To understand Psychosocial Support and Recovery Services, it is important to break down some of the common terminologies used

Recovery

Clinical recovery: refers to the elimination or improvement of symptoms of a mental health issue through the treatment of impairments.

Mental Health Sector definition of recovery:  a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental health issue/s.

NDIS definition of recovery: achievement of an optimal state of personal, social and emotional wellbeing, as defined by each individual, whilst living with or recovering from a mental health issue.

Personal recovery: refers to living a satisfying, hopeful, contributing life within the limitations caused by the mental health issue.

Wellbeing: the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief or economic and social condition.

Supports

Supports: services, assistance and products required by an NDIS participant to address the impact of a disability. Supports can include mainstream services, assistance from family, carers, friends and NDIS funded items such as supports to access employment support.

Continuity of supports:  (NDIS specific term) means that people who do not meet the NDIS access requirements, but were accessing a disability or mental health service before applying to become an NDIS participant, will continue to receive support consistent with their current arrangements. This arrangement has been agreed to by the Commonwealth Government and all states and territories.

Continuity of supports:  (mental health specific term) means linkage of components of individualised clinical treatment and care across health service agencies according to individual needs.

Informal support: an individual’s network of support or assistance from family, carers, friends, neighbours and members of the community. People providing informal support are not paid for the care they provide.

Lived experience/peer worker: a person who is employed in a role that requires them to identify as being, or having been a mental health consumer or carer. Peer work requires that lived experience of mental illness is an essential criteria of job descriptions, although job titles and related tasks vary.

Mainstream services:  goods, services, supports and assistance available for the general community which are not provided by the NDIS—for example services provided by health and education.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Supports

Mental health service: a specialised service that provides assessment, treatment and clinical support for people experiencing mental health issues. Mental health services may be delivered either publicly or privately. They include both inpatient and community-based services. A mental health service may include:

• a hospital—but only to the extent the hospital provides clinical treatment or care to people who have or may have a mental health issue
• a community mental health service
• any service, or any service in a class of service, prescribed by the regulations for this definition.

Psychosocial support:  refers to support provided to enable people to live or remain in the community as opposed to clinical treatment or medication. Psychosocial support can refer to support provided by non-clinical but trained mental health workers and peer workers, and as one-to-one support or in groups. This type of support may be considered within the range of supports offered in an NDIS plan.

Psychosocial support can sometimes be used by the sector to describe activities the NDIA would clearly see as ‘treatment’ (as per the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Mainstream Interface Applied Principles).

For example, clinically-led cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety in a group or individual session, clinically-led group sessions to assist management of symptoms such as ‘Hearing Voices’ groups, and/or support to ensure administration of medication and monitoring the side effects.

‘Treatment’ remains outside the scope of NDIS (Source: Health Workforce Australia [2014]: Mental Health Peer Workforce Study).

As a niche psychosocial disability provider, we have a focus on mental health, well-being and trauma-informed care. We aim to collaborate with the participants wider care network and allied health providers as we know this approach promotes effective sustainable recovery and long-term achievement of goals.

Source: https://www.ndis.gov.au/…/how…/mental-health-and-ndis Glossary PDF (updated 18/5/22)