Removing barriers to testing for the NDIS

People who live with mental ill-health may be able to get support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) if their condition causes them to experience very high levels of ‘psychosocial disability’ .

While Primary Health Tasmania is not involved in services provided through the NDIS, we receive Australian Government funding to help people connect to the psychosocial support service that best meets their needs.

All of our work in this area involves collaboration with mental health experts – service providers, peak bodies and consumer and carer groups.

In late 2019, as part of our work to improve access to psychosocial support services for Tasmanians, we contracted the Mental Health Council of Tasmania to identify barriers for people with mental ill-health in submitting requests to access the NDIS.

The MHCT consulted consumers, carers and service providers and the resulting Removing Barriers to Testing for the NDIS report makes 12 recommendations to address barriers identified.

In February 2020 the report was endorsed by Tasmania’s National Psychosocial Support Advisory Group, which is chaired by Primary Health Tasmania and has representatives from the Tasmanian Department of Health, Department of Communities Tasmania, Mental Health Council of Tasmania, National Disability Insurance Agency, Flourish, Mental Health Family and Friends, and Carers Tasmania. 

A working group made up of representatives from the Advisory Group will meet in March to develop an action plan to address each of the recommendations. 

The working group will remain in place until June 2021 and will be responsible for implementing the action plan and reporting on its progress.

You can read the full report here.

For more information, send us a message.

For more information about psychosocial support services commissioned by Primary Health Tasmania, go to Our Services Portal.