What is psychosocial disability?
Psychosocial disability is a term used to describe a disability that may arise from a mental health issue.
Not everyone who has a mental health condition will have a psychosocial disability, but for people who do, it can be severe, longstanding and impact on their recovery. People with a disability as a result of their mental health condition may qualify for the NDIS.
Psychosocial Recovery-Oriented Framework
The NDIA is committed to improving the lives of people living with psychosocial disability.
The Psychosocial Disability Recovery-Oriented Framework (Recovery Framework) has been developed to ensure that the NDIS is more responsive to participants living with psychosocial disability, their families and carers.
The Recovery Framework is informed by research, submissions, consultations, articles, reports and policy documents, both nationally and internationally.
The Recovery Framework is also informed by the experiences of participants and their families and carers, service providers and state and territory governments.
We are grateful for this input and would like to thank everyone for their contribution.
- Psychosocial Recovery-Oriented Framework (DOCX 71.8KB)
- Psychosocial Recovery-Oriented Framework (PDF 304KB)
- Easy Read – Supporting people with psychosocial disability (DOCX 63 KB)
- Easy Read – Supporting people with psychosocial disability (PDF 10MB)
Accessing the NDIS
NDIS Mental Health Access Information - Plain English (PDF 248KB)
Access Snapshot 1: General Information (PDF 236KB)
Access Snapshot 2: Impairment and Mental Health in the NDIS (PDF 221KB)
Access Snapshot 3: Recovery and the NDIS (PDF 223KB)
Access Snapshot 4: Functional Capacity and Mental Health Issues (PDF 238KB)
Access Snapshot 5: NDIS and Other Services Supporting your Mental Health (PDF 211KB)
Access Snapshot 6: Providing evidence for NDIS eligibility (PDF 87KB)
These snapshots provide specific information to people with psychosocial disability, their families and carers, and service providers.
Evidence of Psychosocial Disability form
Evidence of Psychosocial Disability form (PDF 482KB) – to be completed by your most appropriate clinician, and your support worker or appropriate person. This evidence form makes it easier for people with a psychosocial disability and supporters to collect evidence for NDIS eligibility.
It is important to note, you still need a completed Verbal Access Request (VAR) or Access Request Form (ARF).
Everyone who applies to the NDIS must meet eligibility criteria. These include age, residency and disability requirements.
To find out more go to How to apply.
Psychosocial recovery coach
From July 2020, psychosocial recovery coaches (recovery coaches) will be available to support participants with psychosocial disabilities to live a full and contributing life.
Recovery coaches will support participants to take more control of their lives and to better manage the complex challenges of day-to-day living.
Recovery coaches will work collaboratively with participants, their families, carers and other services to design, plan and implement a recovery plan, and assist with the coordination of NDIS and other supports.
Participants will have the option of selecting a recovery coach with lived experience or a recovery coach with learnt knowledge of psychosocial disability and mental health.
Recovery coaches have been developed in consultation with people with lived experience of mental health issues, families and carers of people with mental health issues, Mental Health Australia and state and territory governments.
For more information, read:
- Psychosocial recovery coach information (PDF 227KB)
- Psychosocial recovery coach information (DOCX 59KB)
- Psychosocial recovery support item (PDF 536KB)
- Psychosocial recovery support item (DOCX 87KB)
Support for carers
For more information on available supports for carers, visit the Department of Social Services website
Factsheets and resources
Factsheets
- Psychosocial recovery coach information (PDF 227KB) - information on the new support item for participants with a psychosocial disability.
- Psychosocial recovery coach support item (PDF 536KB) - detailed information for participants and guidance for NDIS providers to support the delivery of the recovery coach support item.
- Glossary - key terms for understanding the NDIS and psychosocial disability (PDF 630KB) - this glossary explains key terms about psychosocial disability and the NDIS.
- Guide for Mental Health Professionals on Access (PDF 248KB) - this guide explains key NDIS principles and information, including the NDIS access requirements, to clinicians and service providers.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Psychosocial Disability Access (DOCX 194KB) - information for mental health professionals on how to help people access the NDIS and provide evidence.
- GP Guide to the NDIS - Psychosocial Disability (DOCX 7MB) - Information to help General Practitioners to understand how people with psychosocial disability may access the NDIS.
- Guide to writing a Support Worker Letter (DOCX 82KB) - provides an outline for support workers to follow when writing a support worker letter to assist with NDIS eligibility.
- Starting your plan with a Support Coordinator (PDF 158KB) - this factsheet explains how a Support Coordinator helps put a plan into action and how they help participants connect with the supports in their NDIS plan, maintain them and help to achieve their goals.
- Starting your plan with a Local Area Coordinator (PDF 160KB) - this factsheet explains how a participant can work with an LAC to put their NDIS plan in to action.
