NDIS

In this edition of Mental Health Australia’s NDIS Mental Health Network update, please find information about a NDIS webinar on provider readiness occurring on Tuesday 24 November 2015; follow-up information regarding questions asked at the mental health webinar hosted by the National Disability Insurance Agency ( NDIA ) on 7 October 2015; an important initiative by Carers Australia to support carers to engage with the NDIS ; opportunities for input to an evaluation of the NDIS by Flinders University; a Council of Australian Governments ( COAG ) Disability Reform Council communique; a report and public hearing from the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on NDIS ; a Mental Health Commission of NSW publication outlining key issues for mental health in the Hunter Trial site, based on a collaborative project with the Mental Health Coordinating Council ( NSW ); and two reports recently released by the NDIA .

It’s been a huge month across the whole sector, and Mental Health Australia has had some big events this week with our AGM , Grace Groom Memorial Oration and Members Policy Forum - including a visit from Minister for Health Sussan Ley.

In 2015, the Australian Government engaged Ernst and Young to conduct an independent review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme legislation. Mental Health Australia provided a submission to the review on 15 October 2015. The submission covers access criteria, nominee provisions and governance arrangements.

In this edition of Mental Health Australia’s NDIS Mental Health Network update read about a co-design consultation regarding the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building ( ILC ) Commissioning Framework, an upcoming audit of the NDIS , new NDIS resources for carers, NDIS costing and pricing training for services providers and valuable publications released by the Mental Health Coordinating Council of New South Wales.

In this update, read about an upcoming National Disability Insurance Agency webinar on mental health and the NDIS , NDIS Bilateral Agreements, a recent announcement about early transition to the NDIS in Queensland and a review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

Perspectives Newsletter - September 2015. Mental Health Australia has recently launched a new non-voting individual membership category, allowing everyone the opportunity to support the mental health sector in Australia. For a small fee, anyone can become a ‘Friend of Mental Health Australia’.

Perspectives Newsletter - September 2015. Mental health reform in Australia is currently impacted by many government processes. Much of the work currently conducted is being done with an eye on the future state of our mental health system. However, consideration needs to be given to the arrangements needed to ensure services continue while the new system is being created. Mental Health Australia CEO Frank Quinlan looks at the need for transition planning.

In this update, read about: Mental Health Australia’s Extraordinary Policy Forum; an NDIS Mental Health Sector Reference Group Meeting Communique; the NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Policy Framework; the NDIS Integrated Market, Sector and Workforce Strategy; a new website for carers; a Carers Australia survey on carers’ experiences of the NDIS ; the latest public hearing of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS ; National Disability Insurance Agency information sessions on support coordination; new NDIS fact sheets; National Disability Services ( NDS ) NDIS briefings; and the NDS Community Inclusion Initiative.

In this update, read about impending changes to the NDIS pricing and catalogue and recently released parliamentary discussions relating to the NDIS .