NDIS in WA
Deborah Roberts
Senior Project Manager
Mental Health Commission
February 2014
NDIA & My Way
• On Monday 5 August 2013 the Prime Minister and the Premier of
Western Australia signed an agreement for disability reform in
Western Australia. The agreement is for a two year trial
commencing on 1 July 2014.
• Under this agreement, the Commonwealth and Western Australian
governments will contrast two approaches for the delivery of
disability services in different locations.
NDIA & My Way
• Two approaches are being trialled in order to allow genuine
comparison of the merits of the National Disability Insurance Agency
(NDIA - formally DisabilityCare Australia) model and the Western
Australian My Way model.
• This will allow the lessons to be shared during the trial period and
taken into the full scheme roll out of NDIS across Australia.
NDIA & My Way
Launch sites
• The WA NDIS My Way model
 Lower South West (LSW) region commencing July 2014
 Cockburn Kwinana area commencing July 2015
• A two year trial of the NDIA model will commence in the Perth Hills
area on 1 July 2014. Incremental roll out of the NDIA model will take
place over the two year trial period.
NDIA & My Way
How many people will be eligible for support in the launch sites?
•
In total, approximately 8,400 eligible participants (with permanent disability)
in Western Australia will benefit over the trial period.
Who will be eligible for support in the trial areas?
•
The eligibility criteria developed for NDIS (as set out in the National
Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013) will be used in both of the Western
Australian trial models. The My Way model will use the same eligibility rules
that will apply across the nation.
•
Both of the Western Australian trial approaches will apply to all eligible
people under 65 at the time of trial, rather than being limited to more specific
age cohorts.
NDIA & My Way
Will people with disability currently not accessing services be able
to access support in the trial sites?
• Yes. People with a disability who meet the eligibility criteria under
the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and are
permanently living in the trial areas will be eligible for support in the
trial areas.
NDIA & My Way
Will people with mental health conditions be eligible to access
support in the trial areas?
• The eligibility criteria allows for people with impairments attributable
to a psychiatric condition to access the scheme where their
impairments are, or are likely to be, permanent, and result in a
substantially reduced function in undertaking daily activities and
capacity for social and economic participation. Impairments that vary
in intensity may still be considered permanent.
NDIA & My Way
• ‘Functional impairment’ and ‘permanent’ are the key requirements
for eligibility and access to funding in the NDIS.
• Assessment of ‘functional impairment’ is required for funding
allocation but appears that it may not be necessary for access to
planning and/or LAC services (Tier 2) within NDIS. To be clarified!
• It requires some external evidence to be provided i.e. doctors reports
with diagnosis, OT assessments.
•
NDIA & My Way
• ‘Functional Impairment’ Assessment tool developed for use in NDIS
trial sites is lengthy (currently 88 pages).
• Assessment cannot be completed by the consumer and must be
completed by the NDIA assessors/ My Way coordinators.
• Assessment results are used in conjunction with the reference
packages developed by NDIS to inform decisions about funding
allocation.
• Trial sites are providing information about the accuracy of the
reference packages and funding allocations before full scheme
rollout.
NDIA & My Way
What will be similar in the two WA trial approaches?
There will be a consistent application of the key aspects of disability
reform including:
• consistent approaches to eligibility
• consistency in the determination of reasonable and necessary
supports
• a guarantee of portability provisions (for people moving between
launch areas – in Western Australia and inter-state)
• quality assurance system
NDIA & My Way
What will be different in the two trial approaches?
The key differences between the two approaches are:
1. Legislation
• The My Way trial will be implemented by the WA Disability Services
Commission under State Legislation. State-specific operational
guidelines will apply.
• The NDIA trial will be implemented under the national legislation and
use national operational guidelines.
NDIA & My Way
2. Sector Organisations
• Under the My Way model, disability service organisations will retain
their existing strong partnership and contractual relationship with the
Disability Services Commission, including the use of payments in
advance for disability service organisations.
• The NDIA trial site will operate under a national pricing scheme
which reflects the conditions in local markets, including loadings.
Participants will be able to source supports from any NDIA registered
provider. Providers will be paid for services on receipt of an invoice.
NDIA & My Way
• In the context of the NDIS, the term ‘psychosocial disability’ appears
to be preferred by consumers and carers (see National Mental
Health Consumer & Carer Forum Position Statement). That is ‘the
disabilities that are associated with mental health conditions’ .
• The term ‘psychosocial disability’ appears to be very helpful in
promoting a wider understanding (especially in the disability sector)
where people with severe and enduring mental illness may fit into
the NDIS.
NDIA & My Way
Inclusion of people with Psychosocial Disability in the NDIS
What does it mean for people with mental health conditions?
• The Productivity Commission has estimated that approximately 5600
people with severe and enduring mental illness may be eligible for
NDIS in WA.
• The Productivity Commission data suggests that approximately 800
people with severe and enduring mental illness may be eligible in
the identified trial sites in WA.
NDIA & My Way
Inclusion of people with Psychosocial Disability in the NDIS
• However, it is acknowledged that this data was provided by the
Productivity Commission at short notice and there have been
concerns raised that the data may not be accurate.
• There are suggestions that more people with severe and enduring
mental illness may be eligible for NDIS but it is early days.
•
At a national level, there is work happening to provide more
accurate data. The use of the Mental Health Services Planning
Estimator tool has been suggested as a possible option for
increasing accuracy.
NDIA & My Way
Inclusion of people with Psychosocial Disability in the NDIS
• The MHCA has been working with the National Mental Health
Consumer and Carer Forum (NMHCCF) to produce information for
mental health consumers and carers about the NDIS and it will be
available on their website in the next couple of weeks.
• The MHCA has advised that NDIA is implementing a new national
assessment tool as part of planning and assessment processes and
it includes the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment
Schedule (WHODAS). This is a tool that is informed by the
International Classification of Functioning (ICF).
NDIA & My Way
Inclusion of people with Psychosocial Disability in the NDIS
• NDIA Mental Health Forum was held on 31 January 2014
• Paul O’Halloran - a Clinical Psychologist (Western Sydney Mental
Health Services) has been engaged as a consultant by the NDIA to
develop a mental health and NDIS Discussion Paper. It will explore
benchmarks for NDIS Tier 3 eligibility for people with mental
illness/psychosocial disability and approaches for achieving
integrated and collaborative health and mental health and NDIS
service delivery
NDIA & My Way
Inclusion of people with Psychosocial Disability in the NDIS
• A draft of the paper is anticipated for late February to the MH
Working Group that met with Paul on 31 January 2014.
• From this forum, consideration is also being given to the use of
assessment tools currently used in the mental health field for people
with psychosocial disability including national mental health outcome
measures.
NDIA & My Way
LSW My Way Project: Inclusion of people with psychosocial disability
• As announced by the Minister in October 2013, the Mental Health
Commission and the Disability Services Commission agreed on a
joint project proposal to assist the My Way Coordinators in the LSW
trial site to include people with psychosocial disability,.
• This project proposal is to provide additional resources, and specific
training and supports to LSW My Way Coordinators to assist with
engaging with new participants with psychosocial disability. This will
include the provision of relevant training to better understand mental
health and the recovery approach alongside self directed support
and person centred care.
NDIA & My Way
• This project has already started to engage local mental health
services and sector organisations to provide information about My
Way, training as needed and support to manage new ways of
working.
• This project will engage a minimum number of 50 people with
psychosocial disability in the Lower South West region (but hopefully
will assist approximately 150 people with psychosocial disability over
the 18 months).
• Questions/ Queries/ Comments?