Resources for Occupational Therapists

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As an OT, you play a critical role in facilitating great outcomes for people with disability.

You might also see first-hand the impact that unsuitable housing can have on a person’s wellbeing – as well as on the delivery of effective supports to that person.

Below is a collection of information and resources that may assist you in your work supporting people with disability to achieve better housing outcomes.

If you would like to discuss housing options for a client with complex needs, or build your own knowledge with a personal development session for you or your team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Housing Hub team – email info@housinghub.org.au

Searching for suitable housing

This Housing Hub website is a great place for your clients to start their housing search.

This Looking for Somewhere to Live guide provides detailed information for people who want to access NDIS funding to support their housing search.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is housing that has been specially designed or modified to suit the needs of people who have an ‘extreme functional impairment’ or ‘very high support needs’. If a person is eligible for SDA, the NDIS funds the cost of their housing through SDA payments to an SDA provider.

This page contains a lot of information about SDA, including links to explanatory videos and fact sheets.

Understanding housing options for people with disability

If you are supporting clients with high or complex needs, it is important that you understand what housing options are available to them.

The Housing Hub team runs regular NDIS Housing Options webinars for disability sector professionals. Or if you prefer, this self-paced online workshop explains the various options, including SDA.

‘Mainstream housing’ is a term used to describe any housing that is not specialist disability accommodation (SDA). It is housing that anyone can live in, whether they have a disability or not.

Most people with disability will not get SDA funding in their NDIS Plan, but still want to choose where they live and who they live with. The Summer Foundation’s Mainstream Housing Options guide explains the different types of mainstream housing and will help your clients look for housing that suits their needs.

Presenting evidence for good NDIS outcomes

The Summer Foundation’s Allied Health Housing Assessments guide details how to write reports for NDIS participants to achieve good housing outcomes, with an emphasis on writing reports for SDA outcomes.

If you have a client who lives in residential aged care (RAC) or is at risk of admission to RAC (for example, a person who is unable to be discharged from hospital to their previous place of residence), they may wish to test their eligibility for SDA. This Participant’s Housing Statement guide (and associated template) will assist you as you work with them to test their eligibility.

For other people who wish to test their eligibility for SDA, this How to Write a Housing Plan guide (and associated template) is more suitable.

Supporting a successful move into more independent housing

Moving from residential aged care, a group home or the family home into a house where you get to decide what you do and how you live is a big thing for most people. For many people with disability, effective support from an OT during this time is critical.

The Summer Foundation’s Living More Independently is a guide to assist people to plan for such a move, then make it happen.

UpSkill

UpSkill is a capacity building program for NDIS support coordinators and allied health professionals. It includes:

Training – Regular training sessions are available for allied health professionals on topics such as writing reports for the NDIS, working with people in hospital and preparing evidence for SDA outcomes

Community of Practice – Provides a platform for professionals to engage with peers, access information and develop best practice approaches

Referral Directory – Refers young people in aged care (or at risk of entry to aged care) to appropriate professionals who have completed UpSkill training

Resources – Free online resources for NDIS support coordinators and allied health professionals

For more info about UpSkill visit summerfoundation.org.au/UpSkill or email upskill@summerfoundation.org.au

Common questions from OTs about SDA

Do you have a report template that has headings that an OT is required to address in their report in support of an application for SDA determination?

Is there a housing plan template available for support coordinators?

Do you have OTs that travel interstate who can complete functional assessments?

Does the NDIS like formal standardised assessments?

I’ve heard that the NDIS might fund a person to live with others, when they actually want to live alone. On what basis can a person’s request to live alone be denied?

I am supporting a person with an extreme functional impairment who wants to move from a basic group home into alternative housing with individualised supports. What needs to be included in the functional capacity reports?

Can a Participant Statement be completed by a health professional?

I am working with a person whose current housing isn't suitable. Who can I talk to about how I can best support this person?

Would you like some help from our team?

Phone us to talk about your housing needs on 1300 61 64 63 (Monday – Friday 10am to 3pm EST)
You can also send us an email at housingoptions@housinghub.org.au