NDIS in WADeborah 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 WayLaunch 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 WayHow 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 WayWill 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 WayWhat 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 WayWhat 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 Way2. 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 WayInclusion 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 WayInclusion 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 WayInclusion 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 WayInclusion 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 WayLSW 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?