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Submission to The Joint Standing Committee on Independent Assessment under the National Disability Insurance Scheme

20 April 2021

The Joint Standing Committee called for submissions on Independent Assessments under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum (NMHCCF) submitted a response to the call for submissions on 31 March 2021.

Reason for the submission

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) proposed to introduce Independent Assessments as part of the NDIS access and planning processes in 2021. The NMHCCF submission is focused on the Terms of Reference (k) – the appropriateness of Independent Assessments for people with psychosocial disability and the associated links to other relevant terms of reference (including d, e, f and g); and outlines what is required to support people with psychosocial disability to ensure they have choice, control and life-long support through the NDIS.

The NMHCCF’s submission focused on the following key points:

  • The Independent Assessment model is not appropriate for people with psychosocial disability from a mental health condition and is likely to further re-traumatise individuals with psychosocial disability.
  • The episodic nature of mental health and psychosocial disability needs to be understood to accurately assess a person’s functional capacity.
  • An allied health professional undertaking an assessment needs strong skills, knowledge and experience with psychosocial disability from a mental health condition.
  • The standardised tools being proposed for use are not appropriate for people with psychosocial disability from a mental health condition. There is also a need for the involvement of several support people, including family, health professionals and support workers who already have a relationship over time with the individual.

Download a copy of the submission

NMHCCF - Submission: Inquiry into the NDIA Independent Assessments program - March 2021

To find out more about the NMHCCF’s other submissions, click here.

View the submission process on the Parliament of Australia website

To find out more about this submission process, please visit the Parliament of Australia website.