Mental Health Workers Play a Vital Role in the NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) continues to branch out into more areas of disability, especially those that pertain to mental health issues. Mental health workers endorsed by the NDIS are continually learning more and more about how these disabilities affect patients, and how they can better assist in treating and caring for them. 

Compassion, support, and daily assistance are all essential skills that are being honed in the professions of healthcare workers by the NDIS. Because of this, we’re beginning to see great strides being made in the wellbeing of patients with mental health problems. This article will explore the various ways this is being done. 

Enabling Patients to Live More Fulfilling Lives

At the heart of the NDIS’ mission is to provide patients with mental health issues as much independence and life fulfillment as possible. This is a rewarding endeavor for the professional caregivers who work with these patients on a daily basis. These unsung heroes of the medical industry recognize the challenges that face these individuals in everyday normal life. 

They’ve also learned how to deal with the inevitable symptoms that accompany complicated mental conditions such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorders. Daily patience, empathy, and a professional understanding of these conditions have equipped mental health workers to work towards a sense of overall wellbeing for their patients through training and experience. 

Appropriate advice and valuable insight can be provided because of this, which is why service providers like the NDIS employ these professionals as independent caregivers for their clients. Because each case is unique, personalized care can be developed based on each individual’s particular needs. Through professional assessments and patient history analysis, each patient is given the utmost care tailored to their condition and the severity thereof. 

This invariably takes a huge load off of family and friends who often feel helpless in dealing with these conditions. By handing care over to the professionals, family and friends can act as invaluable supporters rather than surrogate medical experts. Clients who fall under the cover of the NDIS can rest assured that the organization puts high priority on mental health care. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation, which is why the system has been developed to be so flexible. 

Why Has the NDIS Placed So Much Focus on Mental Health Support?

When it comes to the question of overall health, many immediately think about the physiological side. What we often fail to recognize is that the body is affected by the mind in many ways, and mental health conditions can be literally debilitating from a physical point of view. Mental health conditions affect the way people perform at work, run their homes, parent, and look after themselves. 

With this in mind, the NDIS has shifted its focus to mental health as an equally important aspect of overall health. Mental health is a complex issue, and requires specialized (and personalized) attention. It starts with knowledge—understanding the root behind the condition–and moves on to effective treatments. 

But for the most part, the patients themselves are taught how to take control of their mental state, giving them awareness of what’s causing the symptoms. From here they are given coping strategies and tools to better navigate their respective condition in a way that makes life more fulfilling. The dedicated mental health workers who help them do this are essentially life savers in much the same way medical doctors are.

The Involvement of Family and Friends

It’s not uncommon for mental health professionals to enlist the family and friends of the patient to participate in the recovery process. They play an important role in the individual’s daily life because it’s impossible for a professional to be around 24/7. For this reason, experts in the field of mental health like the ones recruited by the NDIS get family and friends involved, educating and equipping them to deal appropriately with each situation. 

The level of involvement will of course depend on the discretion of each healthcare professional on a case-by-case basis. The NDIS has enlisted mental health workers that they trust, and gives them full autonomy in dealing with each patient. In fact, the NDIS has made a point of employing highly trained experts in their respective fields, but has also focused on professionals who are organized, accountable, and have a reputation for reliability. 

But it’s important for the nearest and dearest of the patient to be aware of how to intervene if necessary. An appropriate amount of education goes a long way to ensure the wellbeing of the patient at all times—even when professional support is unavailable. 

How are Mental Health Workers Trained in Their Duties and Responsibilities?

The theory and qualification of mental health is important for every mental health worker. But what often proves more important is the dedication and character of the professional in question. Mental health work is a calling—a gift that requires a certain set of emotional skills. As part of their training, mental health professionals acquire skills and tools that enable them to better deal with conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc. 

One of these important skills is the ability to offer emotional support during the entire process. Active listening, empathy, and the consistent validation of the patient’s emotions are paramount in providing proper care and eventual recovery. The patient wants to feel comfort and safety, which is why mental health workers are skilled at offering the right kind of guidance at the right time. 

But what about the challenges that face mental health patients on a daily basis? Grocery shopping and house chores may seem simple to the average person, but these can be daunting tasks to those who suffer with mental health disabilities. In such cases, mental health workers are available to assist with everyday tasks like these. This is done with one goal in mind—to eventually give the patient their independence back and cope with such tasks themselves. 

Mental health workers are also adept at collaborating with psychologists, psychiatrists, and other specialists to ensure an organized and comprehensive approach to treatment. These collaborations may therefore involve the regular attending of meetings with the patient, sharing relevant information with the specialist, and providing updates on progress.

What are Some Challenges Mental Health Workers Face?

This is not the easiest industry to work in. The NDIS provides as much support to the mental health workers it enlists, and in so doing have noticed a list of challenges faced by many. There’s an inherent emotional toll this kind of work takes on the individuals who work so tirelessly to help others. For them, witnessing setbacks can be just as discouraging as it is for the patients themselves. 

There’s a real risk of burning out because of the long hours these professionals work. Demanding schedules and heavy caseloads may cause them to feel overwhelmed at times. These are also people with their own lives and families, and taking on several patients with mental health issues can tire them out mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Mental health workers must also be educated on the NDIS systems that have been put in place to ensure eligibility, limitations to care, and funding. These processes can prove to be time consuming and require a fair amount of attention to detail. 

Fortunately, the NDIS has put systems in place to recruit the best mental health workers out there by providing them with the necessary training on the NDIS framework, as well as the knowledge they need to provide the best possible support to each patient. The NDIS believes in developing these skills indefinitely, and provides ongoing training on breakthroughs in the industry to keep them up to date with their caseloads. 

The Main Objective of Every Mental Health Worker

These health care professionals are up to the task despite these challenges, and are dedicated enough to the wellbeing of their patients to tackle each day as it comes with fresh resolve. As we mentioned before, this is more than a job, it’s a calling.

So what’s the end goal every mental health worker is working so tirelessly towards? Ultimately, they want to give their patients the independence they enjoyed before their mental health conditions disrupted their lives. By filling in the gaps and creating a comfortable recovery environment for the patient, the goal is to wean them off the support at a comfortable pace. This results in a life that’s—at least to some degree—fully independent.

To reach this goal, mental health workers also provide their patients with tools to deal with everyday tasks, This may include:

  • Budgeting their finances in a more realistic way
  • Planning meals for a healthier lifestyle
  • Scheduling exercise routines to promote physical & mental stability
  • Time management strategies
  • Routine mindfulness exercises 

All of these are tailored to suit the personal aspirations of each patient—after all, they have goals of their own. Patients who are dedicated to reaching a level of independence will find all the help they need to do so through the mental health workers that have been assigned to them. 

Final Thoughts

As we’ve seen, mental health workers are integral to the recovery of those who suffer from mental health disabilities. That’s why the NDIS has come alongside them to provide them with adequate training, mentoring programs, and high quality support to help them navigate this often-challenging industry. 

In short, the care of these individuals within the industry is just one more step the NDIS has taken to ensure the mental wellbeing of those under its cover. After all, health is more than just physical—it’s emotional and mental too.