MHCA Position Paper - Mental Health and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, 2013

The National Disability Insurance Scheme represents a major opportunity to deliver much-needed services and support for people with a range of disabilities, including people with a psychosocial disability related to mental illness. The MHCA supports the NDIS, especially given the bi-partisan commitment to increasing funding to support people with significant ongoing disabilities over the next few years.

However, the MHCA has strong concerns about the implications of the scheme for mental health consumers, carers and service providers. These concerns relate to the design of the NDIS, the status of existing services, and the likely impact on future mental health programs.

This position paper outlines the current challenges and provides some suggestions on how to resolve them.