Submission No 15
INQUIRY INTO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME AND THE PROVISION OF DISABILITY SERVICES IN NEW SOUTH WALES
Name: Name suppressed Date Received: 30 June 2018
Partially Confidential
Thank you to ABC radio and Kate Washington (MP) for their morning news broadcast today (30/6/2018) in Sydney NSW with which I would not have been made aware of this submission process for the Legislative Council NDIS inquiry in NSW. I request that my name remain confidential. Thank you.
My journey with the NDIS began when my mother told me about it back when it was first advertised in her community. I made telephone enquiries (many disconnected phone calls) and eventually got through to a person who did not know if I would be eligible for NDIS support. She advised I fill out an application form anyway. I received my application form in the post, filled it out in consultation with my psychiatrist, my psychologist and my doctor. I still have that application form because since my first enquiry to the current date the NDIS eligibility criteria has made up it’s mind that people such as myself are not eligible for NDIS support.
My individual circumstance, which I am sure is shared by many people throughout our wide brown land, (and I envisage my submission will make a positive impact for them as well as myself): I was diagnosed with schizoeffective disorder in 1999; I work full time; I have no dependents; I have multiple tertiary level degrees; I am a professional; I support myself.
According to the NDIS eligibility criteria under the title “psychosocial disorder” I am not eligible for NDIS support. I continue to hold on to my application form hoping that one day someone will realise that supporting oneself with a life long mental illness is a full time job to maintain a positive work life balance. Hence, I would really like to be eligible for NDIS support as I will not (realistically) be able to work full time forever. I cover the regular financial costs of paying for my appointments with my psychiatrist, my psychologist and my doctor.
Yes medicare does support me with a mental health plan of ten sessions with my psychologist each year however, I do not receive a complete reimbursement of these costs.
Yes medicare does cover some of my doctor appointments when my doctor bulk bills however, my medical centre only has limited bulk billed appointments and nine times out of ten I end up paying a $78.00 (seventy eight dollar) fee with some reimbursement on medicare.
In closing, having a diagnosis of a mental illness that is regularly written about in the media as one of the worst kinds of mental illnesses (hence, my request to keep my name confidential) society and my local community is quite unpredictable and heavily stigmatises people such as myself.
This is the first time I am writing publicly about my mental illness. I am in fact “coming out”. Let’s see if it makes a difference or not. Thank you for reading this submission. I look forward to a reply. I look forward to some positive change. Thank you.