- Psychosocial disability, recovery and the NDIS factsheet by the NDIA (PDF 774KB) - the factsheet provides information about the concept of recovery within a psychosocial disability context and its application within the NDIS and individualised funding.
Documents
- Completing the Access Process -Tips for Communicating about Psychosocial Disability (PDF) - a resource for mental health clinicians engaging with the NDIS.
The NDIA gratefully acknowledges the work and practical assistance of the ACT Government’s Health, Mental Health, Justice Health, Alcohol and Drug Services and Canberra Hospital and Health services in the development of this resource. - National Mental Health Sector Reference Group (NMHSRG) - Sector Communiques - following each meeting of the NMHSRG, a sector communique is developed with members and made available on the NDIS website. This communique provides information about the NDIA’s current mental health projects, including links to project scopes and to other websites and resources relevant to the mental health sector.
Reports
- Psychosocial Supports Design Project – Progress report (April 2016) (DOCX) created by the NDIA and Mental Health Australia (MHA), this is a summary of the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Psychosocial Supports Design Project – Final Report.
- Psychosocial Supports Design Project – Final Report (April 2016) (DOCX) created by the NDIA and MHA, this report summarises the joint NDIA and Mental Health Australia project to identify optimal packages of support for NDIS participants with a psychosocial disability.
Papers
- Factsheet: Accessing the NDIS (PDF115KB) . This guide was developed jointly by the Australian Government and Flinders University and will support mental health providers in making it easier for people with a psychosocial disability to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Guide builds on work occurring in the National Disability Insurance Agency to improve pathways for people with psychosocial disability and work underway by the Productivity Commission and the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS.
- Mental Health and the NDIS: A Literature Review Commissioned by Mind Australia for the NDIS by the Independent Advisory Council (IAC) (PDF) - jointly published on the 20 May 2015, the paper provide expert advice to inform community expectations on: access to the NDIS, the nature of supports that may be provided by the NDIS, and more broadly, the current state of evidence relating to the impact of psychosocial disability in the context of the implementation of the NDIS.
External resources
- Accessing the NDIS factsheet Assisting people with psychosocial disability to access the NDIS: a guide for Commonwealth-funded community mental health providers . This guide was developed jointly by the Australian Government and Flinders University and will support mental health providers in making it easier for people with a psychosocial disability to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Guide builds on work occurring in the National Disability Insurance Agency to improve pathways for people with psychosocial disability and work underway by the Productivity Commission and the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS.
- Reimagine Website . This website is designed for people living with a mental health condition to better understand the NDIS and what supports and services it can offer. The information on this website is also for friends, family members and carers to assist them to support someone living with a mental health condition. This website was co-designed with the Mental Health Coordinating Council and people living with mental health conditions and their support networks.
- Mental Health Perspectives - National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by the NSW Mental Health Commission - this video features the experiences of mental health consumer participants in the Hunter NDIS site. The film is intended to show the potential of NDIS to support people with psychosocial disability more effectively.
- Mental Health Australia – Sector Development - between 2014 and 2016, Mental Health Australia was funded under the Australian Government NDIS Sector Development Fund to build the capacity of people with a psychosocial disability, their carers and service providers to engage with the NDIS. This a summary of the activities carried out under this project.
- Unravelling Psychosocial Disability - Position Statement by the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum - this Position Statement seeks to identify the needs of people with a psychosocial disability, and describe the issues that affect their capacity to participate in the community.
Historical resources
2013
- The NDIS Independent Advisory Council Advice for Implementing the Scheme for People with a Psychosocial Disability - this document, along with the Agency Response to the IAC advice on implementing the Scheme for People with a Psychosocial Disability was developed for the NDIA Board’s consideration.
2014
- Carers Australia Victoria – Interview with Eddie Bartnik - a resource detailing the NDIA leading work around mental health / psychosocial disability, Local Area Coordination and Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (previously called Tier 2 of the NDIS).
2015
- Mental Health and the NDIS: A Literature Review Commissioned by Mind Australia for the NDIS by the Independent Advisory Council (IAC) (PDF) - jointly published on the 20 May 2015, the paper provide expert advice to inform community expectations on: access to the NDIS, the nature of supports that may be provided by the NDIS, and more broadly, the current state of evidence relating to the impact of psychosocial disability in the context of the implementation of the NDIS.
- Psychosocial Disability and the NDIS: An Introduction to the Concept of Holistic Psychosocial Disability Support by Paul O’Halloran (PDF) - jointly published on the 20th May 2015, the paper provide expert advice to inform community expectations on: access to the NDIS, the nature of supports that may be provided by the NDIS, and more broadly, the current state of evidence relating to the impact of psychosocial disability in the context of the implementation of the NDIS.