disabilities have on people's lives and to provide proper access to support and services for this vulnerable cohort.
Mr Fletcher said the new stream is a critical step for the NDIS in providing a better pathway and support to about 64,000 Australians with psychosocial disability, as well as their families and carers.
The new stream will be implemented progressively and includes:
- the employment of specialised planners and Local Area Coordinators (LACs);
- better linkages between mental health services and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff, partners and;
- a focus on recovery-based planning and episodic needs.
“This reform follows recommendations by the national peak organisation, Mental Health Australia in its National Disability Insurance Scheme Psychosocial Disability Stream Report,” Mr Fletcher said.
Assistant Minister Henderson thanked Mental Health Australia and the many stakeholders, including NDIS participants, families and carers, mental health professionals, advocates and partner agencies who informed the report’s recommendations.
“The Government is listening to the sector and acting on its recommendations, as we see today with the establishment of the new NDIS stream,” Ms Henderson said.
Mental Health Australia CEO Frank Quinlan welcomed the Government’s announcement and the NDIA’s support of the majority of the report’s recommendations on World Mental Health Day.
“We’re pleased the NDIA and Government is listening to the concerns of NDIS participants and their carers and will be investing in improving the experience of people with mental health issues under the NDIS. We look forward to working with the NDIA in the further design and implementation of the new psychosocial disability stream,” Mr Quinlan said.
Information sourced from Media Release 10-10-18 from the Ministers for the Department of Social Services.
You can access this resource about assisting people with psychosocial disabilities to Access the NDIS from Flinders University and the Department of Social Services for more information about accessing the NDIS with a psychosocial disability.
