The provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition
Ethnic Community Services Co-operative (ECSC) has 37 years of experience working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities and mainstream service providers across the disability, aged care and child care sectors in NSW. Our vision is that every Australian from a CALD background has the opportunity to participate fully in Australian society and receive services that are relevant and appropriate to their needs.
ECSC welcomes the opportunity to give feedback on the the provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition.
The eligibility criteria for the NDIS for people with a psychosocial disability
According to the NDIS eligibility criteria, a person is required to provide evidence of their diagnosis before they are accepted into the Scheme. This can be problematic especially for refugees and newly arrived migrants trying to access the NDIS. Many refugees experience trauma due to the atrocities they have undergone. This trauma can lead to serious mental health conditions that can restrict their capacity to participate in community, economic and daily life. Some refugees and newly arrived migrants with psychosocial disability have never been diagnosed with a disability or mental illness prior to their migration to Australia. In addition to the complex resettlement process, this group faces the responsibility to provide medical evidence to prove their diagnosis. Even when they are receiving medical or psychiatric support, the process of diagnosis can be prolonged and costly therefore losing their chance to have early entry into the Scheme.
There are other barriers that can hinder access to the NDIS for refugees and newly arrived migrants from CALD background such as stigma that derives from negative cultural perception towards disability and mental illness. This can prevent them from disclosing information about their condition as such matters are viewed as private. This can become a significant barrier to people seeking and receiving support.
Permanency is a core eligibility criterion for accessing the NDIS. This is a concern for refugees experiencing trauma as their condition can be episodic and severity can fluctuate hence proving permanency is difficult.
ECSC strongly recommends that the process for determining eligibility for the NDIS should be a flexible approach that takes into consideration the different nature and circumstances of people with disability and mental health conditions from CALD backgrounds.
The role and extent of outreach services to identify potential NDIS participants with a psychosocial disability
While we acknowledge, and celebrate the outreach efforts currently in place, there is still a concern surrounding the need to extend these services to directly focus on psychosocial disability in a cultural context. While a recent survey1 revealed that the definition of a psycho social disability caused a great deal of confusion among the general public, the concept for those from a culturally and linguistically diverse background is even more foreign. Shifting the attitude around mental health issues has proven to be a lengthy and complicated process, the complexities of which seem to be doubled when working in such a diverse space. Outreach services need to be tailored to suit diverse cultural groups in a way that allows both workers and participants to be able to identify the potential that may come from the NDIS.
The need for staff to be trained in both cultural competency and mental health will ensure that the role and extent of outreach services serve their purpose to identify potential NDIS participants with a psychosocial disability. While the NDIA holds itself to the promise that no one will be disadvantaged by the new Scheme, working in the context of such a new and multicultural nation will mean that culturally responsive outreach services are vital in making sure no groups fall through the cracks due to lack of information.
1 http://nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/news/from-the-web/psychosocial-disability-definition-causes confusion