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Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

NikNikSenior Contributor09 June 2017, 2:26 pm AEST

Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Introducing the new ‘Q&A Info Session'!

Starting the second Monday of each month, we will have a special guest answer your questions and provide information about a particular topic. For the first few months we will focus on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

This session will be run in collaboration with Mental Illness Fellowship Queensland (MIFQ), the Local Area Coordination (LAC) and the NDIA, ensuring the information that is provided to you is helpful and accurate.

Carers Queensland is partnering with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to deliver the Local Area Coordinator Partners in the Community Program in the Toowoomba area, working to ensure more people live fulfilling and connected lives.

Carers Queensland is assisting us this week to help answer your NDIS questions. There are LACs all around the country, in all regional areas (for more info click here https://www.ndis.gov.au/communities/local-area-coordination ). They will get to know you, what’s important to you and help connect you with services to support you to have the life you want.

A different LAC will assist us each week we do the NDIS forums. That way we can all help them better understand the needs and concerns of people with lived experience of mental illness.

Here are some quick links to start us off:

Links: https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/what-ndis.html

Accessing the NDIS: https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/accessing-the-ndis.html

About the NDIS: https://www.ndis.gov.au/html/sites/default/files/documents/About-us/About-theNDIS.pdf

Reasonable and Necessary: https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/reasonable-and-necessary-supports.html

Legislation and the NDIS Act: https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/legislation.html ; https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00934

What is and what does and LAC do? https://www.ndis.gov.au/communities/local-area-coordination.html

A quick and important FYI!!

There is no direct link between supports that are funded by the NDIS and Centrelink. NDIS funds reasonable and necessary disability supports to enable you to live daily life and achieve your goals, including greater social and economic participation. NDIS is not income support. NDIA requires your consent to access your Centrelink records to confirm age and residential information.

You do not need to be receiving a Disability Support Pension (DSP) to be eligible for the NDIS. The DSP and carer’s pension are separate from the NDIS. Assistance from the NDIS is not means tested and has no impact on income support such as the Disability Support Pension and Carers Allowance.

LAC, NDIA, NDIS, IFP……. What do all these acronyms mean!!!!??? Here is a link to an easy English and full glossary of terms! https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/easy-read-word-list.html

From Monday, 12 June – Friday, 16 June, we are opening the floor to you to ask whatever you want about NDIS ☺

Responses will take around 24 hours, so be sure to keep checking in!

58 replies

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In response to: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 12:40 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Hi @Former-Member,

Here is a previous answer from the NDIS below:

How does mental illness fit in with the NDIS? Currently all therapy and support I receive is either through a mental health care plan (Medicare) or purely out of my own pocket. Is this likely to change under NDIS?

Thanks for your question. The NDIS is working to ensure people who live with mental health conditions have the appropriate supports they need from the scheme. They must first meet the access requirements of the scheme. Under the NDIS, individuals must have a permanent disability with significant lifelong impacts. Some people with mental health issues fit into this category as their mental illness may impact their ability to participate in activities without support in place.

The NDIS won’t replace community or mainstream services. For example if you have a NDIS plan you can still access therapies through the healthcare system. It won’t stop you from getting a Mental Health Care Plan through your General practitioner.

The NDIS will fund therapies and supports, related to your disability/mental illness and plan goals that are considered to be reasonable and necessary. More information on this can be found on the website.

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/reasonable-and-necessary-supports.html

https://www.ndis.gov.au/psychosocial/products.html

While they dont fund psychologists - as this is available through the health system, they do fund one-to-one supports to access the community, counselling, group supports etc for poeple living with psychosocisal disability. Yes you do have to give evidence of how your considions impact you - but after this process it's actually a conversation with a planner about what you do want to do, and how you can improve your life - much less stressful thatn a DSP application.

