The APS is pleased that in this year’s NDIS Annual Pricing Review consultation, the NDIA has recognised the challenges of providing NDIS services under difficult economic conditions.
The sustainable future of the NDIS will be jeopardised if psychologists and other NDIS providers find it increasingly difficult to provide services under current pricing settings which are not aligned with economic realities and the actual costs of providing their services.
Our submission is based on a targeted consultation with APS members across Australia who are currently providing NDIS therapy or early childhood supports. The experience of these psychologists working in different settings across the country is remarkably clear on two fronts:
- Psychologists remain firmly committed to the NDIS and to providing high-quality, integrated and evidence-based supports to participants and their families. Psychologists are very mindful of the cost of living pressures on participants and continue to do their utmost to be flexible to participants’ circumstances and to absorb the rising costs of operating their practices. In many cases, psychologists are having to make difficult professional and personal sacrifices just to continue to serve their clients and their communities.
- Psychologists are concerned about the continued marginalisation of psychology within the NDIS. Psychologists have consistently witnessed cuts to psychology supports within participants’ plans and are worried about whether there is a future for them within the NDIS, despite their clients benefiting from their services. Psychologists are also having to spend more unpaid time helping their clients to secure funding, or to appeal cuts to their psychology funding.
The APS is concerned that this increasing burden borne by psychologists is not sustainable, particularly in the current economic climate. As we have said in other recent submissions, the contribution of psychology to the NDIS – and to the lives and goals of participants – is unique and far-reaching, but regrettably still undervalued.
We therefore look forward to working with the NDIA as part of this review to develop sensible and sustainable pricing arrangements for psychologists, and to ensure that the future of psychology in the NDIS is secured.
View submission