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NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coaching Vs. Support Coordination: What’s the Difference?

NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coaching Vs. Support Coordination: What’s the Difference?

If you’re one of the many NDIS participants who’s a bit confused regarding the difference between Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination, or you’re simply looking to gain a deeper understanding of these two subjects, then this guide is for you.

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Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is a relatively new support service offered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Its main objective is to provide the necessary support to individuals who have psychosocial disabilities, which are defined as mental health conditions that can negatively affect their ability to interact with other people and participate in daily activities and tasks.

Like other types of support offered by the NDIS, Psychosocial Recovery Coaching has been regarded by many Australians as a positive addition to the benefits that they’re receiving from the program.

If you’re one of the many NDIS participants who’s a bit confused regarding the difference between Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination, or you’re simply looking to gain a deeper understanding of these two subjects, then this guide is for you.

Read on and learn about the various facets of NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and NDIS Support Coordination.

What is Psychosocial Recovery Coaching?

As mentioned earlier, Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is primarily focused on supporting individuals with psychosocial disabilities in their recovery journey. These disabilities, which can severely affect how participants socialise with others and perform tasks, can arise from different mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

People who live with a psychosocial disability can benefit from support to maintain recovery-focused relationships, sustain their recovery journey, and make informed decisions to achieve an optimal state of well-being.

This is where recovery coaching comes in. According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), which oversees the NDIS, the term “recovery” is defined as achieving an optimal state of social, emotional, and personal well-being while recovering from or living with a mental health condition.

Mental health experts agree that providing people who are suffering from psychosocial disabilities with choices and control in terms of their self-management and daily living can help improve their well-being. In addition, being able to participate in social and economic activities, such as having a job, can alleviate feelings of worthlessness and isolation.

What Does a Recovery Coach Do?

The level of recovery discussed above can be achieved with the help of a psychosocial recovery coach. The main focus of a psychosocial recovery coach is to help NDIS participants by empowering them so they can set and accomplish goals that are related to their mental health conditions, social connections, community participation, and personal development.

Through the support services provided by a recovery coach, participants can identify objectives that can improve different aspects of their lives, such as employment, social participation, independent living, and mental health management.

With the help of a recovery coach, an NDIS participant can be supported to develop the necessary coping strategies and skills to achieve their goals. Throughout the participant’s recovery journey, their recovery coach will provide emotional support, guidance, and encouragement.

Aside from these, recovery coaches also help NDIS participants review and implement the details of their Recovery Plans. This can involve coordinating with the NDIS, the participants’ families, carers, and service providers.

What is an NDIS Recovery Plan?

A recovery plan builds on and complements the existing NDIS plan of a participant. In line with the NDIS’ definition of the term “recovery”, this plan aims to help participants improve their personal, emotional, and social well-being as they cope with their mental health condition. 

Specifically, an NDIS recovery plan clarifies the goals of participants by breaking them down into short-term and easily attainable objectives. It also enables them to identify key individuals in their lives who can support them.

Recovery plans also identify early indicators that may require changes in the type of support provided, pointing out how support services can be adjusted to meet the fluctuating needs of the participants. This can involve enhancing the delivered clinical services and increasing the utilisation of other available NDIS supports.

By having a recovery plan, NDIS participants can get the necessary support to plan and manage the resources that are available to them. It also defines the roles and responsibilities of recovery coaches and other support services in helping the participants achieve their goals.

What is Support Coordination in NDIS?

Support Coordination is a service provided under the NDIS that is focused on helping participants navigate and utilise their NDIS plans effectively. The main objective of this service is to help participants gain a better understanding of the different aspects and features of their NDIS plans for better implementation and management. 

It empowers NDIS participants to make informed choices about the support services that they can receive. In addition, it helps them manage their plans and achieve their personal goals.

The main difference between Support Coordination and Recovery Coaching is that Support Coordination is a service that is available to all eligible NDIS participants. On the other hand, Recovery Coaching is primarily for NDIS participants who have psychosocial disabilities that are caused by mental disorders.

