Foundational supports... the gap not covered by NDIS

@dogman79 is this free? Another resource was https://www.wire.org.au/ for women, i believe they used to run an art group, but i think its stopped.

@EternalFlower yes. All those which I listed are free

Thank you. That is more what I was hoping to know about because obviously I cannot just up sticks and go to Victoria, it seems to me the beacon of new initiatives. Haha. I will put this to a grounded in community group when we meet next week, as bipolar and art go hand in hand IMO.

I would be interested to hear a bit more about how you find your group?

Thankfully I have come across people with Bipolar through other walks of life including my psychosocial recovery coach through the NDIS so I am curious to see how that goes.

Thanks again! Have a lovely day.

I would also like to point out my Psychiatrist got me onto This Way Up which is a programme online for building resilience. I would encourage others to gain access this way so you don't have to pay. I have limited funds for these kinds of things.

Enjoy Victoria! I was in the Macedon Ranges earlier this month and was it cold. That is from someone coming from Bathurst.

Hi Eternal Flower

I had funding cut for similar reasons and it can be devastating news, especially when it works so well. I have had a look and whilst I cannot afford art therapy, there are some interesting websites out there and I think given the NDIS is being phased out for thousands, there is an opportunity in the market for this to be rolled out like what another SANER said for PHN and grounded in community organisations.

I will put this to the contact I have next week.

Here is another thought. I always thought having a life coach would be equitable to allow people to thrive, irrespective of disability or not. It is not covered under the NDIS although my OT is one but it is not currently rebatable under Medicare. I wonder if given advocacy and reform this might change. Having meaningful change is what living is about, with needed supports available to people with money to engage a life coach. Some could incorporate art therapy.

For me with autism, interoperacity (sorry, I forget how to spell it) is about feelings and being with them even if you cannot label them (which I cannot). It is important for processing feelings and emotions. For me, EMDR helped to with trauma work in careful supervision. But for me I don't feel psychology is helpful so all these modalities would work much better than just talking to someone for an hour and sometimes leaving heavier than when you walk in.

I would be interested to hear all your thoughts. Have a great day!

What a shame, but thank you. I’ll check it out.

Wire looks really interesting. Thank you for sharing. They are advertising for a job on Ethical Jobs.

hi @Sequester you have some great insights into this space

i feel the opposite re life coaching, i use ndis facebook groups from time to time and there aer amny ppl with only life coaching, couselling, or social work degrees offering ndis recovery coaching or pretty senior roles. I feel these spaces aren't regulated and prefer someone with an ahpra qualification

A life coach or unfortunately even a social worker can give bad advice or defraud my plan without much consequence and will just be seen as 'sole trader' but if it were a nurse, ot, etc they have a duty to their body to "do no harm." So i am sccared of life coaches and social workers in the NDIS space. I know this might sound offensive, but it is what I have learnt.

@EternalFlower fair comment. I had a mh social worker as a counsellor who sabotaged my mental health care plan with bookkeeping errors and incompetence, then later balked at scheduling the next appt and said she'd get in touch. Left me high and dry and without any further mhcp coverage

Thank you that means a lot @EternalFlower

i agree. You have to be absolutely sure before you trust someone and we know ourselves better than anyone.

I feel part of the community and recently I have inner freedom and optimism. I want to protect that so I am pushing back with relying onothers in recovery.