A brief presentation explaining how individual

1. Understanding the NDIS
For individuals
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

2. What does the NDIS do?
• The NDIS is about better funding for disability,
but that’s not all it is about
• The NDIS changes the way funding works
• The NDIS places much more control in the
hands of the individuals
• This short presentation explains how this
works
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

3. Funding programs
• The old method generally involved funding
programs
• Some examples include:
– Aids and equipment schemes
– Respite care programs
– Therapy programs
• Sometimes these were funded by the State, by
the Commonwealth, or a bit of both
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

4. Lets take it a step at a time
Lets use an example of an imaginary companion
dog program.
You’re going to need dogs. People will need to apply for the dogs. Someone has to
pay for the dogs. And someone has to organise how this all happens.
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

5. The way it works now
First, the money gets
divided up
Then it gets shared out
to the different
organisations that will
manage the programs
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

6. The way it works now
Then the people who need a
dog apply to the organisations
who are managing the
program
Very rarely is there a match between the
resources available. So the organisations
managing the programs need to make
decisions, or may be given guidelines, as
to how to share the resources out. This
may include waiting lists or reducing the
assistance offered.
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

7. Some of the other problems include
Lots of
paperwork. For
the organisations
to decide who
should get the
dog, and what is
more urgent, they
need to collect a
lot of information
from everyone.
Many of these processes rely on
medical assessments. People end
up seeing doctors over and over,
not for treatment, but to fill in
forms. Where there are not many
doctors, or they do not bulk bill,
this can cause other problems.
People can be left
waiting for a long
time, unable to
get on with their
lives, study, work,
socialise etc.
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

8. This is not a person centred process at
all
Often people
have no idea
how long the
process will take,
or what they can
do to change
things. They
have no control
over their own
lives.
Not all services are the same. This process
makes it so difficult to get any assistance, but
that does not mean it is the right assistance.
There is often a real lack of choice.
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

9. This process can be repeated over and
over
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

10. So how is the NDIS different?
“No wrong doors” means that
no matter where you start off,
or who you ask for services,
you should end up in the right
place.
Instead of applying here there
and everywhere, there will be
one process.
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

11. The NDIS gets the administration out
of the way once at the beginning
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013

12. A process that puts you in charge
Application
• You apply to be a
participant of the NDIS
• You fill in the forms and
provide information
once for all the
supports and services
you need
• Disability Care lets you
know if you are eligible
to be covered
Plan
• You agree a plan with
DisabilityCare for all the
supports and services
you need
• You agree who will
manage the money for
this – you, your family,
an organisation or
DisabilityCare
• You agree what help
you will need to
implement the plan, if
this is right for you
Implement
• You then go and do the
things in the plan.
• This might include
looking around at
different trained dogs,
to see what is the most
appropriate one for you
• You may also choose to
get some advice from
an organisation that
knows about these
dogs, or that knows
about your type of
disability
You then go and
buy your dog!
4/05/2013 (c) Disability Directory 2013