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Looking after ourselves

Dothemo
Senior Contributor

Just after advice on how to get a disability advocate please

Hi all,

 

I have been struggling lately with various things, mental health, getting through a divorce that I didn't want and dealing with a new part time job that involves 2am shifts sometimes. I realised that I just can't do this alone, I have a disability (OCD,ADHD,ASD) and the physical aliments that go along with those things. I have come to the conclusion that it will be very hard for me to get ahead without a disability advocate.

 

I am just wondering if anyone can recommened a good disability advocate organization in Canberra please? One that can deal with mental illness as a disability? Thank you.  

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Just after advice on how to get a disability advocate please

hello @Dothemo and welcome

We arent able to reccomend any specific places unfortunately. However maybe doing an internet search for disability services in your area would be helpful?

There is a service called 'Mable' though and would reccomend it to other people. Your write up your own advertisment on the website describing what your after, the shifts that may be required, the roles needing to be perfomed, whether you want female/male support workers. once youve posted there disability and other support workers on the platform who are interested will send you a msg and you can respond. look at their profiles for qualifications and all sorts of things. Perhaps someone on there will be able to give you a hand.

Are you on NDIS? if not then it might be worth looking into to get you the right supports.

Re: Just after advice on how to get a disability advocate please

Hi @outlander , thank you for the advice. I just thought other users may have recommendations etc. Re the NDIS, like others with mental illness, I am not eligible. Centrelink recognise my disability however. My old GP told me after I got knocked back for the NDIS, that the service is underfunded and her other patients couldn't get help either. One has severe schizophrenia too. She said you have to look and sound "special" to receive support. (I don't know how I feel about a doctor using language like that but she had a non-PC sense of humor!). 

Re: Just after advice on how to get a disability advocate please

im sorry you werent eligible for the NDIS that makes things really tricky im sure. @Dothemo
im glad centrelink recognises your disability though. im not sure what else to suggest as we arent allowed to reccomend specific services.

@Faith-and-Hope @eth @greenpea may be able to offer some advice

Re: Just after advice on how to get a disability advocate please

Hi @Dothemo  and welcome to the forums.  

Re : NDIS - I went through a long process but eventually was approved.  You can do a 'review of a reviewable decision' and submit further evidence, which needs to be focussed on the functional effects of your 'psychosocial' disability, and also to prove it is 'significant and lifelong'.  That's called an internal review and must be viewed and assessed by a 'fresh pair of eyes' and you have to obtain further evidence e.g. psychologist, occupational therapist etc reports - which can cost $$ but it's well worth it if you can do it.  (I am using quotes where I've used NDIS language - that alone is hard to understand).   If you are knocked back again the NDIS will usually state the parts of the act that you haven't proven adequately.  You can then go to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and this time it's called an external review.  The AAT can over-rule the NDIS's decisions.  I went through this whole process and it was at the AAT review preparation that I got a disability advocate who also got me a legal aid solicitor.  It's true, there needs to be something unique about your case to tackle them at this level.  In my case it was specifically the interaction of bipolar 1 and complex PTSD and their impact on each other.  And the NDIS conceded and accepted me 2 days before the hearing was scheduled.

You can google for disability advocacy in your state e.g.  disability advocacy canberra and you will find several organisations that do it - I just had a look. 

 

I started a thread called Anyone started with the NDIS?  when I started that process and it has a lot of details peppered through it if you're up to reading it.  Page 57/58 in particular there is a long list of the questions NDIS will ask at your planning meeting when you get to that stage.  A lot of that can be addressed in your further evidence if possible.

 

Don't give up!  It took a long time for me to have the win, but my plan package has been over $50000 each year (I'm almost finished my 2nd year as I speak) so it was totally worth the fight even tho it was demoralising at times.  Having the funds package and having support workers and much more access to psychology (weekly instead of just the 10 per year under the mental health care plan), transport allowance, co-ordinator of supports, financial plan manager ..... and much more community and social access and assistance with daily living.

 

You are welcome to ask me questions if you want to, either here or on the other thread I mentioned.  I know the whole thing is daunting and something of a roller coaster of feelings when you get declined, but worth persevering if you possibly can.

 

Just @tag me if you want me to respond   e.g. @eth  so I will get a notification of your post to me.  Type @  and you will get a drop-down box with my name in it that you can click on.

 

Take care and have hope!

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