NDIS Support Coordination Vs. Plan Management

Plan management is mainly concerned with the administrative and financial aspects of an NDIS plan. A plan manager is responsible for keeping track of a participant’s plan budget and making sure that service providers are paid on time. This involves managing the invoices related to the services and support that the participant receives.

Basically, having a plan manager is like having a personal accountant for an NDIS plan. In addition to handling the key administrative tasks, they also help participants make informed financial decisions regarding their plans’ details.

What Does an NDIS Support Coordinator Do?

The main role of Support Coordinators is to help participants gain a better understanding of their NDIS plan and its various aspects. They do so by working closely with participants to identify their needs and goals. They then coordinate with service providers to ensure that the participants are able to receive the right type of supports that they need.

Some of the other responsibilities of NDIS Support Coordinators include:

  • Identifying what support providers can and can’t charge for
  • Handling service agreements and service bookings
  • Anticipating and addressing barriers that can prevent access to supports
  • Making changes to participants’ NDIS plans as needed
  • Providing reports to the NDIA

Aside from these, Support Coordinators also work closely with their participants’ families and support workers to help them become more independent when it comes to making decisions regarding the support services that they’re getting.

How can NDIS Help with employment support?

Both Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and NDIS Support Coordination aim to help participants live a more independent life and become active members of the community. One of the ways these goals can be accomplished is by providing them with employment support.

The NDIS offers a wide range of supports and services that are aimed at helping participants or those with physical and mental disabilities find employment opportunities. These supports are tailored according to the capabilities and employment objectives of the participants.

In addition to finding work, the goal of NDIS employment support is to also help participants maintain employment, which can be achieved by supporting them to develop the necessary workplace skills.

What is NDIS Workplace Assistance?

One of the support services offered by the NDIS to participants with career-oriented goals is workplace assistance. This type of support, which has its own NDIS budget category, is focused on helping working-age NDIS participants develop career pathways so they can fulfil their objectives. It involves building employment capacity to enable participants to maintain a job.

Some of the support services offered through NDIS workplace assistance include:

  • Skill Development and Job Training: Through specialised training, participants can develop technical and soft workplace skills.
  • Job Search: The NDIS helps participants identify what type of work they’re interested in and assists them in finding appropriate job opportunities.
  • Workplace Modifications: The NDIS can implement necessary changes to a work environment to make it more accessible and inclusive for participants.
  • Assistive Technology Access: Participants are given the opportunity to access certain assistive technologies designed for people with disabilities to help them perform their tasks more effectively.
  • Employer Engagement: The NDIS can collaborate with employers to educate them on relevant subjects such as disability awareness and inclusivity, which can break down barriers that prevent certain individuals from participating in the workplace.
  • Employment-related counselling supports: Participants can receive support from a qualified psychologist to help them overcome barriers holding them back from meaningful employment, such as motivation, anxiety, and goal setting.

Conclusion

Recovery Coaching, Support Coordination, and employment support all work together to empower NDIS participants and help them become active members of their communities. Through these services, participants are able to receive the right type of support that they need while achieving their personal objectives.

If you’re an NDIS participant, you can benefit from these services and make the most out of your NDIS plans by enlisting the help of trusted and professional NDIS service providers, such as Sureway. Our Recovery Coaches are trained to help you overcome the barriers in your life by providing reliable support, which includes managing and implementing the various aspects of your NDIS plan to address the challenges of daily living.

In addition, through our Support Coordination service, we’ll closely work with you to provide you with a deeper understanding of the supports included in your NDIS plan. We’ll also negotiate and coordinate with support providers on your behalf to ensure that your needs and goals are met.

If one of your goals is related to finding and maintaining a job, then you’ll definitely benefit from our workplace assistance service. With our assistance, we’ll help you find appropriate career pathways and develop the necessary skills to become a participating member of the community.

If you have other questions on how our other NDIS services can help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through our website. 

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