2018-01-30
The gaps in services for people with psychosocial disability in the NDIS are deeply concerning and need to be urgently addressed, Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.
“The report by the University of Sydney that shows gaps in services confirms the concerns that many people have been expressing.
“I have repeatedly raised concerns that people with psychosocial disability are going to lose out on services as they are wound into the NDIS. These concerns also came up strongly in the Joint Select Committee inquiry into the issue.
“Unfortunately we are seeing people with psychosocial disability signing up to the NDIS at a slower rate than intended and clearly there are barriers that simply mean people are going to lose out on essential services like PHAMS and Partners in Recovery.
“There are assumptions by that those accessing those services will transition to the NDIS and for a myriad of reasons this has not materialised. People are falling through the gaps and will continue to do so unless these issue are addressed.
“The Government should be listening to the sector who have been raising these concerns for a long time.
“I’m deeply concerned that we’re going to see a stand-off yet again between the states and territories and the Commonwealth over whose responsibility this is.
“People with psychosocial disability need to be properly supported and urgently, whether it be assertive outreach to ensure they are folded into the NDIS or through mental health services outside of the NDIS”.