Topic Tuesday// Life With NDIS// Tues 22nd June, 7-:8:30PM AEST

[Oaktree]

@SandeeLWB 

Maybe I should give LWB a call and discuss if they can help me with the NDIS?

Making phone calls makes me anxious

[sal101]

@Luckymoo this is from the NDIS website re short term respite

Short Term Accommodation, including respite, is support for when you need to live out of home for a short period.

Short Term Accommodation funding can be used for respite to support you and your carers. This gives your carers a short break from their caring role.

Sometimes a short stay away from home:

gives you the chance to try new things
can be a place to make new friends or develop new skills
may help to maintain your current living situation by giving your informal supports a break.
Short Term Accommodation may suit your needs if your usual support network isn’t available for a short period. 

Short Term Accommodation includes:

personal care
accommodation
food
activities you and the provider agree to.
Usually we fund up to 28 days of Short Term Accommodation per year. You can use your Short Term Accommodation funding flexibly. For example, you might want to use it in a block of up to 14 days at a time or for one weekend a month.

We fund standard rates for Short Term Accommodation. You can find the rates in the NDIS Price Guide .

Generally funding is for a group price, unless there is evidence you require individual support because of your disability. This means you may share supports with other people unless you need individual support because of your disability.

If you already have funding in your Core budget, you can use this for Short Term Accommodation.

You can choose to use your Core budget on a range of supports like Short Term Accommodation to suit your needs. You should think about the best way to use your budget to pursue the goals in your plan.

Learn more about using your Core funding .

If you need short term out of home care talk to your Support Coordinator, Local Area Coordinator (LAC), Early Childhood Partner or planner.

We may fund other supports if you need longer term accommodation support. For example, we might fund Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) or other supports depending upon your support needs.

Learn more here: Housing and the NDIS and Medium Term Accommodation.

[SandeeLWB]

Short term accomadation is provided to give carers respite and or achieve a reasonable and necessary goal that is on the plan , it is not for using as a holiday , but it does cover 24hr support, accommadation and travel . @Luckymoo 

[Daisydreamer]

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@bipolarbunny wrote:

@TideisTurning I am unable to work. I rapid cycle and have mixed episodic bipolar that is extremely hard to manage with medication. My biggest victory this year is being able to visit the gym. I find the outside world and people socially very challenging to deal with. Which is why I have weekly therapy. I'm just 11 months my tdoc has worked wonders with me, but I have severe childhood trauma and ptsd issues that have totally made being in public spaces debilitating. My goal is to conquer these fears to be able to return to the workforce, but it is a very slow road. I have no support at home, no partner, no friends. I do everything on my own. My therapist and toxic family are essentially my only links to the outside world. 

BB 🐰💙

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@bipolarbunny One thing that stood out to me in your post here is your recovery goal; to return to workforce and giving yourself the time to build this up overtime. Something that came to mind is the amazing work you do supporting people here on the forums, and your new role with the Community Guide Program. It sounds like you are doing so much work on you, and I hope we can also be a support to help you in your goal

[TideisTurning]

Next question for @SandeeLWB What is a support coordinator? How can they help?

[SandeeLWB]

Question: What is a support coordinator? How can they help?

A good SC will help do a breakdown of funds into really hours of supports/therapy/services. They will source services & provide you with options - support work agencies, allied health, accommodation/SIL/SDA/respite. Also they can find activities/groups/sports/studies/etc. They help coordinate reports & support you at reviews. And they are great morale supports!

[Luckymoo]

How do I get this response to my email so I can show my support co-ordinator? I didn't click the email option at the start for when someone replies to my post. Also there isn't a link to the Medium Term Accommodation. Just the wording. Could be a glitch

[MrsFahey]

A person that is meant to help support an navigate you through your NDIS plan and allow you to get the best from your plan but sadly take such a huge chunk of your plan money and do very little

[SandeeLWB]

@Oaktree we wont push you out of comfort zone if you prefer to chat via text or email we can assist you that way also , I am not much of a phone person and used to feel trapped , but reccently I have been on video calls ALOT and Ive become alot more comfortable .. what ever works best  for you

[bipolarbunny]

Thank you so much @Daisydreamer  finding the forums has changed my life. Up until that point other than my psychologist I really had no one to talk to. And being here and helping support others makes me feel useful. And I felt so useless to the world for so long before then. That is why I want to return to employment and do peer support work. Being there for others like me helps me be there for myself too. 

BB 🐰💙