Government
of South Australia
Hon Leesa Viahos MP
17MMH/0215
Hon Kevin Andrews MP
Chair
Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Mr Andrews
Please find enclosed a submission from the South Australian Government to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) inquiry into the provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition.
Yours sincerely
Leesa Viahos M.P.
Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
a May, 2017
Attach: Submission from the South Australian Government ~ April 2017
Minister for Disabilities
Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Level 12 Worth, 1 King william Street, Adelaide SA 5069 | GPO Box 18358, Adelaide SA 5091 | DX S38
Tel C8 €393 2925 | Fax GS 8203 2535 | Emad misiste: vienosfsa.qvcay
Joint Standing Committee on
Scheme — the provisi People with psychoso
the National Disability Insurance
on of services under the NDIS for Cial disabilities related toa mental]
health condition alian Government
April-2017
Submission from the South Austr
Government
of South Australia
Introduction
This submission addresses key Terms of Reference of the Committee, including:
¢ the eligibility criteria for the NDIS for People with a Psychosocial disability:
e the transition to the NDIS of all current long and short term mental health Commonwealth Government funded Services, including the Personal Helpers and Mentors Services (PHaMs) and Partners in Recovery (PIR) programs, and in particular:
Capacity building framework:
¢ the provision and continuation of Services for NDIS Participants in receipt of forensic disability Services; and
® other related matters
Background and Context
The introduction of the NDIS will change the way Services are funded and delivered to South Australians with a disability including people with Psychosocial disability, allowing Participants greater choice of where and from whom they receive services.
The first stage of the NDIS in SA began on 1 July 2013 for children aged 14 years and under, From 1 February 2016, children aged between 0 to 14 years of 4ge will continue to enter the NDIS. Then 15 to 17 year olds will enter from 4 January 2017 and from 1 July 204 7; adults aged 18 to 64 years of age will begin to enter the NDIS based on a Staged approach across geographical regions.
The SA and Commonwealth Governments Signed a Bilateral Agreement for the Transition to an NDIS on 15 December 2015. it iS expected that around 26,000 South Australians will access
package of Support because they have a Serious and persistent mental iliness with complex interagency needs.
Public mental health Service clients receiving state funded Psychosocial Support will transition to the NDIS from 1 July 2018. People who receive Services through Disability SA and have a mental illness, mental health clients in DCSI funded Programs, Commonwealth funded clients as well as new clients will transition to the NDIS from 1 July 2017.
SA’s mental health services including services for people with psychosocial rehabilitation and disability support needs have been delivered through the Health sector rather than the Disability Sector. While the SA Government has had experience in implementing the NDIS as a trial site for children, it has no direct experience in implementing the NDIS for adults with a Psychosocial disability resulting from a mental health condition.
The mental health sector is Currently also undergoing Significant mental health reform, Ata national level, there are major changes in the funding and Structure of Services across Australia
Broadly, a person meets the requirement for NDIS Support if they are under 65 years, an Australian citizen and has a permanent impairment that Significantly impacts on their daily lives under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 204 3.
Barwon, 14.2% of participants had a primary Psychosocial disability. Whilst in October 2016, Western Australia had reported 1 in 8 people receiving government mental health services were deemed 6ligible for an individualised Support package under the NDIS, however the WA percentage against the PC estimates was not reported.
Psychosocial disability. Reference Group membership includes representation from the NDIA, relevant Commonwealth and some State Governments, peak bodies and consumer and carer representatives. SA is not represented on this group.
ition tal health condi
ial disabilities related to a men
S for people with aes tales disabilities
| me Nowe or Submission 1
isi f services under :
The provision o
Practice fits with the NDIS ity is Considered to be & permanent disab Working in Partnership with th
ility. While the NDIA is © Sector on best Practice 4pproaches Within the context o Parameters, it is important that Outcomes for NDIS Participants With Psychosocia} disability are Monitored with reference to the recovery Paradigm, As recent as March 204 7, the NDIA’s Mental Health Team Feported on the NDIS eligibiy included descriptions of
S@!vices is Welc
€ NDIS in reviewing the eligibility Criteria for accessin Mental health cj
9 Psychosocial Support
omed by SA and should be noted by the Inquiry aS 4 positive Step in 4SSisting ients to receive NDIS funded S@rvices.
