NDIS policy and implementation issues

As the peak, national non-government organisation representing and promoting the interests of the Australian mental health sector, Mental Health Australia has an ongoing role in influencing mental health reform so that government policies address all contemporary mental health issues. As such, Mental Health Australia provides advice to government about the impact of the NDIS on the mental health sector (including on consumers and carers) through various mechanisms.

Given the diversity of information and feedback we receive, our advice to government about the NDIS addresses both:

  • Policy and scheme design issues, which are the collective responsibility of Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments through the Council of Australian Governments Disability Reform Council
  • Implementation and operational issues, which are the responsibility of the National Disability Insurance Agency.

Information and advice provided to government may respond to issues that emerge through our NDIS Sector Development Fund Capacity Building Project, or through our ongoing work as the national peak body, or both.

A key mechanism for providing advice to the NDIA is through its National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Mental Health Sector Reference Group, on which Mental Health Australia is represented.

Links to key documents from Mental Health Australia and other sources relating to NDIS policy and implementation issues can be found below.

Newsletter

To keep up to date with Mental Health Australia’s action in relation to NDIS policy and implementation please sign up to our regular NDIS Mental Health Network updates here or view our previous updates here.

Mental Health Australia NDIS submissions and publications

July 2017 - Mental Health Australia response to the Productivity Commission NDIS Costs Study Position Paper

Mental Health Australia lodged a comprehensive response to the Productivity Commission’s Position Paper on NDIS Costs. In this submission, Mental Health Australia makes the case for NDIS processes, which are tailored for people with psychosocial disability and therefore for changes to key design features for the NDIS. Mental Health Australia also discusses the important place of systemic and individual advocacy during times of significant change, and for governance arrangements to include mental health consumers, carers, services providers, representative bodies and experts.

Please read the full submission here.

April 2017 – Mental Health Australia submission to the NDIS Price Controls Review

Mental Health Australia’s submission to the NDIA on its annual review of the NDIS Price Controls highlights that the mental health sector has yet to be involved in setting prices for psychosocial supports under the scheme. This lack of consultation has resulted in pricing that does not reflect the true cost of service delivery and is creating a challenging business environment for mental health service providers. To ensure that participants can access safe and high-quality services, the submission recommends that the NDIA establishes a discrete process to review price controls for mental health services that includes service providers, consumers and carers.

Please read the full submission here.

March 2017 – Mental Health Australia submission to the Productivity Commission study into NDIS costs

Mental Health Australia’s submission to the Productivity Commission issues paper for its study into the NDIS costs was compiled using our members’ first hand experiences with the NDIS in their local area.  The submission highlights the major capability and capacity constraints within the NDIA for people with mental illness and psychosocial disability and community based mental health services. Pointing out the inadequate resources for the NDIA to meet its transition targets, and the consequences on choice and control for NDIS participants, the submission encourages the Productivity Commission to give serious consideration to the resources required to manage transition successfully, as well as the Scheme’s ongoing operational requirements.

Please read the full submission here.

February 2017 – Mental Health Australia submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition

Mental Health Australia’s submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS into services for people with psychosocial disability related to a mental health condition.  While the NDIS has great potential to improve the lives of people with psychosocial disability, the submission addresses a number of issues that have emerged throughout the roll out of the scheme, including:

  • barriers to entry created by the access criteria for people with psychosocial disability
  • the emerging gap in psychosocial services for people who are not eligible for the NDIS
  • the current lack of support and resources for mainstream services to assist consumers to access the scheme
  • that the planning process for NDIS participants with psychosocial disability does not yet reflect best practice.

Please read the full submission here.

July 2016 - Letter to Disability Reform Council on 2017 Productivity Commission Review on the NDIS

The Productivity Commission is scheduled to undertake a major review of the NDIS in 2017. Mental Health Australia, Community Mental Health Australia and all state and territory mental health peaks consider it vital that the PC review includes detailed terms of reference about the interaction between mental health and the NDIS. This letter provides advice to members of the Council of Australian Governments Disability Reform Council on issues to include in the review.

Please click here to read more about this letter.

April 2016 - Submission on NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building

Mental Health Australia made two submissions on the draft Commissioning Framework for Information, Linkages and Capacity Building. 

The first submission focussed on the details of the ILC Commissioning Framework, and its implications for people with psychosocial disability. The submission focussed on the continued lack of information on continuity of support, numbers of people expected to need ILC support, and other vital information needed for the sector, consumers and carers; and the importance of outreach, including identifying and supporting potential participants from Indigenous, CALD, homeless and other disadvantaged backgrounds, into the NDIS.

The second submission focused on the issues around preparing the sector for the proposed outcomes-based commissioning being proposed by the NDIA.

Please click here to read the submissions. 

April 2016 - Submission to the NDIA Personal Care and Community Participation Price Review

Since rollout of the NDIS commenced in launch sites, mental health providers have raised concerns about the match between the hourly prices paid by the NDIA for psychosocial support work and the reality of delivering that work by suitably qualified personnel. Some providers have described their work in launch sites as ‘loss-leading’, undertaken under the assumption that it will be eventually become apparent to the NDIA that its pricing structures need revisiting, and acknowledging that this one of a myriad of implementation challenges.

