Psychosocial Disability And The NDIS.
PSYCHO SOCIAL RECOVERY COACHING
The NDIS may cover a psychosocial disability depending on your individual circumstances.
What is psychosocial disability?
Psychosocial disability is a disability that may arise from a mental health condition. The term “mental health condition” is used to describe a range of symptoms including personality issues, psychotic or compulsive disorders, anxiety and mood swings. These mental health conditions can be temporary or lifelong.
Not everyone who has a mental health condition will have a psychosocial disability but for people who do, it can be severe, long-lasting and impact on recovery. It can also result in difficulties doing everyday tasks like banking, shopping and looking after yourself.
Your NDIS Plan.
The funding you receive in your NDIS Plan will likely be broken up into three main budget categories. You may receive funding in one, Only people with a long-term disability resulting from a mental health condition may qualify for the NDIS. In addition to meeting the usual NDIS eligibility criteria (take the Am I eligible quiz on the NDIS website), you’ll also need to meet the following additional criteria:
If you can prove that you meet these criteria, you may be eligible for an individualised support package from the NDIS.
NDIS Psychosocial
We are often asked about whether the NDIS can help people who have been diagnosed with a psychosocial disability. The answer is that the NDIS may cover a psychosocial disability depending on your individual circumstances. Recovery coaching is a tool designed by the NDIS to aid in your recovery journey by empowering you to remain motivated and focus on your existing strengths, goals and resilience.
Providing evidence of psychosocial disability..
Applicants must provide evidence of a mental health condition, although the name of the condition itself does not need to be supplied. While a specific mental diagnosis is preferred, NDIS support is based on the impact of a mental health condition rather than the diagnosis itself. For example, if someone has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, whether they can access the NDIS will depend on the impact of the condition on their daily life, not the fact they have schizophrenia. A completed Evidence of Psychosocial Disability form must be provided for an NDIS application to be considered (find out more on the this process on the NDIS webpage Mental Health and the NDIS). The form contains:
The form is designed to be completed by two professionals who work with you and understand your condition, generally a psychologist or doctor, and a support worker.
How does the NDIS decide if an application will be successful?
While it may seem like a lot of work getting all the information together to apply
for the NDIS, it is worth spending the time to ensure your application has the
best chance of success. Other things that can support your application include:
Your application is more likely to be approved if:
For more information about providing evidence of psychosocial disability – check out the NDIS webpage on Mental Health and the NDIS
Impact on everyday life.
When considering your eligibility for the NDIS, the NDIA will assess your ability to carry out everyday activities in six areas of life:
Psycho-social recovery coaching
Psycho-social recovery coaching
Assists you in your recovery journey and when necessary, will help you navigate the systems of mental health and help with discharge planning and relapse prevention.