- The transition to the NDIS of alle
Commonwealth Government fun
and Mentors Services (PHaMs) a in Particular:
- Whether these Services wil] continue ineligible for the NDIs
urrent long and Short term Ment
al health ded Services, including the Persona] Helpers nd Part
ners jn Recovery (PIR) Programs, and
to be Provided for People deemed
“9Overnment iver for the following four menta} health Programs: D
Ss eligibility Criteria and May not receive
ort them to live SUCCEssfully in the community, This impact of Sult in poorer mental health outcomes for People with Severe menta] illness,
INCreased reliance on SA’S crisis and acute hospital Services as wel/ aS an increased risk of
homelessness and involvement in the justice System. In addition, no New mental
Will have ACCess to Commonwealth funded PSYchosocja] SUPport programs unless they have a
uring PSychosocia! disability ang are eligible for the NDIS.
tying advice has been received as to the number of Y be eligible for an indi
Support Package
under the NDIS ranging from 10 percent to 70 Percent for PHaMs and D2DL. and Up to 90 Percent for PIR. The exact Percentages are not yet known.
The loss of access to Commonwealth funded carer respite and SUPport programs will also impact carers and families. Under the NDIS, i i
Support their needs and will only be able to access respite services jf those services are
included as Part of the individualised NDIS Package of the PErson with the Psychosocia|
disability.
The issue of South Australian citizens not being eligible for Commonwealth funded mental health services have been raised with the relevant Commonwealth Ministers, Jn the correspondence, the SA Government Sought clarification on how the Commonwealth will provide ongoing support to mental health consumers who are not eligible for the NDIS in keeping with the ‘continuity of support’ Provisions detailed in Schedule D of the Bilatera} Agreement. Additionally, this matter has been raised by the SA Minister for Disabilities in a Paper on Mental Health and the NDIS at the Disability Reform Council meeting held on 3 March
The SA Government is concerned of the Potential loss of these essential Commonwealth funded mental health Programs and the impact on existing clients of these Services as well as for new clients Not eligible to access the NDIS. Commonwealth funding should be maintained during the implementation of NDIS to ensure SA citizens who are ineligible for NDIS funding continue to receive care through existing Commonwealth funded mental health services.
access to NDIS funded services.
Processes for the collaborative planning, monitoring and review of the Mental health system, Which includes the NDIS, should be implemented between the Commonweaith, NDIA and the State Government to ensure that the specific needs of People with Sévere and Persistent menta} illness and/or associated Psychosocial disability are met and people do not fall through the gap.
tal health condition ial disabilities related to a men
DIS for people with aes tales disabilities r
| nen ission 1
isi f services under Subm
The provision o
- The Scope and level} of funding for mental health Services under the Information, Linkages and Capacity building framework
The NDIS has two Components: the individual funding Packages and Information, Linkages and Capacity building (ILC). ILC is the NDIS component Primarily for People who do not meet the
Criteria for an individualised Support Package, In July 2015, alf g0Vernments including the SA
of information, connection to mainstream and community Services and Skills development as weil as building the Capacity of Mainstream and community SErvices to ensure greater inclusion of people with disability.
The iLc Commissioning Framework will be implemented in SA at full Scheme from 4 July 2018,
Psychosocia| disability, their families and carers, OF Particular concern, is whether the level of
funding for ILe Support has the Capacity to achieve the intended outcomes.
To date, only limited funding has be Commissioning Framework (Octobe outlines ‘will be built up Slowly over the next fey yéars’ to approximately $132 milion nationally when the NDIS has been fully rolled out in 2019 — 2020, It is expected that SA wil} receive a Proportionate amount of approximately
$9 million in funding which Will be allocated to South Australians with disability including for People with PSychosocial disability.
- The Provision and Continuation of Services for NDIS Participants in receipt of forensic disability Services
People in the forensi ; Nsic mental health community and are even “,) S¥SteM are some of th : m : e with mental health diagnoses € mel to experience overt stig ma and ee members of our erent danger - thus limiti., 4… argely due to publi , mination than oth access services AS limiting their Opportunity to tiv papi’ “iception that they present mrs available to other citizens € and participate in the community or r