In response to: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 12:55 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Hi @Former-Member,
Sorry if I'm rude, I'm just very frustrated.
Are there any services out there that help with housing, centrelink and employment.
It's nice to have services to re-build social connections, but when you have no where to live and nothing to eat it's a bit of a joke!!!
I'm at my wits end, I want to be an independent adult and there are so many barriers in the way. Why does it have to be so hard?

In response to: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 1:57 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Thanks @Jazzhandz for reply by email, maybe I should go into the city NDIS office and find out what the phone call is all about. 🌷🌿

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 2:24 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

@Former-Member Sure, or you can call them on 1800 800 110. Might have to hold for a while, but they're great on the phone. You can also have an advocate or support person with you if you go in to see them or on speaker if you call.

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 2:29 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

@Former-Member The NDIS isnt just about social connections - it's about one to one support to get through things in a practical way. While the;re not crisis support. They can be there for the ups and downs of significant illness.

In the mean time, there are services like Partners In Recovery http://www.pirinitiative.com.au/about/pir_organisations/locator.php

or PHaMs https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/mental-health/programs-services/personal-helpers-and-mentors-phams

Which may be able to provide support. Both of these are national services that support people with lived experience with practical help around housing and centrelink, and there are specific PHaMs Employment services too.

Hope these links help. Everyday is just one step at a time, one bit at a time.

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 6:33 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Thanks @Former-Member for the response.

That’s really disappointing to hear. What I need most as a person with complex mental health issues is psychological support. Yes, psychologists are available through the health system, but you need money to pay for them. I’ve already had to choose between private health insurance (which got me an inpatient bed when I needed it, and group therapy, which was making things worse) or individual sessions with my psychologist. I can’t afford both. But after my rebated sessions are used up, I then have no support.

But at least I know now. I’m panicking just writing this reply, so no, it doesn’t actually seem ‘much less stressful than a DSP application’ — but I know you mean well.

Thanks again for your help.

In response to: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

JasJacSenior Contributor14 June 2017, 7:07 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

@Former-Member thank you soo much for answering my question !!!

🙂 🙂 🙂

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Unknown userMember14 June 2017, 7:18 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

@JazzHands - this is not directed at you in any way, you've been very supportive and helpful.

BUT:

Does it occur to anyone else that what we all really need is access to mental health professionals, financial assistance when we are too ill to work and assistance in getting back into the workforce?

- 10 rebated sessions is a f**king joke. It's as useful as a punch in the face to be honest.

- We need psychiatrists and psychologists available throughout the country and to be medicare rebated. How many of us have had to choose between mental health and paying the bills?

- How much do we spend on health care per annum? For me it's over $10k For an example, I earn less than $30k a year. How is that affordable health care?

- How many of us lost our jobs to MI and have been out of the game for years and unable to get back into it - due to discrimination or lack of suitable employment?

- How many of us have found ourselves in unsuitable housing situations/relationships in which we were unable to move primarily due to financial constraint?

- WHY IS DSP SO F**KING HARD TO GET! We are disabled and unable to work. The rigmarole of Newstart is humiliating and denigrating.

I just go so angry that these fundamental things are not being addressed. Cancer patients are not rationed with their care, stroke and motor vehicle accident victims get full rehab for MONTHS on the public dollar, but can I get the funding to see a psychologist when I am so psychotic and suicidal I cannot move? No!

I'm so angry and so distressed about the state of mental health care in this country that I don't know what to do. Nothing I seem to be able to do will effect any change. What's the point?

I just wish every politician’s child will develop schizoaffective disorder and see if their opinions change!

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

ethSenior Contributor14 June 2017, 10:17 pm AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

Just posting here so I can follow this thread and join in as soon as I have time. Really glad this Q&A is happening so thanks @NikNik (PS installing Google Chrome has fixed the problem I was having logging on).

In response to: Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

ethSenior Contributor15 June 2017, 12:33 am AEST

Re: Q&A Info Session // Ask your NDIS questions here! // Mon 12 - Fri 16 June

@outlander this is the thread I just mentioned. There's a lot of information available here and it looks like the discussion is still going if you have questions.

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