13/09/2025
New Research Spotlight: Psychosocial Support & the NDIS
A 2025 article by Shelby-James & Rattray has taken a deep look at how people with psychosocial disabilities are being supported in Australia — and how the NDIS Review’s recent recommendations stack up.
Key Findings
Since the NDIS began in 2013, there's been a big shift in how psychosocial supports are funded — some funding has moved from state & federal-mainstream programs into the NDIS.
Yet, many people who aren’t eligible for NDIS, or who need less intensive or more episodic support, rely on state/federal and community mental health services. Those services are uneven in how much support they offer, depending on where you live and which program you’re using.
The NDIS Review (2023) has made several recommendations to try to fix inequities — especially around psychosocial disability. These include boosting foundational supports outside the NDIS, making the process of accessing support clearer, improving continuity, and making early intervention more available.
Why It Matters
Lots of people with psychosocial disability fall between the cracks — they may not meet the NDIS eligibility (yet still need support) or their needs are not constant. A strong system of supports outside and adjacent to the NDIS is essential.
Equity isn’t just about eligibility criteria — it’s about how easy the system is to navigate, how timely and consistent support is, and whether funding is fair across jurisdictions.
Having both individualised supports (like those through NDIS) and community or mainstream services working together is important — people need options depending on their changing needs.
What Could Help / What’s Recommended
Strengthen foundational supports (outside the NDIS) so that people who are not fully eligible for NDIS still have good access to help.
Make accessing the NDIS easier: more transparent processes, clearer decision-making, and better navigation support for people with psychosocial disability.
Early intervention pathways — more timely supports for people when they first start to need help, before needs become more severe.
Better integration between NDIS supports and mental health systems, so people don’t have to fall through gaps when switching between them.
To read the full article =}
The Future of Psychosocial Supports in Australia– Are the Recommendations from the National Disability Insurance Scheme Review the Answer?
The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2013 and the resulting changes in mainstream funding for psychosocial supports have led to disparities in funding between the two existing systems. Currently, people supported under the NDIS receive significantly more funding com...
