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Mainstream Supports

Mainstream supports are programs and services provided by The Australian government, non-government organisations, businesses and the wider community. Programs and services provided by mainstream supports are not funded by the NDIS.

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Mental Health System
School Education System
Higher Education & Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The Health System

The health system is responsible for assisting participants with clinical or medical treatment, and for when supports are required as part of rehabilitation from an accident or injury or as part of treatment for medical conditions. The health system is responsible for support provided after a recent medical or surgical event with the aim of improving the person's functional status. The health system includes:

  • The diagnosis and assessment of health conditions

  • Clinical services and treatment of health conditions

  • Medical services (such as general practitioner)

  • Care while admitted in hospital

  • Surgery

  • The cost of medical specialists

  • Medication and pharmaceuticals

  • Sub-acute care (such as palliative care, geriatric and psychogeriatric care)

  • Post-acute care (including nursing care for treating health conditions and wound management)

Rehabilitation

The NDIS and the health system will work closely together where a person needs rehabilitation following an accident or injury. The support is the responsibility of the health system where the initial rehabilitation is needed following injury, accident or other medical event. This means that any surgery or treatment following an injury, accident or other medical event is not funded by the scheme. The health system would provide supports that enable a person to regain their maximum achievable level of functioning e.g. care in a rehabilitation after a spinal cord injury.

Housing

The Housing system provides people with access to housing and housing-related issues such as:

The Mental Health System

The mental health system is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions and mental health. This includes:

  • Clinical services (such as general practitioners, psychiatrists and psychologists

  • Care while admitted in hospital or inpatient care

  • Care while admitted in residential care

  • Medications & pharmaceuticals

The Early Childhood System

The early childhood system has responsibility for the education and care needs of children, including children with disability or development delay. This include:

  • Providing 'inclusion supports' that enable an early learning service to meet a child's needs through increased staff to child ratios and enabling staff to attend disability-specific training

  • Adapting educational programs to the needs of children with disability

  • Making reasonable adjustments to buildings (such as ramps)

  • Making reasonable adjustments to fixed or non-transportable equipment (such as hoists)

  • Transporting children while they are in an early learning service (such as for an excursion)

Community Service

The community services system provides broad population wide programs and statutory services including:

  • Family support & counselling

  • Parenting skills programs

  • Family relationships services

  • The statutory child protection system including assessing a responding to suspected child abuse and neglect

  • Arranging out of home care for children subject to child protection order, including making these arrangements sustainable for children with disability

  • Guardianship arrangements for people under the age of 18 years

Childhood Protection

Childhood Protection services are supportds that support the well-being of children is a responsibility retained by state governments. This includes arranging out of home care for a child where this is required. State governments also need to ensure this care arrangement is appropriate and sustainable including training of carers, payments to foster carers and supervised contact and so on.

Aged Care System

People over 65 will receive support from the aged care system. These includes:

  • Residential aged care facilities that provide accommodation, personal and nursing care for older people as well as

  • Facilities that support people with high and complex care needs.

 

If a person wishes to enter the aged care system they will be required to undergo an assessment by an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT)

Employment

Employment supports are those supports funded by employers and employment services.​

  • Employers are responsible for making reasonable adjustments to enable people with disability access their workplace including employment specific aids and equipment (such as computers and modified desks) as well as transportation for work activities (such as attending a meeting).

  • Employment services are responsible for helping participants to build their skills to work and to assist them to find and maintain employment, including on-going support where required. These providers are the primary source of assistance to help participants prepare for, find and maintain employment. 

  • Disability employment services (DES) and

  • Jobs Services Australia

School Education

The education system has the responsibility for assisting students with their educational attainment, including through teaching and educational resources. This includes:

  • Employing teachers and learning assistants

  • Facilitating access to educational resources

  • Learning-specific aids and equipment (such as computers and text books)

  • Making reasonable adjustments to school buildings (such as installing ramps and fixed or non-transportable equipment such as hoists)

  • Transporting students for school activities (such as excursions)

  • Day-to-day supervision of students while undertaking school activities (including addressing behavioural issues while participating in school)

Higher Education & Vocational Education and Training (VET)

There are numerous supports funded by the higher education and vocational education and training (VET) system. This system is responsible for assisting students with their educational attainment, including through teaching and educational resources. This includes:

  • Employing teachers and learning assistance

  • Facilitating access to educational resources

  • Learning-specific aids and equipment (such as computers and text books)

  • Making reasonable adjustments to the education curriculum to enable access by people with disability

  • Reasonable adjustments to campus buildings (such as ramps), and fixed or non-transportable equipment (such as hoists)

  • Transporting students with disability on the same basis as other students for educational activities (such as excursions or field trips)

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