Karista Blog

Useful news and information from the health care community

534 Church Street Richmond, VIC, 3121 Australia

1300 274782

A website that connects aged and disabled consumers with service providers.

Interested in services for 15yo+ NDIS Participants with Autism?

April 29, 2021  /  Danielle Bodinnar

Check out PINPOINT

Pinpoint specialises in helping individuals over the age of 15 with Autism and mental illness. We focus on teaching new behaviours to help manage people’s mental health.

Sessions vary depending on the goals and objectives of the participant.

Group Therapy Program: The group typically begins with a gentle 25-minute walk followed by hand-eye coordination activities. Facilitators then present an interactive workshop that assists participants in managing their mental health. Following the workshop, our professional yoga instructor guides us through a series of basic yoga exercises and concludes with a short meditation session. All our activities involve the presence of our two therapy dogs, Luna & Paddy.

Behaviour and Social Skills Training:  Focuses on improving behaviour using behavioural techniques such as differential reinforcement,  direct instruction, role plays, shaping, positive reinforcement, video modelling and feedback.

Anxiety Management: Involves experiential exercises such as meditation, yoga, and basic grounding exercises.  

Physical Activity training: Targeted physical activities are undertaken to boost brain stimulation, increase focus and improve mental health. 

Animal-assisted therapy: Can be integrated into any service or therapy and helps participants connect with people, maintain calmness, and increases motivation to work on their goals.

Employment Advocacy: Uses the principles of behaviour analysis to assist individuals in maintaining employment and flourishing in their workplace. Emphasis is on collaboration with employers to maximise employee productivity.

Therapeutic Driving:  Targeted towards individuals with debilitating disabilities that require transport to essential appointments from a safe and familiar empathetic driver.

Location: Pinpoint specialises in intervening where the target behaviours occur. As a result, Pinpoint operates in an outreach capacity and meets participants in their natural environment such as their home, workplace, school, university, or community setting.

Enquire at: Karista Call 1300274782

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New measures to support NDIS participants and providers through COVID-19

March 22, 2020  /  Danielle Bodinnar

  • Media release from the Minister

21 March 2020

  • NDIS plans to be extended by up to 24 months, ensuring continuity of support and increasing capacity of NDIA staff to focus on urgent and required changes to plans.

  • Face to face planning shifted to telephone meetings where possible.

  • Action plan to ensure NDIS participants and their families continue to receive the essential disability supports they need.

  • Proactive outreach to high-risk participants and sharing of data with states and territories to ensure continuity of supports.

  • Financial assistance to providers to support retention of workers including advance payments, 10 per cent COVID-19 loading on some supports and changes to cancellation policies. 

Following discussions of the COAG Disability Reform Council, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Stuart Robert, today announced new measures to ensure essential support is in place for NDIS participants, workers and providers through the COVID-19 outbreak. 

‘We have been consulting with NDIS, disability and health stakeholders to understand what actions we need to take to minimise the impact that COVID-19 may have on people with disability, their families, and the network of providers and workers that support them,’ Mr Robert said.

‘We have a concerted and responsive plan of action to ensure that people with disability can continue to receive the support they need, and that providers have what they need to continue delivering their essential services in these extraordinary circumstances. 

‘I also want to be clear, we can and will make further changes as required. The Department of Social Services, National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission), are working with the Department of Health, states and territories, and NDIS stakeholders to monitor our response and will make further recommendations if required.’

To allow NDIA staff to direct their focus on urgent changes to participant plans as a result of the impacts of COVID-19, we have allowed NDIS plans to be extended by up to 24 months, ensuring continuity of support.

Telephone meetings are being offered to all current and potential NDIS participants as a safer way to continue service delivery, including for new plans and plan reviews, during the current phase of the COVID 19 outbreak. 

The NDIA will also take a flexible approach to amending plans and, where necessary, shift capacity building funding to funding for core supports, in consultation with special teams of planners in the NDIA. 

Access to essential supports for NDIS participants is a priority in the COVID-19 response. 
 
‘We are closely monitoring for any new service gaps that might open. If usual services cannot be delivered by a provider, the NDIA will work with states and territories to source an alternative provider who can step in to provide the required essential services,’ Mr Robert said.

