Anyone started with the NDIS?

Hi @eth, in my mind, I'm running around high fiving the air for you!!!!

How magnificent that this whole long and painful journey has paid off for you in such a complete way!!!!

Don't worry now about finding it in yourself to take advantage of all these supports. They will all go at your own pace. You are the one in control.

Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance! Hugs!!!

Hugs and gratitude to all of you here.

@CheerBear @Mazarita @Bunniekins @Sophia1@Queenie @Twinklelight @Appleblossom @Teej @Former-Member @PhoenixRising and all who have been part of this thread at one time or another.

As things fall into place I'll keep posting here to journal the next phase - having a plan and putting it to work.

Wow! Congratulations @eth. It sounds like a very promising plan indeed! It must be relieving to have all your hard work pay off a little.

Thanks a lot @Queenie It's a relief on the surface but I'm having a lot of anxiety about putting the plan into action, so much change. Hopefully I'll get over that quickly.

Hi there @eth, I had my first planning meeting today. I hope I went okay. I'm having one of 'those' days (don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing really). Concentration is up the creek, voices chatting away and feeling uber paranoid. I had my advocate and support worker attend along with the Mrs and my support worker was really well prepared. The NDIA worker said it was the best support goals and supports required document she had ever seen. I also was able with some help put in a really good about me. The NDIA worker has put in a recommendation for increased to weekly psychology visits, fortnightly support worker appointments, transport training to enable me to get to a weekly hearing voices group and finally access to regular (monthly) respite in order to stay well. I noticed I didn't do a formalised WHODAS but both my advocate and support worker said one was done verbally with questions worded differently. I am frightened of losing support so I hope I answered okay.

That sounds like it all went really well, @Queenie. Hoping it goes really well at the next stage too.

Hi @Queenie I'm really glad your meeting sounds like it went well. Seems to me you stand a good chance of getting what you've asked for. I'm glad you had your support team with you. It's understandable that your symptoms have flaired up with so much stress caused by this process. I hope you hear back from them soon about having an approved plan and decent funding. You've done well to come this far

Yesterday my sil/carer found out that NDIS has now done the referral to a co-ordinator of supports we've been waiting for. We might be speaking with them today. Feeling a combination of hopeful anticipation and anxiety. Onwards and onwards!

Hey @eth, were you offered the 10hrs of co-ordination support with the LAC to get your plan underway? Just wondering because I was. I am having my plan managed by the NDIA (as I am terrible with budget stuff, especially when manic). Once I get the hang of everything, I am looking at self-management in the future.

I've booked into an information workshop session in which we are shown through the NDIS stuff on the mygov portal. It's all a blur to me so I am making sure I take my laptop with me to the session.

Hi @Queenie I'm amazed that you got your plan through so fast. That's great news. That workshop you mention sounds great. There's a computer group that has 2 sessions on myGov here but not until later in August and I need to use it before then. Apparently the co-ordinator of supports can help us set it up. I got more hours of CoS but I am going to be plan managed by an organisation not the NDIS (the third option you don't mention) and my family members will have authority to be involved with that too. Mine includes time that the CoS can use to teach me to manage it in future. Maybe you get less if the NDIS is agency managing you, I don't know. Or maybe you have some supports in place already that you will continue to use.

What else did they approve for you? Are you happy with the result?