Psychology and the NDIS
How NDIS psychology supports behaviour, coping and capacity building, and the boundary with clinical mental-health treatment funded through health.
Psychology on the NDIS is one of the most misunderstood areas, because there's an important line between what the NDIS funds and what the health system does. The NDIS can fund psychology to build your capacity around disability-related needs — but it isn't there to provide clinical treatment for a mental illness. This guide explains what NDIS psychology covers, and draws that boundary clearly so…
Two different jobs
The boundary with clinical mental-health treatment
What NDIS psychology can cover
Behaviour support
Psychosocial disability
How psychology is funded
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS pay for psychology?
It can, where the psychology builds your capacity around disability-related needs — coping skills, social skills, adjusting to disability, and behaviour support — and is reasonable and necessary. It generally doesn't fund clinical treatment of a mental illness, which is the health system's role…
What's the difference between NDIS psychology and Medicare psychology?
NDIS psychology builds capacity and skills related to a disability. Medicare-subsidised psychology, arranged through a GP mental health treatment plan, provides clinical treatment for a mental illness. They're funded by different systems for different purposes, and many people use both alongside…
I have a mental illness — will the NDIS treat it?
No. Treating a mental illness is the job of the health system — your GP, Medicare-subsidised sessions, community mental health and hospitals. The NDIS funds supports that build capacity and independence. If you have a psychosocial disability, the NDIS may fund recovery-oriented supports while the…
What is positive behaviour support?
It's a specialised area, sometimes delivered by psychologists, that helps when behaviour is affecting someone's safety, wellbeing or participation. It focuses on understanding what drives the behaviour and improving quality of life, and on reducing restrictive practices over time. Your planner or…
What is a psychosocial disability?
It's disability arising from a mental-health condition. Some people are eligible for the NDIS on this basis. The NDIS funds supports that build capacity and independence, while the underlying condition is treated through the health system. The two are designed to work alongside each other.
Is counselling the same as psychology on the NDIS?
No, though they overlap. Psychologists are trained in assessment and structured psychological approaches, while counsellors focus on emotional support and talking things through. Both can address disability-related needs within the NDIS, and both stop short of clinical mental-health treatment. See…