Participants should contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 if they need to talk to a planner, make changes to their plan or are having trouble sourcing services due to COVID-19.

Importantly, the new measures work to identify and give extra support to those people with disability who have complex needs or run a higher risk of infection.

‘The NDIA will be contacting targeted higher risk NDIS participants to ensure these people continue to receive the essential disability related supports they need, while also sharing the same data with states and territories to assist them with their continuity of services,’ Mr Robert said.

More information for NDIS participants and their families and carers is available on the NDIS website.

‘We are also providing financial assistance to help NDIS providers remain viable and to retain their staff,’ Mr Robert said. 

Registered NDIS providers may receive a one-month advance payment based on a monthly average supports delivered in the previous three month period – to provide immediate cash flow relief.   

To cover the additional costs of service delivery for existing supports, a 10 per cent COVID-19 loading will be added to price limits for certain supports for up to six months.

Additionally, increased flexibility of the NDIA’s cancellation pricing policy will allow providers to charge the full 100 per cent for the price of a cancelled service, and the definition of ‘short notice cancellation’ will also be broadened. 

Further work is currently underway to develop measures to source additional disability support workers to provide high quality care to NDIS participants should the need arise. This will include the upskilling of displaced workers from other industries and matching existing and new workers to areas where there is a demand for services. 

The Department of Health has developed specific advice on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when looking after people who are confirmed to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19.

There is also a free training module for support workers, including those in the disability sector, about infection prevention and control for COVID-19.

Further information on COVID-19, what people can do to protect themselves and people they are caring for is available at www.health.gov.au or on 1800 020 080.

More information for NDIS providers and disability support workers is available on the NDIS website and the NDIS Commission website.

(source https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/4659-new-measures-support-ndis-participants-and-providers-through-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0Sq14fvEiPZIgLnSFEWKt3xdVz1okUiPX7zu2Ghl9bLsVjTXpvB3ftoc0)

Chirpy Hearts School Holiday Program

January 09, 2020  /  Susy Dixon

Based out of the Glen Waverly Girl Guides Hall, Chirpy Hearts run group activity classes for teenagers and adults on the Autism Spectrum.

Starting from the 13th January 2020, Chirpy Hearts have set up a fun filled program for teenagers wanting to make new friends, and learn new and interesting skills. Activities range from ukulele classes, to decorative icing, puppetry and circus skills.

Added to the program are Friday Night Celebrations with a Girls Market and Boy Zone which includes, dinner, music and peer support.

If your or a loved one would be interested in joining the program, go to the following link - https://www.karista.com.au/providers/53778 - and request details and pricing or call 1300274782.

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Vale Jill Emberson

December 13, 2019  /  Susy Dixon

The Karista team are saddened by the loss of ABC broadcaster and Ovarian cancer advocate Jill Emberson.

After being diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in 2016, Jill decided, despite her own suffering to help women like her use their own voices to advocate for better detection rates and increased research funding. "My hope is that women will feel more able to raise their symptoms with their doctors, that their doctors will pick them up a bit better." Jill told the ABC.

According to Ovarian Cancer Australia: “If women are diagnosed at an early stage, they have a 44% chance of being alive and well within five years of diagnosis. However, approximately 75% of women are diagnosed at an advanced stage, where the cancer has spread and is difficult to treat successfully."

“There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer, so the best way of detecting the disease is to know and recognise the signs and symptoms. Ovarian cancer cannot be detected by a pap test or cervical smear”.

As a part of her advocacy work, Jill founded the Pink Meets Teal campaign, which inspires breast cancer survivors to fight for fair research funding between the two cancers.

Jill must also be recognised for successfully lobbying Health Minister Greg Hunt for better funding. After their meeting, Minister Hunt announced a $20 million contribution to Ovarian Cancer Research.

If you would like to read more about Jill Emberson please follow this link and to watch her Australian Story click here.

For further reading into Ovarian Cancer, please visit their website https://ovariancancer.net.au/

Sources: ABC, Ovarian Cancer Australia.

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tags / Ovarian Cancer, Jill Emberson, ABC, Advocacy

Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System

November 28, 2019  /  Susy Dixon

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, interim report was tabled in the Victorian Parliament today. This is the first of two major reports to be delivered. The Chair of the Commission, Penny Armytage has said the interim report is not a draft but was written to draw attention to issues the commission feels needs immediate action.

The interim report has been written before the commission reached their halfway point because of the dire need to address certain issues including funding within the system immediately.

Ms Armytage has been quoted by the ABC as saying:

"We think that it is the time for us to address what is a chronic issue where people have suffered in silence for way too long."

The interim report contains a list of priority actions which the commission says will pave the way for a better and forward thinking mental health system. Even though the commission received over 10,000 submissions and heard public evidence from 96 people, the two reports will not give findings on past experiences of the Victorian mental health system but will instead report on how the system can be re-imagined into a fully funded and comprehensive system that works for all Victorians.

Reaction from the Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews has been positive. He has committed his government to implementing all of the commission’s recommendations. The Premier said the Government will spend the summer looking at ways to address the most controversial recommendation of a levy or tax to help increase the overall funding to the system.

What are the recommendations?

  • A new approach to mental health investment (a tax or levy), to ensure a substantial increase in funding for mental health – not just now but into the future.

  • The creation of a Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing to bring together different skills and expertise to drive better mental health outcomes for all Victorians.

  • An additional 170 youth and adult acute mental health beds to help address critical pressures in areas of need.

  • Expansion of the Hospital Outreach Post-suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program into all area mental health services and linked to sub-regional health services as well as a new assertive outreach and follow up care service for children and young people, to increase the availability of support and outreach for Victorians at risk of suicide.

  • The creation of an Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Centre and expansion of Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing teams across the state.

  • Establishing Victoria’s first residential mental health service, as an alternative to an acute admission, designed and delivered by people with lived experience of mental illness.

  • Expanding and supporting consumer and family-carer lived experience workforces.

  • Addressing workforce shortages and preparing for reform including through the provision of more training and recruitment pathways to boost the number of graduate nurses and allied health professionals in public mental health services.

  • Establishing a Mental Health Implementation Office to start work delivering these recommendations.

Can I read the report? Yes, follow the below link:

Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System Interim Report

If you or anyone you know needs help:

Karista has a range of psychological services available. Please be in touch via the Karista website www.karista.com.au if you or a loved one need assistance with getting access to a mental health worker.

Sources: Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, The Age, ABC

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Too Peas In a Podcast

November 21, 2019  /  Susy Dixon

We love our podcasts at Karista, we get even more excited when we find one written and created by women for women who also happen to be Mum’s.

Karista recently discovered Too Peas In A Pod by Kate and Mandy.

Kate and Mandy are two Mum’s, who both have multiples with disabilities. They use the podcast as an opportunity to share with their audience and each other what life is like parenting multiple sets of children with disabilities.

Podcasts are a great way to communicate and interact with people who may be experiencing a similar situation to the one you are living. Do you have a favourite podcast that relates to your experience? We’d love to hear about it!

To listen to Too Peas In A Pod click on the link.

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NDIS Launches First Ever Employment Strategy

November 07, 2019  /  Susy Dixon

The NDIS announced today, the launch of the first ever NDIS Employment Participation Program.

The strategy sets a goal to have 30 per cent of working age NDIS participants in meaningful employment by 2030.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister, Stuart Robert, said “This strategy is all about giving more people with disability, who have the desire and capacity to work, better access to the right supports to achieve their employment goals while breaking down barriers that they face trying to get a job”.

Using the announced strategy as their guide, the NDIA will work towards removing barriers for those wanting employment and assist participants to set and accomplish their own goals. NDIS participants and Planners will be encouraged to discuss from the beginning of their NDIS journey what, if any, employment goals they may have.

The five key areas of focus for the new Employment Strategy will be:

  • Increase participant aspiration and employment goals in NDIS plans

  • Increase participant choice and control over pathways to employment

  • Increase marketing innovations that improve the path to paid work

  • Improve confidence of employers to employ NDIS participants

  • NDIS to lead by example as an employer

Source: NDIS

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tags / NDIS, NDIA, Stuart Robert MP, disability, Employment Strategy, Particpation