How NDIS Supports Mental Health: A Guide for Mental Health Month

World Mental Health Day falls on 10 October, making October a good time to talk about an often misunderstood part of the NDIS: how it can support people living with psychosocial disability.

The NDIS doesn't replace the mental health system, but for eligible people, it can fund disability-related supports that help with everyday life, independence and participation.

What is psychosocial disability?

Psychosocial disability describes the impact a mental health condition can have on a person's ability to take part in everyday life.

Having a mental health condition or diagnosis doesn't automatically mean you're eligible for the NDIS.

Under current NDIS disability requirements, an impairment must be permanent or likely to be permanent, substantially reduce your ability to carry out everyday activities, affect your ability to work, study or participate socially, and mean you're likely to require NDIS supports throughout your life.

Your support needs can still change over time. The NDIS recognises that the needs of people with psychosocial disability may fluctuate.

What can the NDIS fund?

The supports included in an NDIS plan depend on the individual, their disability-related needs and their goals.

For someone with psychosocial disability, this could include supports that help with:

• Daily activities and building independence
• Developing everyday living skills
• Getting involved in the community
• Building social connections and participation
• Employment or education goals
• Understanding and using an NDIS plan
• Connecting with other services and supports

Some participants with psychosocial support needs may also receive funding for a psychosocial recovery coach.

A recovery coach can help you build capacity and resilience, organise supports, connect with community and mainstream services and manage some of the challenges of everyday life.

Other disability-related supports, including some allied health supports, may also be funded where they meet the NDIS funding criteria and relate to your disability support needs.

What doesn't the NDIS fund?

The NDIS and the health system have different roles.

The NDIS generally doesn't fund clinical treatment for a mental health condition that is the responsibility of the health system.

This can include things such as diagnosis, medication, treatment provided by psychiatrists and other clinical mental health services.

Instead, the NDIS focuses on supports related to the impact of a person's psychosocial disability and helping them build independence and participate in everyday life.

The two systems can also work alongside each other. For example, an NDIS-funded recovery coach can help someone connect with and maintain engagement with mental health services outside the NDIS.

Finding the right support

Understanding which services sit within the NDIS and which are provided through the broader mental health system isn't always straightforward.

If you already have an NDIS plan, you can use MySolas Plan Navigator to better understand your plan and the supports available to you.

You can also find NDIS providers on MySolas and explore providers that offer psychosocial disability and mental health-related supports.

Finding providers with the right experience can help you build a support team that understands your needs, goals and what matters to you.