Independent Assessments
Submission 22
to whom it may concern
i am a psychosocial participant of the ndis. i have been on the scheme for one and a half years, and have benefited significantly from the support. i am making progress towards my goals.
however, i am extremely concerned the proposed independent assessments will significantly decrease access to the reasonable and necessary supports i and many others need. the practitioners assessing us don’t know us at all, whereas practitioners we are working with know our functional capacity and how we are tracking. the standardised tools do not take into account all disabilities. For example, the standardized mental health questionnaire is geared around depression and anxiety, so for people who experience delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms that have a grave impact on their functioning there is no way to understand their unctional impairment. in addition, people with invisible disabilities like psychosocial disability will be disadvantaged, especially if they struggle to advocate for themselves. additionally the prospect of being assessed without a worker who knows us well being allowed to attend with us will make the assessment even less accurate.
ulimately the independent assessments are a cost-cutting measure that will exclude many vulnerable people from the support they need. I am very stressed about the prospect of losing my funding when my plan is reviewed. this will have a deleterious impact on my life and unctioning. i am just starting to make progress with the help of ndis supports.
i hope you will reconsider the introduction of independent assessments and keep the existing system.
yours sincerely,