If you're interested in helping people with disability live better lives, ndis specialist support coordination may be the right career for you. You'll work with individuals to understand their specific needs and preferences, and help them access government, community, mainstream and disability-specific supports.

You'll need to have a relevant qualification. This can include a degree, tertiary qualification or industry experience.

Identifying your support needs

If you have complex needs, you may need a higher level of support coordination to help you navigate your NDIS plan. This type of support can be delivered by a specialist support coordinator, such as an occupational therapist, psychologist or social worker, who will work with you to build your capacity and resilience.

Your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) partner can connect you with a specialist support coordinator to meet your specific needs and requirements. They can also provide you with information about the supports available for your plan and how they can be used to achieve your goals.

A support coordinator can help you to build your skills, develop a plan and access all available ndis support services. This can include connecting with informal, community and funded supports so you can get the most out of your plan and reach your goals.

Developing a support plan

Identifying your support needs, developing a plan and connecting with services to achieve those goals is crucial. This involves a lot of work, but it's a vital part of the NDIS process.

A support coordinator helps participants to find and connect with the right people, groups and organisations to deliver the supports they need. They also help participants prepare for and attend NDIS review meetings.

Specialist support coordination is a higher level of support coordination, aimed at people with more complex situations and who may require more assistance. It's for participants who have significant barriers to accessing or using the NDIS.

A specialist support coordinator is often an allied health professional such as an occupational therapist, psychologist or social worker. They help participants to manage challenges in their support environment, for example, ensuring consistent delivery of health, education or justice services.

Implementing your support plan

There may be times when you need a higher level of support than a regular support coordinator can offer. For example, if you have significant health or disability concerns, are experiencing a crisis, or need more specialised supports to help you manage your life.

Specialist support coordination is an NDIS funding option that can be included in your plan if you meet certain criteria and are considered to have complex needs. It can reduce the complexity of your support environment and help you overcome immediate or significant barriers in implementing your NDIS plan.

This is a higher level of support and is only available for 4% of people with NDIS plans.

During this time, the specialist support coordinator will assist you to identify and implement strategies to address your specific support needs and manage your risks or crisis situation. They will also ensure that you receive consistent delivery of services from your NDIS providers and that you are able to keep accessing these supports as soon as they are required.

Reviewing your support plan

A review of your NDIS plan is a crucial process to optimise the supports you receive and maximise your goals. A review can be organised through your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) and should usually take place 12 months from the start date of your NDIS plan.

Generally, the NDIS will contact you to organise a plan review at least four to six weeks before your NDIS plan end date and will give you the option to choose a time that works best for you. This will include a review of the support you’ve received over the past year and assessing how effective these supports are in helping you meet your goals.

For participants who have more complex needs or have found it challenging to engage with their service providers, ndis specialist support coordination is available. This can be provided by a professional with an allied health background or someone with psychological expertise.