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Employment Services

CheerBearSenior Contributor01 Mar 2018, 8:03 pm AEDT

Employment Services

I have a couple of questions about employment service providers. I've tried to hunt around the forum for existing threads but can't find them tonight, sorry.

I had an exemption from looking for work from centrelink for 6 months after an assessment due to mental health reasons, which has recently expired. This afternoon I recieved an appointment with a job access provider for next week (the timing is incredible 🙁). My GP, psych and MH worker are all of the opinion that looking for work right now is not going to be the right thing for me but I can't get in to see my GP for a month and I need a new referral letter from her so I can see my psych. I plan on trying to get in touch with my MH worker but I don't know if we'll have time to sort something out now. I have a letter from my GP dated a few weeks ago, that says that I'm too unwell to do the work thing right now, but I don't think that's going to be enough on it's own.

I want to study and have plans to finish my degree (which I am so close to completing) but I need my head a little less the way it is right now. I'm slowly slowly getting there, maybe, but I am not quite close enough yet. The next term starts in May and that's when, if I can get everything organised, I am hoping to return. It's a big if though.

Employment/job stuff is very difficult for me and if I have to engage with a service I really need it to be with one that understands mental health barriers. Does anyone know how to get a referral to a disability employment service (DES), which is what was recommended I do if I had to go with this option? I can't remember what they said to do to get to see one.

If I do have to go next week, is studying something an employment service will consider?

I'm also starting the NDIS process as it rolls out here so how does that work with looking for work requirements? Am I going to be made to look for work, while trying to prove I have a permanent psychosocial disability, and trying to organise myself to return to study to finish my degree? That seems like a giant head mash mix 🙁

Any ideas on where to start navigating this one would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks

25 replies

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In response to: Employment Services

Unknown userMember02 Mar 2018, 12:08 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

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CheerBear wrote:

Trying hard to not take that as "you're never going to get better" and more as "this is just stuff you need to do to find some security and stability".

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This is definitely the way you need to look at it. It’s bureaucratic box-ticking, and we just need to try to make it work in our favour in whatever small way we can. (It still feels super icky though.)

Go you, @CheerBear. You’ve achieved a massive amount today, even if you can’t see it and/or it doesn’t feel that way. I’m super glad you got it semi-sorted to a place where it wasn’t the end of the world today. So proud of you. 😊

I’m glad my wonky words helped a little. Sometimes it’s easier to see a chunkable approach when you’re looking from the outside of a giant fleet of buses. There’s sooo many (too many) brain-mashing things happening, @CheerBear—anyone would be overwhelmed by it all (read: it’s not you or your head).

I hope the rest of your day is much less stressful. Time for 🐐to rest now. 💚

In response to: Employment Services

QueenieSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 12:09 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

@Former-Member I just wanted to thank you sincerely for all the information you've provided in this thread regarding the NDIS. I'm going through the process myself right now and have often panicked that somehow my DSP will be cut off if my NDIS application is unsuccessful. Thank you so much for putting the record straight. It's a relief!

In response to: Re: Employment Services

TeejSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 12:10 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

I’m so glad you backed up my last post with a much more positive one @Former-Member. It was good to read your replies too. I think my negative tone is a bit full on at the moment. Sorry for that @CheerBear. I think that might be the reason I was trying to stay off the forum 😳😒:face_with_rolling_eyes:

In response to: Re: Employment Services

Unknown userMember02 Mar 2018, 12:15 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

You're welcome, @Queenie. To be honest I'm still worried about it (I honestly would not be able to survive with the DSP and so I'm constantly worried, NDIS or not), but so far it has proved to be true. I'll be embarking on either an appeal or another submission to the NDIA and if my DSP is suddenly reviewed I'll be sure to let Forum Land know.

In response to: Re: Employment Services

Unknown userMember02 Mar 2018, 12:22 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

@Teej, I am the queen of pessimism (when I was trawling through my hospital records for my NDIS application I found a note from my old psychiatrist saying I was the most pessimistic person he had ever worked with.) I prefer to think I am a realist. It’s good to know what we’re walking into, so the more info we can give each other and the more experiences we can share here, the better. We need to be prepared. Though I totally get it—knowing how negative I seem is one of the reasons I struggle to post here. (I'm so bad at glass-half-full.)

