What is In vs Out – NDIS Supports: Capacity Building

Capacity Building Supports help build your independence and skills to help you pursue your goals. Your Capacity Building Supports budget cannot be moved from one support category to another as they are not a flexible budget. Funding can only be used to purchase approved individual supports within that Capacity Building Support Budget. 

Ten categories make up the capacity building budget:

• Support Coordination & Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
• Improved Living Arrangements- Support to help you find and maintain an appropriate place to live.
• Increased Social & Community Participation- Development and training to increase your skills to participate in community, social and recreational activities.
• Finding & Keeping a Job- This may include employment-related support, training and assessments that help you find and keep a job.
• Relationships- This support will help you develop positive social skills and interact with others.
• Health & Wellbeing- Supports that are directly related to managing the impact of your disability on your health, for example, dietitian, personal trainer, exercise physiologist.
• Lifelong Learning- Support, training and advice to help you move from school to further education, such as University or TAFE.
• Choice and Control- Plan Management
• Improved Daily Living Skills- Assessments, training or therapy to help increase your skills, independence and community participation. Delivered by evidence-based therapists.
• Behaviour Support- Supports provided by professionals with specialist skills in positive behaviour support

The re-defining of what an NDIS support is and the introduction of the "In" and "Out" lists have seen a number of therapy supports ineligible from being accessed with NDIS funding. These therapies are seen as not being evidence-based and therefore not a good use of NDIS funding.

Below are therapies that the NDIS will pay for include:

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Myotherapy
• Psychology
• Music Therapy
• Art Therapy

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document clearly defines who is allowed to charge from specific categories, what qualifications they must hold, and which regulatory body they must belong to. These therapists can use various tools to play a role in a goal-directed, structured intervention, which will assist them in engaging the participant with the therapy. Tools include but are not limited to board games, online games, lego, other toys or an animal (animal assisted therapy).

When reading through the NDIS Support list, remember that just because a support is "In" doesn't mean it is automatically a support or service anyone can access. Anything paid for with NDIS funding must directly relate to your disability needs. It is important to know that the "In" NDIS Support list is not exhaustive. Every participant is different and has different needs, so it is impossible to list every support or service that could be deemed reasonable and necessary for a participant.

Below is a long list of "Ins" vs. "Outs", so be sure to take your time reading over the details.

If you are ever in doubt, always speak with your NDIS contact (local area coordinator, early childhood partner or NDIA planner) for clarity about the new NDIS supports.