NDIS Psychologist Townsville
"We currently have no in-person capacity in this area, however if you fill in our enquiry form you'll be added to our telehealth waiting list."
Since the implementation of NDIS, numerous reports had claimed that NDIS has successfully helped Australians with disability. People with disabilities that are residing in Townsville can now taste the comfort of counselling in their own homes. In Positive Moods, people no longer have to travel long miles to get the services they need because of our in-house client services where psychologists travel to the clients’ home for counselling sessions instead of letting the clients go through the trouble of travelling for an appointment.
How important is NDIS
People with disability have faced numerous challenges that affect their well-being and even opportunities. They faced discrimination in education, workplace, and other aspects that involves their rights and freedom.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), 1 in 11 people with disability over 15 years old experienced discrimination in the last year. Discrimination can greatly affect a person’s mental health. Discrimination comes with the form of bullying, name-calling, teasing, and exclusion from social groups.
It also stripped them off opportunities for the betterment of their well-being. Disability discrimination was reported as the largest area of discrimination according to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Adults with disability experience discrimination in the workplace in terms of unemployment and lower level of income. This results in a drastic deterioration of self-esteem. Some even experienced violence from the hands of other people. Forty-seven per cent of adults with disability have experienced violence after turning 15 years old.
Fortunately, laws have been passed to protect and empower these people and exercise their right to live a comfortable and meaningful life. The NDIS aims to help disabled people to live a meaningful life by funding them the services they needed such as equipment, home modification, education, and other aspects with the help of service providers. NDIS also aims to help disabled citizens to accomplish daily tasks fully through planning and providing supports and services. Fifty-nine per cent of disabled people need help with at least one daily task. NDIS also helped lessen the financial burden to people with disability. Fifty-nine per cent of disabled people receive income support as their main source of income.
However, there are still reports that NDIS is not accessible to many people with disability. Over 277,000 people with disability have already accessed NDIS but people belonging in the marginalised sectors are still missing out on the benefits of NDIS.
The marginalised sector’s challenges in accessing NDIS
NDIS may have helped over 277,000 disabled people but women, people belonging in poor households, and rural and regional Australians still find the accessibility of NDIS as rather a challenge. According to a survey, 31% of people with disability were not even aware that such scheme exists.
Forty-nine per cent of Australian citizens with disability are women but they only consist of 37% of NDIS participants. Moreover, NDIS is more advantageous to citizens living in major cities in Australia. There are still several things to improve the scheme including the diversity of NDIS participants. However, some NDIS providers, including Positive Moods, have taken the initiative to provide in-home client services, an initiative to bridge the gap of accessing NDIS and the location constraints faced by people living outside the major cities in Australia.
Psychology and NDIS
According to the first comprehensive report by AIHW, 32% of adults with disability had undergone high or very high psychological stress, higher than the 8% of people without disability who had undergone psychological stress.
A rising number of NDIS-registered psychologists and counsellors in Townsville and other parts of Australia have been recorded to provide counselling services such as therapeutic support and behaviour support that is included in NDIS funding.
Psychologists may see NDIS as an opportunity to help disabled people, specifically in providing behavioural support and intervention. Psychologists often help people with disability manage challenging behaviours, find solutions, and encourage the clients to engage in meaningful interaction in their daily lives. Psychologists are skilled in providing evidence-based and goal-directed interventions honed by their practice in their field and years of studying. According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), psychologists play an important role of helping the NDIS participants to build skills to improve their lives and also gain independence and manage behaviour.
NDIS psychologists in Townsville use evidence-based practice to build skills that leads to behavioural and cognitive change. They assess the goals of the client in his NDIS plan and discuss how they may help in achieving their goals. Most barriers that stop the participants in participating in daily activities are connected to the mental health of the participants. Participants may include goals that are not directly related to mental health but somehow creates a barrier.
Anxiety and depression are one of the most common barriers that prevent people with disability to engage in daily activities such as participating in the community and engaging with others. Mental health is often pushed aside as a small concern when, in fact, it causes complications in the long-run without intervention.
There are several factors that cause high psychological stress among people with disability: lack of job opportunities, discrimination, financial difficulty, and adjustment to the disability. These factors are interconnected which needs immediate attention.
Lack of job opportunities
Lack of job opportunities in Townsville can cause psychological stress to people with disability in terms of self-esteem issues and financial burden. There are existing laws that protect people with disability against discrimination in terms of employment and workplace environment, but some companies still refuse to hire them. Unemployment can cause anxiety and depression in the long-run.
Discrimination
Discrimination has been a problem among people with disability that causes several problems such as poor self-perception and even suicide. People with disability may suffer from low self-esteem that could affect how they interact with others and even affect their participation in daily activities. The self-esteem issues stem to their contribution in the society. NDIS psychologists in Townsville can help people with disability to see their own potential and skills.
Financial difficulty
Financial difficulty can cause depression especially when unemployment comes in the picture. Financial difficulty can cause psychological stress more likely to people with disability. Costs in managing their disability-medication, regular medical appointments, and equipment- can be quite stressing. People with disability who has the means to hire carers to assist them with daily activities are fortunate. However, people who face financial difficulty may find hiring carers to be quite costly. Sixty per cent of disabled people in Australia need assistance with at least one daily activity.
Adjustment to the disability
Having a disability can be quite a shock to most people which leads to depression. It is difficult to adjust to a new way of living. Support is highly needed for people with disability, particularly on their mental health.
NDIS psychologists at Positive Moods are experts in handling a diverse population of clients, ranging from children to adults, from several years of experience and practice in their field. Psychologists use a non-judgemental and person-centred approach in handling clients. They help participants to realise their own potential and put them into good use that can contribute to the community.
Looking for an NDIS psychologist in Townsville? Call Positive Moods on (07) 3857 3777.