How to Find an NDIS Provider
The National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS has made it possible for several people with disability in Australia to have access to services, resources, and support that helps them cope with their disabilities and live their everyday lives. This is all possible with the help of accredited NDIS providers that NDIS participants can have access to for various services to help them overcome the challenges that come with their disability.
The NDIS allows its participants to customise their NDIS plans. This means that they can make the decisions on what specific services, resources, and support they can have access to. This is a significant thing for different people with disabilities as not every one of them has the same set of needs and goals for their future.
A great resource or service people with disabilities can have access to once they become NDIS participants are services from registered NDIS providers. Registered NDIS providers are individuals or organisations that are ready to deliver a service, support, or product to NDIS participants. These individuals or organisations must first meet a set of requirements by the NDIS such as qualifications, experience, approval, and capacity to become registered and accredited by the NDIS.
NDIS providers are great resources for services and products for NDIS participants to address and help them with the challenges they are facing with their disabilities, help them gain skills and independence, and live their everyday lives as normally as possible.
But how exactly does an NDIS participant find an NDIS provider?
As emphasised with the National Disability Scheme there is no one size fits all, especially when it comes to people with disabilities with a range of different needs and goals. The same applies to finding an NDIS provider. What one NDIS participant may find works for them may not be the case with another.
NDIS providers also vary in the services they offer to NDIS participants. For example, Positive Moods offer in-home psychological services, mental health care, and therapeutic support. Other NDIS providers in the same city or area can offer different kinds of services and support to address and help with education, community or social participation, transportation, employment, living arrangements, as well as health and well-being needs.
With the wide range of options of NDIS providers for NDIS participants to choose from it is easy to get overwhelmed in choosing which NDIS provider to include in their NDIS plan, especially that understands and can fit with the NDIS participant’s life and situation.
The kind of service or product the NDIS provider offers will be included in the participant’s NDIS plan but finding the best ones that are just right to help execute that plan is a whole separate task. With that said there are different ways NDIS participants can find the best NDIS provider to help them with their needs and goals.
Coordinate with your NDIS Plan Manager
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) gives the option to NDIS participants to have a Plan Manager included in their NDIS plan. Plan Managers are great sources of knowledge about registered NDIS providers in your city or area and can help you choose the right ones that can support you with the challenges you face with your disability and understand your situation.
It is the job of Plan Managers to advise on which NDIS providers are the best fit for their clients. They usually have extensive knowledge about the NDIS providers available in your area as well as the kinds and quality of services they provide.
Check out the NDIS Providers Directory
There is a directory of all the available NDIS providers on the NDIS website so it is a good idea to utilise that available information into finding your NDIS provider. The NDIS website provides separate documents containing lists of registered NDIS providers by state or territory.
The files also contain the provider’s contact details however there are no indications on what areas within their state or territory they offer their services so it is recommended to contact them directly on that matter.
There are also other NDIS providers directories online where you can find NDIS providers within your area by just typing in the relevant information like your postcode.
Do as much research as possible about the NDIS provider
It is very important to do as much research as possible on NDIS providers not just for NDIS participants who chose to self-manage their funding but for those who opt to have Plan Managers as well.
You probably already have an idea of which services and resources you want to have access to as before the development stages of your NDIS plan. Knowing which NDIS provider offers those services or resources is just the first step. Make sure that they are qualified to do the services even when they are already registered with the NDIS and research for yourself the kinds of services or products they offer, their policies, and how they treat their clients.
Ask your Local Area Coordinator
Another great option to find the best fitting NDIS provider for your plan is to coordinate and ask your local area coordinator. The job of local area coordinators is similar to plan managers. However, local area coordinators also help NDIS participants through the whole process of developing their NDIS plan, helping with the steps to take after their NDIS plan is approved, and the implementations of the participant’s NDIS plan.
Local area coordinators are a great source of knowledge in finding the best NDIS providers available within your area and even do further steps to help you see if they are the best fit to include in your NDIS plan.
Make sure the NDIS provider understands your plan
Making sure that your prospective NDIS provider understands your NDIS plan is probably one of the most important things you need to guarantee before choosing to include that NDIS provider in your plan. Communicate to that NDIS provider your wants, goals, and needs you wish to address in your plan.
Make sure to discuss with them the type of support, duration, costs, and inclusions they can provide you and see if it fits in your NDIS plan and funding. A good NDIS provider will make an effort to fit into your NDIS plan to help you with your goals and needs.
Read more about What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme?