Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is a capacity-building support aimed at providing focused support to participants living with diagnosed psychosocial disabilities. When the NDIS first announced Recovery Coaching as a new service, it was a welcomed addition for many Australians. It meant people with diagnosed mental health conditions accessing the NDIS now had a dedicated service to help them navigate the scheme.
However, there was significant confusion about its purpose initially, considering that Support Coordination was already a well-established service. At first glance, Recovery Coaching looked an awful lot like Support Coordination.
It is true that they belong to the same ‘Capacity Building’ registration group and budget category, and some of the tasks performed by Recovery Coaches and Support Coordinators are similar. But that is where the similarities end.
What is Psychosocial Disability?
As mentioned earlier, Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is primarily focused on supporting individuals with psychosocial disabilities in their recovery journey. Psychosocial disabilities are mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, that can negatively affect an individual’s ability to interact with other people and participate in the activities and tasks of daily life.
People with psychosocial disabilities often benefit from having structured support to maintain recovery-focused relationships, sustain their recovery journey, and make informed decisions to enhance their well-being. This is where recovery coaches become crucial.
Mental health and recovery look and feel different for everyone. It is not a linear process, with Point A being mental illness and Point Z being mental wellness. It’s a lifelong commitment that ebbs and flows through life, and its challenges.
The National Framework for Recovery-oriented Mental Health Services, published by the Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, defines ‘recovery’ as “being able to create and live a meaningful and contributing life in a community of choice, with or without the presence of mental health issues” which beautifully encapsulates that ebb and flow.
What is a Recovery Coach, and What Do They Do?
A Recovery Coach is a mental health support worker who works with you and the important people in your life to design and implement an individualised recovery plan. They work with you to develop strategies and skills tailored to your individual needs and circumstances to help you live a life of ‘recovery’.
Their role is also to assist you in finding and engaging services that foster growth, resilience, and informed decision-making, as well as in designing and implementing your individualised recovery plan.
They may do this through:
- Personalised Support: They offer one-on-one support to help you understand and manage your mental health conditions.
- Goal Setting: They assist in setting realistic, achievable goals that enhance your quality of life.
- Skill Development: They help you build skills in social interaction, independent living, and managing daily activities.
- Crisis Support: They provide support during crises, assisting you in navigating challenging times and accessing necessary resources.
- Advocacy: They advocate for your needs and rights within the NDIS framework and beyond.
What is a Recovery Plan?
Your Recovery Plan is a plan you will develop with your Recovery Coach. It will sit beside and complement your NDIS Plan to clarify your goals by breaking them down into short-term, easily attainable objectives. Your Recovery Plan will also identify early indicators of any changes that may be required in the types of support you receive, ensuring you can adjust your services to meet your recovery’s fluctuating needs.
Your Recovery Plan will help you identify key individuals in your life (including your Recovery Coach) and their roles and responsibilities in your support. You can then easily identify the best person to call when you need help adjusting according to your recovery ebb and flow.
What is Support Coordination?
Support Coordination is an NDIS-funded capacity-building service designed to connect participants with the help they need to reach their goals. Simply put, Support Coordinators work with participants to help them navigate the complicated NDIS landscape. Additionally, they help them build their skills to understand, implement, and use their plan in a way that works for them.
Support Coordination empowers participants to make informed choices about their services, keep an eye on their budgets and achieve their NDIS goals.
What Does a Support Coordinator Do?
A Support Coordinator plays a crucial role in assisting participants to navigate the NDIS. They simplify the complexities of the scheme so that participants can learn how to navigate it independently and ensure participants access the right supports and services to meet their needs.
Their responsibilities include:
- Plan Implementation: Helping participants understand their NDIS plan and how to use their funding effectively.
- Service Connection: Connecting participants with service providers, community resources, and mainstream services.
- Capacity Building: Empowering participants to manage their supports independently over time.
- Problem Solving: Addressing any issues that arise with service providers or during the implementation of the plan.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Keeping track of the participant’s progress and ensuring their supports are meeting their needs.
It’s All About Recovery!
The complex nature of mental health means that the recovery road can be bumpy. The way Support Coordination is written into plans and funded often means there is no leeway for these bumps in the road.
The Support Coordination process is pretty straightforward. Your Support Coordinator helps you figure out which services you need, connects you with them, monitors the quality and effectiveness of them, and prepares you for plan reassessment, where you may or may not receive Support Coordination funding again, depending on your ability to manage your plan moving forward. The Support Coordinator aims to do themselves out of a job by building your capacity!
A Psychosocial Recovery Coach will do all of this, but with the addition of psychological recovery-focused support. This means they will also work with you, the people important to you, and your support providers to set recovery goals and develop strategies that keep you moving towards these, even in the face of complex mental health bumps in the road. This extra support is usually written into a plan and funded adequately. Psychosocial Recovery Coaching often receives a higher hour allocation from the NDIA than Support Coordination because of these additional services which may (or may not) crop up depending on your recovery journey.
Looping back to Recovery Coaches being mental health support workers, often with their own lived experience, and/or learned experience of recovery means they are experts at supporting you on your bumpy recovery roads. They understand the episodic nature of mental health recovery and can work with you and your support network to plan appropriate, affirming, and respectful supports in case of crisis.
In a Nutshell!
Psychosocial Recovery Coaching:
Best suited for individuals with psychosocial disabilities who need tailored, ongoing support to manage their mental health and build essential life skills. This service is ideal for those who are on a recovery journey and need guidance, advocacy, and personalised strategies to achieve their goals.
Support Coordination:
Ideal for any other NDIS participant who needs help understanding their NDIS plan and connecting with various services. This service is perfect for individuals who require assistance in navigating the complexities of the NDIS system, ensuring they access the right supports and services to meet their needs.
So there you have it. Both Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination are invaluable services within the NDIS framework, each serving distinct purposes to support individuals with disabilities.
At CoAbility, we are committed to providing personalised support for your unique needs. Whether you need personalised coaching to help you on your recovery journey or comprehensive support to navigate your NDIS plan, our dedicated team is here to help.
For more information or to discuss how we can assist you with your NDIS experience, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly Intake and Engagement Team on 1800 262 245 or fill in our service request form.
