Psychosocial recovery coach

A worker who helps people with a psychosocial disability build skills, confidence and connections while working towards recovery.

What it means

A psychosocial recovery coach is a support funded by the NDIS for people who live with a psychosocial disability, which is disability that comes from a mental health condition. The role is built around recovery, which means focusing on living a full and meaningful life on your own terms, rather than only managing symptoms.

A recovery coach works alongside you, and often your family and carers too, to build your capacity, motivation, skills and connections. They take the time to understand mental health and how it affects daily life, so support can move at your pace and respond to good days and harder days. Recovery coaches may bring lived experience of mental health challenges, learned knowledge through training, or both.

In practice

A recovery coach helps you work out what a good life looks like for you and the steps to get there. This can include developing a recovery plan, building everyday skills, growing confidence and staying motivated when things feel difficult.

They also help you understand and navigate the NDIS and other services, and coordinate the supports in your plan so they work together. Because psychosocial disability can be episodic and change over time, a recovery coach can adjust support as your needs shift. They work with you, not for you, keeping your goals and choices at the centre while connecting you with mental health, health and community services.

A real example

For example, Nadia has lived with depression and anxiety for several years and finds it hard to keep track of appointments and stay motivated when her mood dips. Her recovery coach meets with her each week to work on a recovery plan, break goals into small steps and rebuild her confidence to catch up with friends. On harder weeks, they focus on simply getting through the day and connecting her with her GP and mental health team.

Psychosocial recovery coach — FAQs

What does a psychosocial recovery coach do?
A recovery coach works alongside you to build capacity, motivation, skills and connections so you can live a meaningful life. They help you develop a recovery plan, understand and navigate the NDIS and other services, and coordinate your supports. They take a recovery-oriented approach, adjusting support as your needs change, and often work with your family and carers too.
Who is a recovery coach for?
A psychosocial recovery coach is for people with a psychosocial disability, which is disability arising from a mental health condition. It suits people who want support to build skills, motivation and connections, and to navigate services. The support recognises that mental health can vary over time, so a recovery coach can respond to both good days and more difficult periods.
How is a recovery coach different from a support coordinator?
Both help you navigate and coordinate supports, but a recovery coach has a specific focus on mental health and recovery. They spend more time building your capacity, motivation and confidence, and take a recovery-oriented approach. Recovery coaches also often bring lived experience or learned knowledge of mental health. A support coordinator focuses more broadly on connecting and organising supports in your plan.
Do recovery coaches need lived experience of mental health?
Not necessarily. Recovery coaches may bring lived experience of mental health challenges, learned knowledge gained through training, or a combination of both. What matters is that they understand mental health and recovery and can work alongside you in a way that keeps your goals and choices at the centre. Some people value lived experience, while others prioritise other qualities.
How do I get a recovery coach in my NDIS plan?
Talk to the NDIS, your planner or your local area coordinator about your goals and the support you need for your psychosocial disability. If a recovery coach is considered reasonable and necessary, funding can be included in your plan. It helps to explain how your mental health affects daily life and how a recovery-oriented approach would support you to build capacity and connections.

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