Victoria Legal Aid

New learning hub provides resources for mental health self-advocacy

The Self-Advocacy Learning Hub helps people with experiences of mental health issues advocate for what they want under the NDIS.

Tuesday 9 May 2023 11:54pm
NDIS Learning Hub graphic with people accessing via phone and devices

It’s important for people who are experiencing mental health issues to have as much say as possible about the support and services they receive.

Our Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) team’s new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Self-advocacy Learning HubExternal Link helps people with experiences of mental health issues to advocate for what they want under the NDIS.

It is available to NDIS workers, mental health service workers, people supporting NDIS participants, people who are considering applying for NDIS, and NDIS participants themselves.

Inside the learning hub, you will find:

  • eLearning modules, including ‘self-advocacy for the NDIS’
  • The self-advocacy for the NDIS Workbook, developed in partnership with VMIACExternal Link and TandemExternal Link and recently updated based on the NDIS Amendments Act 2022
  • IMHA’s new co-designed NDIS Mental Health Toolkit
  • training for workers who would like to run workshops on self-advocacy for the NDIS
  • information about Supported Decision-Making
  • other useful resources for NDIS participants.

Anyone can sign up for the learning hub and it is free to use.

IMHA Project Co-ordinator Antonia Smyth says the learning hub collates all IMHA’s co-designed resources in one place.

'Our resources support people both to learn and to teach others, about how to self-advocate under the NDIS’ psychosocial disability stream,' she said.

'Speaking up for what you want can be difficult, and the language used by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is often different to the language that people use to describe their own experiences. These interactive resources are designed to give both people with experience of mental health issues and their supporters, the information and skills they need to navigate NDIS processes.'

IMHA Program Manager Helen Makregiorgos says the new learning hub provides a wealth of knowledge for those supporting NDIS participants to self-advocate.

'It’s a really practical and useful resource. Anyone can sign up and we encourage you to share it with your friends, families and networks,' she said.

More information

Register for the Self-Advocacy for the NDIS Learning HubExternal Link on the IMHA Website.

Visit the IMHA websiteExternal Link

Contact our IMHA team. Email contact@imha.vic.gov.au

Reviewed 25 July 2023