NDIS Capacity Building Project Update – 11 February 2016

Open Consultation: NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Commissioning Framework

In December 2015, the NDIA released the ILC Commissioning Framework, and announced that there would be a consultation process early in 2016.  The Framework is available on the NDIS website (click here)

A summary of the key issues on which Mental Health Australia is seeking feedback is available on our website (click here).

Mental Health Australia will be providing a written submission and would welcome your input, either in the NDIA’s template, or by email, to info@mhaustralia.org, by Monday 14 March 2016.

You may also wish to attend the NDIA’s consultation sessions in the following locations: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville and a regional location in NSW (TBA). Check the NDIS website event’s page (click here) to see if sessions have been scheduled for your area.

Open Consultation: Specialist Disability Accommodation Pricing and Payments Framework

From 1 July 2016, NDIS participants who require Supported Disability Accommodation will have any disability-related housing costs above the ordinary costs of housing included in their plan.

The Council of Australian Governments Disability Reform Council endorsed a Specialist Disability Accommodation and Pricing Payments Framework in November 2015. The NDIA is holding public consultations about the Framework across the country. Please visit the NDIS website events page (click here) to find out more about sessions occurring near you.

Principles to determine the responsibilities of the NDIS and other service systems

Late last year, the Council of Australian Governments released a revised version of the principles put in place by Australian Governments to determine the responsibility split between the NDIS and other service systems. These principles are used to determine the funding and delivery responsibilities of the NDIS. The document includes applied principles for mental health as well as the indicative role of the NDIS and other parties. The revised principles are available on the Council of Australian Governments website (click here).

The new principles describe the mental health system (as opposed to NDIS funded supports) as:

“public funding through the state and territory public mental health system and/or private mental health services receiving Commonwealth funding through the Medicare Benefits Schedule, together with non-government organisations in receipt of state, territory or Commonwealth funding where these continue to undertake roles outside the NDIS.”

The principles acknowledge the importance of the mental health system (as defined above) and the NDIS working closely together, with the addition of the following:

”The NDIS and the mental health system will work closely together at the local level to plan and coordinate streamlined care for individuals requiring both mental health and disability services recognising that both inputs may be required at the same time or that there is a need to ensure a smooth transition from one to the other.”

Mental Health Australia interprets these additions as recognition that the NDIS will not replace the mental health system, and that both need to operate side-by-side in order to offer effective and holistic care.

Significantly, the new applied principles note that “the NDIS will be responsible for ongoing psychosocial recovery supports …”. Mental Health Australia welcomes the acknowledgement that recovery-focussed work will need to occur across both systems.

Importantly the new principles also provide explicit mention of carers, noting that NDIS supports may include “provision of family and carer supports to support them in their carer role, and family therapy, as they may facilitate the person’s ability to participate in the community and in social and economic life.” Mental Health Australia is pleased to see acknowledgement of carers, given recent stakeholder concerns regarding support that will be available through the NDIS to carers of people with mental illness.

NDIA Mental Health Sector Reference Group December Meeting Communique

The NDIA has published the NMHSRG’s Communique outlining the outcomes of its most recent meeting in December 2015. The Chairperson and the Scheme Actuary provided updates on the NDIA’s work related to mental health, including the NDIA Mental Health Work Plan 2015-16. Dr Martin Cohen also provided a presentation on mental health services planning in the Hunter.

The group heard reports on various projects including:

• NDIA project on outcomes measures and reference packages for psychosocial disability
• Mental Health Australia and NDIA project on design of supports for psychosocial disability
• NDIA operational access review for psychosocial disability.

The communique is available on the NDIS website, click here.

NDIS Independent Advisory Council Annual Report

Late last year, the National Disability Insurance Agency released the NDIS Independent Advisory Council’s (IAC) Annual Report, which is available on the NDIS website (click here). The report noted that: “the planning process should differentiate between a funding plan and a life plan” and that “people should be supported over a longer period of time to develop a life plan.” While the Agency has not yet announced concrete plans reflecting this recommendation, it seems that Local Area Co‑ordinators (LAC) in funded community organisations will carry out planning with some NDIS participants. Further details on how LAC will work in practice are not yet available.

Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS transcript – roundtable on housing options

On 23 October 2015, the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS conducted a roundtable in Canberra to discuss disability housing options, including “innovation, pilot programs and possible funding models”.

The full transcript is available on the Parliament of Australia website (click here).

NDIS January 2016 eNewsletter

The NDIA has released the latest NDIS eNewsletter. The newsletter includes information about the IAC report (mentioned above), the NMHSRG minutes (also mentioned above).

The eNewsletter is available on the NDIS website (click here).

Please share your NDIS story

Mental Health Australia is very interested in hearing about your experiences with the NDIS, whether you are a person experiencing psychosocial disability, a carer of someone with a psychosocial disability or a service provider.  Your experiences help us understand how the NDIS rollout is working on the ground and provide informed and timely feedback to government. So please share your story with us at info@mhaustralia.org. 

Keep in touch

To make sure you stay up to date between NDIS Mental Health Network Updates, make sure you like Mental Health Australia’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AUMentalHealth/

If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe to receive this newsletter regularly, please visit https://mhaustralia.org/form/sign-our-newsletters.

If you have any questions about the above please email Emma Coughlan at info@mhaustralia.org.