How is Behaviour Support funded by the NDIS?
The way that your NDIS plan is managed (NDIS Managed, Plan Managed, Self-Managed) impacts what funds can be used for Behaviour Support Services.
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If your plan is NDIS Managed, funds can be used from the categories of Capacity Building – Improved Relationships.
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If your plan is Plan Managed, you have greater flexibility than NDIS Managed with which categories of funding can be used for which service. However, generally Behaviour Support Services are still funded in the Capacity Building, Improved Relationships category.
Does my Behaviour Support Practitioner have to be NDIS registered?
It is a requirement that all Behaviour Support Practitioners and behaviour support service providers be registered and approved by the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission. This is to protect the rights of people with a disability and ensure that all behaviour support and service provision is developed and conducted in line with evidenced based best practices. ​
Will a Psychologist or a Behaviour Support Practitioner provide my behaviour support?
The allocation of Practitioner depends on which category of NDIS funding you have, as well as which Practitioner is best matched and qualified to address the needs of the individual. Diverge Behaviour employs Psychologists as well as Practitioners with other areas of expertise with a minimum of an undergraduate degree and appropriate skills and experience.
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All behaviour support practitioners receive ongoing and regular Supervision, and engage in peer support, facilitated by an experienced Practitioner.
What is the difference between Psychological therapy and Behaviour Support services?
Behaviour support services are very different to ongoing Psychological Therapy services. Funding in this area is not for a person to come in and have ongoing therapy on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis.
Behaviour Support is a systems approach with the aim to develop a sustainable and effective support team around an individual to enable them to develop skills and make positive decisions within a framework.
How are Behaviour Support services delivered?
​Note that all practitioners at Diverge Behaviour follow the NDIS Commissioner guidelines and expectations of specialist behaviour support providers when developing behaviour support plans that contain regulated restrictive practices. These guidelines are outlined here.
Once a Service Agreement has been endorsed, the Practitioner will review any relevant information available in relation to the participant such as past reports. This may mean that time is billed before the Practitioner meets with the participant.
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Once prepared, the Practitioner will meet with the participant, family, carers, and any other service providers to gather specific information about the behaviour/s of concern. Additional information will also be gathered regarding aspects of a person’s life – medical history, communication, adaptive behaviour, likes and dislikes, other professionals involved, schooling and work, etc. Assessment questionnaires and data collection may also be completed. This is what Behaviour Support Practitioners call a functional analysis.
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In consultation with the participant and their supports the information gathered will inform the next steps in the Behaviour Support Service.
In most cases a Behaviour Support Plan will be developed at this point which will identify areas for skill development, strategies for supports, and the function of behaviours. If it is the first time that a participant has had a behaviour support plan developed it is likely that a six-month interim plan will be developed in the first instance to allow for the gathering of data to inform a comprehensive plan.
The Behaviour Support Plan will be implemented by family, carers, and/or implementing providers. The best outcomes for the individual participant are more likely to be achieved when the Behaviour Support Plan is implemented consistently in all areas of the participants life.
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Once the plan is completed and endorsed by the relevant people, the Practitioner will provide training to the people implementing the plan.
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The Behaviour Support Practitioner will continue to support the family / carers and implementing providers to monitor and review the effectiveness of the plan. This will be provided in writing, and the behaviour support Practitioner will support family members, carers and other providers to implement and monitor its effectiveness. Usually, the people implementing the plan will be asked to collect data, so the Practitioner has evidence as to the effectiveness of the strategies.
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