Lived Experience Forum

[ShiningStar]

Hi @moocowplant 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Oh wow! That’s wonderful that you’re applying to the NDIS for some additional support and I would be more than happy to share some of my experiences with you 💜

In my experience, applying to the NDIS was such a huge step and as such, there were definitely times when I felt incredibly overwhelmed and confused!

As such, I’ve just tried to break everything down a little bit, so that hopefully the application process feels a little less daunting for you 💜

Basically, applying to the NDIS involves completing a form called ‘An Access Request.’ I wasn’t too sure if this is something that you’re familiar with and so I’ve just shared the link to this particular document below, so that (when you feel ready) you can have a look through it 😊

https://www.ndis.gov.au/how-apply-ndis/what-access-request-form

As you scroll through the form, you’ll notice that it’s divided into section 1 and section 2.

Because you’re the applicant, you only need to complete Section 1 and then your treating health professionals complete Section 2 😊

When I was putting my application together, my GP completed all of the questions in section 2 and my Clinical Psychologist wrote a detailed report to address Part E (in section 2) which asks for ‘Evidence of Functional Capacity.’

As such, they described how my psychosocial disability (i.e. mental health conditions) impacted my functional capacity in relation to mobility, communication, socialising, learning, self-care and self-management - which are the key domains that they have to write to.

In my experience, asking my Clinical Psychologist to write a report that covered the key domains worked really well, as my GP didn’t need to answer this particular question - they just wrote ‘refer to Clinical Psychologist report’ which saved us a lot of time!

Sometimes it can be tricky to describe how the disabilities that we’re living with impact our functional capacity and so I just thought that I’d share an example from my application in the hope that this will help to illustrate what this can look like 💜

For example, I live with c-PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (H) Therefore, when we looked at how living with these mental health conditions impacted my functional capacity in relation to the key domain of learning, my Clinical Psychologist wrote: ‘Low energy, fatigue and cognitive distortions make practicing new skills challenging.’

Once my Clinical Psychologist had completed the ‘Access Request,’ they had to complete another form called ‘Evidence of Psychosocial Disability.’

Although this form is on the NDIS website, I had trouble finding it! As such, I’ve just shared the link to the section of the website where you can find it, so that hopefully this will make things a bit easier for you 💜

https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/how-apply/information-support-your-request/providing-ev...

Once you’ve completed the ‘Access Request’ and the ‘Evidence of Psychosocial Disability’ and gathered all of the supporting documentation (such as proof of age and proof of residence) you’re ready to submit your application 😊

After this, it’s just a matter of waiting to hear if your eligible to receive support through the NDIS (and if you are) you’ll be contacted to arrange a planning meeting to discuss your support and funding needs 💜

Although my Clinical Psychologist and GP did an amazing job of supporting me through the process, there were times when I didn’t know how to answer some of the questions and as such, I reached out to my Local Area Co-ordinator for help 😊

Basically, ‘Local Area Co-ordinators are the main point of contact for people who are applying for and / or who are receiving support through the NDIS. As such, they can support people to understand the NDIS, apply to the NDIS and connect with other government and non-government supports.’

I’ve just shared a link from the NDIS website that explains how your Local Area Co-ordinator can support you, just in case this is something that you would like to explore further 💜

https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/what-ndis/whos-delivering-ndis/lac-partners-community

There’s also a section on the NDIS website where you can search for a Local Area Co-ordinator in your area 😊

I wasn’t too sure if this is something that may be helpful for you and so I’ve just outlined how you can find a Local Area Co-ordinator on the NDIS website as there’s a few different steps involved …….

If you click on the link below, a map of Australia will appear 😊

https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/ndis-each-state

Once you’ve clicked on your state, you’ll notice a table of contents at the top of the page 😊

If you scroll down the page, you’ll see a large heading called ‘Find Your NDIS Partner in the Community.’

If you click on this heading, a document that lists all of the Local Area Co-ordinators in your area will start to download and as such, you’ll be able to see who provides support in your area 😊

I really hope that this helps you a little bit and that I haven’t confused you 💜

Please know that you’re always welcome to reach back to me if you have any other questions (however big or small 💜) or if there’s anything else that I can do to support you - it’s never any trouble 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