Anyone started with the NDIS?

That list is great @eth @CheerBear

Just what i need cause i wasn't sure what to say or get for them, my 11yr old son has had NDIS since it started in 2016 and i found that his was so much easier at renewal times,

but I've found ours cause its under mental health was so much harder, it got knocked back but ive put in a review.

Have another meeting with my coordinator of supports this morning at 10. Hoping it leaves me feeling something's actually been achieved. She did find a couple of support workers that can alternate early Sunday afternoons but they don't start for 3 weeks. Need to do a meet and greet with them before then. Plus I've had contact with another 3 support workers on Hireup, but none is available for this week's appointments. Also need to do a meet and greet with each of them and then an induction with anyone I decide to go with.

I signed my first service agreement yesterday (worth over $15K). I am now signed up for 28 days of respite. It was kind of scary going through the service agreement, as I had noone to look it over with me, it was just me and the service provider.

Well done with planning your respite @Queenie and signing your service agreement. Big milestones for you.

I have a meet and greet with a support worker and my coordinator of supports today. Hoping I feel good about working with her.

So the support worker I met on Friday seems ok - I'll give her a try. But she can only do every 2nd Sunday afternoon starting 9 september. Not a very useful time slot. So I still don't have anyone lined up between now and then.

CoS is bringing someone from another organisation to do an intake assessment on Wednesday - jumping through more hoops before I can actually have a support person on a regular week day timeslot. But this org says they will allocate 1 worker, not different people all the time. That's important to me. Also, the org is mental health specific which is good.

I can't plan activities until I know when support workers are available.

Have been getting more withdrawn since my old sw stopped coming. I found her through another org than the one I met her through and she will do my dental ap'ts with me from late September (4 out of 5 of them anyway). Still waiting to hear from her regarding if and when she is available on a weekly basis.

This process is soooooooooooooo sloooooooow. I've had my plan since 11 July and am not using it to it's potential yet.

Yesterday CoS brought a guy from a support organisation to do an intake assessment here at home. Pretty sure it went well. I'm glad I had printed my safety plan and goals from my profile with another org coz I was able to photocopy them for both here yesterday which really simplified the process.

He said he should be able to have someone working with me in 2-3 weeks. So it's still another case of 'hurry up and wait' but at least I'm in their system now.

Plus it turns out the org. is not mental health specific which I thought it was.

@saturnzoon I hope the review of your mental health plan goes well.

@Queenie Takes courage to manage it by yourself. wtg.

@eth Glad the plan and sepecific workers is taking shape for you. Its been a long slog.

Most of my life, I have been thrust into new situations and had to sink or swim.

This thread has helped me prepare for this change. Thanks all.

I'm really glad this thread is helping you @Appleblossom. Hope upon hope that it helps some folk get through the application to acceptance journey with less complications than I had.

Lodged a booking this morning on HireUp for a support worker tomorrow afternoon. I found my old PHaMs worker on there so it will be her - nice to have someone I know. But she's only available at random times so I have a couple of other organisations that will do regular weekly stuff with me soon. One of them starts on Sunday. And about time too - I've had my NDIS plan since early July.

It looks like I'll have support workers from 3 different organisations in the early days. One of the challenges is having to take them when they're available and then trying to find activities that are on during those time slots. I spent ages looking for activities in the community for Sunday afternoon and the best I can come up with so far is touristy things or going for walks.

The CoS says just to get started with them whenever they are available and hope that their available times change.