NDIS trial sites roll out in WA

BIG news this month was the agreement for Western Australia to join the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the announcement of the first three local trial sites.

Mental Health Commissioner Eddie Bartnik has provided more detail about the mental health involvement in WA's NDIS trial sites.

Mental health will be included in the My Way Lower South West trial site, which commences during the current financial year, with state funding. From July 2014 this site will expand as it becomes a national launch site.

The Mundaring and Kalamunda area will be a trial site for the Disability Care Australia model in July 2014, and from 2015, this site will extend to the Swan area.

Cockburn Kwinana will commence as both a My Way model site and as a national trial site from July 2015.

The Mental Health Commission is working in partnership with the Disability Services Commission to progress opportunities on how people with a long term disability related to mental illness will be included in the My Way in the lower South West.

The Mental Health Commission has engaged with the Western Australian Association for Mental Health and other stakeholders in planning the trial site process and we will keep our members informed as it rolls out.

WA’s dual approach, using My Way and being part of the NDIS, will be subject to independent evaluation so that comparisons can be drawn between how the two systems work and how they can be improved to provide the best care.