Less optimistically, some mental health providers envisage a ‘race to the bottom’, where a less skilled workforce becomes a competitive advantage and choice for participants is eroded over time, as providers become unable to support more highly trained workers under the terms set by the NDIA

Our submission addressed a range of issues, including: support co-ordination; the current pace of change; funding for innovation, co-ordination, core capacity requirements, ICT, training, supervision and support and translators & interpreters. We also rejected the NDIA’s assertion that the NGO sector has had little incentive to improve its efficiency, both historically and in the recent past.

Please click here to read the submission.

February 2016 – Supported Decision Making, Psychosocial Disability and the NDIS

Mental Health Australia sub-contracted the ACT, Disability, Aged and Carer Advisory Service to develop a paper on supported decision making, psychosocial disability and the NDIS, in collaboration with Mental Health Australia and a project advisory group. The paper explores supported decision making for people with psychosocial disability in the context of the NDIS and provides a range of tangible recommendations to improve access to and provision of supported decision making through the NDIS.

Please click here to read the paper.

January 2016 – Mental Health Carers and the NDIS

Mental Health Australia sub-contracted Carers Australia to develop this paper in collaboration with Mental Health Australia and a project advisory group. The paper provides advice to the Department of Social Services on issues arising for mental health carers in the context of the NDIS and offers recommendations to build the capacity of carers to participate in the NDIS

Please click here to read the paper.

October 2015 – NDIS and Mental Health Workforce

Mental Health Australia sub-contracted the NSW Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) to develop this paper on behalf of, and in partnership with, Community Mental Health Australia. The paper explored the impact of the NDIS on the mental health workforce and makes recommendations about next steps and priorities in the context of national implmentation of the NDIS.

Please click here to read the paper.

October 2015 – submission to the NDIS Scheme Act Review

The Australian Government engaged Ernst and Young to conduct an independent review of the legislative framework for the NDIS. To find out more about the review, click here.

Mental Health Australia’s submission to the review highlights concerns regarding access criteria, nominee provisions and governance arrangements.

Please click here to read the submission.

April 2015 – submission on the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework

Mental Health Australia provided a submission to the Department of Social Services (DSS) on the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework in April 2015. Mental Health Australia welcomed the development of a comprehensive framework to ensure that NDIS participants, their families and carers have access to safe and high quality services.

In its submission, Mental Health Australia made recommendations around facilitation of supported decision making and the development of formal and informal support networks, adequate provision of information and support for individual advocacy.

Please click here to access the submission.

March 2015 – submission on NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building

Mental Health Australia provided a submission to DSS regarding the Framework for Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (previously known as Tier 2 of the NDIS).

This submission highlighted the uncertainty stemming from a lack of clear information on key aspects of scheme design. The submission made a range of specific recommendations relating to design of the framework and clarification around the transition arrangements for the NDIS.

Please click here to access the submission.

November 2014 – opening statement to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NDIS

In November 2014, Mental Health Australia appeared at a public hearing of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NDIS. CEO of Mental Health Australia, Frank Quinlan’s Opening Statement was supportive of the achievements of the NDIS at the time, but also highlighted the sector’s strong concerns that various risks remained, while the implications of the scheme’s design were still unaddressed.  

Please click here to access the Opening Statement.

March 2014proposal to NDIA on providing psychosocial disability support through the NDIS

In March 2014, Mental Health Australia provided a proposal to the NDIA on providing psychosocial disability support through the NDIS. The proposal includes several key recommendations around ensuring there are no fewer resources available for people with psychosocial disability under the NDIS, ensuring block funding continued for supports offered under the NDIS Tier 2 (now referred to as Information, Linkages and Capacity Building) and collaboration with the mental health sector.

Please click here to access the submission.

December 2013 – position paper on mental health and the NDIS

Mental Health Australia issued a position paper on Mental Health and the NDIS recognising the opportunity to deliver much needed support for people with a range of disabilities, including people with a psychosocial disability related to mental illness. The paper also raises strong concerns about the design of NDIS, the status of existing services and the likely impact on mental health programs.

Please click here to access the position paper.

Selected publications from other organisations

Mental Health Commission of NSW

                October 2015 – the NSW NDIS and Mental Health Analysis Partnership Project

                Offers insights from the NDIS rollout in the Hunter.

Mental Health Coordinating Council of NSW

August 2015 – Further Unravelling Psychosocial Disability

Outlines experiences of the NDIS in the NSW trial site from a mental health perspective.

MI Fellowship

July 2015 – resources on mental health, permanence, recovery and the NDIS

Provide information for government on the concepts of mental health, permanence, recovery and the NDIS.

Multiple organisations

April 2015 – submissions to the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework consultation

A large number of organisations provided submissions to the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework consultations.

National Disability Insurance Agency and Mind Australia

August 2014 – Mental Health and the NDIS: A Literature Review

Examins the current state of evidence relating to the impact of psyshcosocial disability in the context of the implementation of the NDIS Act 2013

Paul O’Halloran (published by the National Disability Insurance Agency)

No date – Psychosocial Disability and the NDIS: An Introduction to the concept of holistic Psychosocial Disability Support

Explores recovery principles and psychosocial disability supports under the NDIS.

Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria

June 2015 - Learn and Build in Barwon

Tells the story of the impact of the NDIS on the provision of mental health services in the Barwon Launch site in Victoria.

Raise Your Voice, Barwon

February 2015 – Consumer and carer experiences of the NDIS mental health services

Outlines the experiences of mental health consumers, carers and service providers in the Barwon trial site.

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