Does the NDIS Cover Mental Health?

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Good morning, my name is Daniel G. Taylor. I’m a mental health speaker and advocate who lives with bipolar disorder. I’m here to share what I’ve learned about the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) and how it can support people with mental health conditions. 

Key Takeaways

• The NDIS focuses on improving daily functioning and long-term recovery for people with psychosocial disabilities related to mental health. 
• The NDIS may fund non-clinical supports like skills training, social participation, and independent living assistance.
• To be eligible, you need to show that your mental health condition significantly impacts your daily life and requires ongoing support.
• The NDIS has specific criteria for what they’ll fund, so it’s important to provide compelling evidence of your support needs.

The Difference Between the Mental Health System and the NDIS

The Australian mental health system primarily covers the clinical aspects of mental health – things like diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. This includes services from GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals, as well as inpatient and outpatient care.

In contrast, the NDIS focuses on supporting the daily, functional impacts of psychosocial disabilities that stem from mental health conditions. The NDIS funds non-clinical supports that can help improve your independence, community participation, and quality of life.

So while the mental health system addresses the medical side of things, the NDIS is there to help you manage the real-world, practical challenges you face because of your mental health condition.

What Kind of NDIS Supports are Available for Mental Health?

The NDIS may fund a range of supports related to your psychosocial disability, such as:

Skill Development and Capacity Building

• Help to develop daily living skills like budgeting, meal planning, and household tasks
• Support to build your social skills and community participation
• Help finding and maintaining employment or educational opportunities

Home and Community Supports

• Help with personal care, domestic tasks, and home-based living
• Supports to facilitate your involvement in social and recreational activities
• Help accessing and using public transport

Coordination of Supports

• Help to navigate the various mental health and disability services available
• Coordination between your NDIS supports and your clinical mental health treatment

Allied Health Interventions

• Occupational therapy, social work, and other allied health supports focused on managing the functional impacts of your condition
• Behaviour support planning and implementation

The key is that these NDIS supports need to be directly related to improving your day-to-day functioning and community participation. Clinical mental health treatment is still primarily funded through the healthcare system.

Of course, the NDIS also supports many other disabilities.

Who is Eligible for NDIS Support for Mental Health?

To be eligible for NDIS funding for your mental health condition, a few key criteria must be met:

1. Age: You need to be under 65 years old.
2. Residency: You must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
3. Severity and Duration: Your mental health condition must be severe and enduring, causing significant, ongoing functional impairment.
4. Functional Impairment: Your condition must make it difficult for you to perform everyday tasks like self-care, social interaction, or maintaining employment.
5. Permanence: Your condition needs to be lifelong, even if it’s episodic in nature.

The NDIS wants to see clear evidence that your mental health condition substantially impacts your daily life and requires ongoing support. Conditions like schizophrenia, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, and major depression are more likely to meet the eligibility criteria.

If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, I’d encourage you to reach out to your local NDIS office. They can help assess your eligibility and guide you through the application process.

Applying for NDIS Support for Mental Health

The NDIS application process involves a few key steps:

1. Complete an Access Request form to start the eligibility assessment.
2. Have your mental health professional fill out the supporting evidence form, detailing your condition, treatment history, and functional impairments.
3. Gather any additional assessments, reports, or letters from your doctors and therapists to show the impact of your condition.

It’s important to be as thorough as possible in explaining how your mental health condition affects your daily life and your need for ongoing support. The more evidence you can provide, the better.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help during the application process. Mental health professionals, social workers, and NDIS support organisations can all assist you in putting together a strong case.

What the NDIS Won’t Cover for Mental Health

While the NDIS provides funding for supports related to psychosocial disabilities, there are some things they rarely cover:

• Acute, ambulatory, or continuing clinical mental health treatment (e.g., psychiatry, psychology therapy)
• Rehabilitation or recovery services provided by the healthcare system
• Supports for co-occurring conditions like drug or alcohol dependency

The NDIS sees those clinical mental health services as the responsibility of the broader health system. Their focus is on the day-to-day, functional supports that can help improve your quality of life and community participation.

So if you’re looking for help with clinical mental health treatment, you’ll need to access those services through your GP, private health insurance, or public mental health programs. The NDIS can, however, help coordinate those clinical supports with your other disability-related needs.

Conclusion

The NDIS can be a valuable resource for people living with mental health conditions that significantly impact their daily lives. While it doesn’t cover clinical mental health treatment, the NDIS can fund a range of non-clinical supports to help improve your independence, social participation, and overall well-being.

The key is showing how your mental health condition causes functional impairment and requires ongoing support. It’s a thorough application process, but with the right evidence and help, you can access meaningful NDIS funding to support your recovery and community inclusion.

Action Steps

1. Contact your local NDIS office to discuss your eligibility and the application process.
2. Gather evidence from your mental health professionals about the functional impacts of your condition.
3. Reach out to organisations like The SALT Foundation that can provide you with NDIS support, including disability support workers, support coordination, and psychosocial recovery coaching.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Daniel G. Taylor

Daniel G. Taylor has been writing about the NDIS for three years. His focus has been on mental health and psychosocial disabilities as he lives with bipolar disorder I. He’s been a freelance writer for 30 years and lives across the road from the beach in Adelaide. He’s the author of How to Master Bipolar Disorder for Life and a contributor to Mastering Bipolar Disorder (Allen & Unwin) and he’s a mental health speaker.