But for what it’s worth, I’m always happy to see you around the forum, @Teej. 🌷

In response to: Employment Services

CheerBearSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 12:23 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

@Teej thanks for sharing that. It's realistic and being realistic helps. I still have over a year until I really have to worry (and until then it will be fighting off c-link requirements). There's broken everywhere and it makes it hard to try to be more unbroken 😔

Thank you giant lots bookish. I didn't even want to get my goat on today 🐐 Grrr life. Time to put her away again now though. Thanks for saying it's not my head too 💚

@Queenie Glad you could find some relief. Hearing about you and @Former-Member being concerned about DSP being cutoff if NDIS is unsuccessful, makes me a little less angry that the two are not linked. I couldn't work out how receiving DSP didn't automatically make people eligible for NDIS (and vice versa) but I can see how linking both of them could also be very bad for some people too.

In response to: Re: Employment Services

TeejSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 12:32 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

Thanks @Former-Member that made me smile and calm a little 💜😊

@CheerBear last thing I know is that you can go into your des appointment and tell them you are not ready for this (if that’s how you feel) and ask if you can have a job capacity assessment which is done through centrelink. I do think you can only have one per year though......although in my last one the Centrelink person gave me 8 months exemption and said if I needed longer after they would go through the process again then, that comes up in April. On the basis of the last two weeks 😳 it’s a possibility. But I hope I am in a better place to cope with all that then.

I realise too that we are all different and even the people we see seem to have different systems and processes so it’s really hard to read what might happen based on individual experiences. I am zipping it now and getting off my soap box.

Think I need to join you all in the nest for a less anxiety provoking coffee (maybe an Irish coffee 😉) 💜🤗

In response to: Re: Employment Services

TeejSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 12:35 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

Oops it comes up in August 😳:face_with_rolling_eyes:

In response to: Employment Services

dragonflygirlSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 1:15 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

Hi @CheerBear I really feel for you with the dilemma of not wanting to go down the DSP road for fear of the permanent feel of it. But you know it can be very freeing to actually getting on to do things you want to do like finishing your degree and not being pulled down by worrying about having to consider an exemption or not and the pressures of all those things. I am a firm believer in defining your own reality and not justifying to others who don't know the full picture or have the same experiences.

I know it it is hard to get onto DSP, but there are tables that spell out the requirements according to categories, which, if you can answer each category, you have a good chance of getting DSP. The space they give you to do it I think is misleading because you need a lot more space. I will put the link here, and for mental health issues it starts on page 22, but if there are any other categories that can be added to the application it only adds weight to your case.

https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2012/dsp_impairment_final_tables.pdf

It is totally up to you, but I think after the process of applying is over, it could be very liberating and powerful to have that security of income and freedom to not have to justify not working if you feel unable at that time.

In response to: Employment Services

CheerBearSenior Contributor02 Mar 2018, 1:38 pm AEDT

Re: Employment Services

Last vent - I can't help myself 😉

I thought the JCA stuff was done by c-link @Teej but today they told me it needed to be worked out with the jobactive provider (after telling me it couldn't be done again) which makes no sense. I couldn't get an answer about who to speak with to organise another one or whether one could even be done again. They did say to get another med cert but I know they only last three months for per condition and the psychiatrist who did mine put three diagnoses (PTSD, MDD and anxiety) on the one certificate. They apparently could have written one diagnosis times three certificates and I would have had 3 x 3 months of exemptions that way.

If I could get six months then maybe it would be enough time to have uni organised and I wouldn't need the DSP or an employment service but instead it appears I need to do all of this which is no good for me and surely is using resources unwisely.

It's so confusing and difficult when information is conflicting or not easy to come by and when you're bounced around from service to service (and when they're stretched and don't have time or patience so they get cranky and I get defensive or turn frozen or melty snowflakey to stop myself from becoming a raging fireball). This stuff so rarely ends up doing me any good.

I'm glad you've got until August and that you'll be able to go through the process (although it's yuck) of getting more time if you need also. Though I too hope that you will be in a better place to cope then too.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and understanding Teej.

And big thanks @dragonflygirl for your understanding and the info also. I'll have a proper look with my MH worker next week. I have a little time now which is great. Maybe I can come around to the idea of it being potentially freeing and empowering (one day) ☺

For now I am definitely putting myself in chill out time out. Nothing like a c-link letter to trigger panic (yay for understanding and helpful listening forum eyes to help settle it though).

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