Mrs Bronte Lloyd1
1State Forensic Mental Health Service, Claremont, Australia
Biography:
Bronte is the NDIS Coordinator for the State Forensic Mental Health Service in WA. She is an Occupational Therapist by background and has extensive experience in supporting consumers to safely leave the hospital environment and reintegrate into their local community.
The nature and scope of the topic:
NDIS is a challenging and dynamic landscape, requiring dedicated clinicians to support safe and effective discharge from inpatient settings. The Western Australian Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023 came into effect on 1 September 2024, with the introduction of limiting terms for custody orders and retrospective changes for existing orders. As a result of the CLMI Act, the WA State Forensic Mental Health Service has established the first NDIS Coordinator role in WA to work solely with admitted and community based forensic consumers.
The issues identified:
The
organisation
needing to adapt
to consider discharge planning earlier in the admission and the
supports
required for safe and sustainable community reintegration.
Limiting terms being retrospectively applied to consumers under a custody order resulting in the potential for unplanned discharges for
institutionalised
mental health inpatients.
Limited knowledge and resources around both CLMI and NDIS within the current service.
Navigating NDIS is challenging with recent increased complexity due to NDIS legislation changes, requiring consistent oversight.
Strategies implemented:
Implementation of NDIS processes across the
organisation
Comprehensive onsite staff NDIS education series
Direct oversight of potential and confirmed NDIS participants, including case management support
Development of a suite of documents to facilitate access to high level NDIS
supports
Conclusion:
Discharging forensic mental health consumers presents many challenges, therefore creating dedicated NDIS positions is crucial to adapt to legislative changes and attain the supports to reintegrate consumers into the community.