Tip #27 NDIS Support Coordinators

So, the NDIS has handed you a plan, a bucket of funding, and a cheery "Good luck!" Now what? Enter the mythical creature known as the Support Coordinator – part navigator, part translator, part magician who somehow makes sense of the NDIS maze.

What's a Support Coordinator Anyway?

Think of a Support Coordinator as your personal GPS through the NDIS jungle. They don't drive the car for you, but they'll certainly yell "TURN LEFT HERE!" before you crash into a bureaucratic tree.

They help you:

• Find providers who don't make you want to tear your hair out
• Understand what on earth your plan actually means
• Connect services without creating scheduling nightmares
• Translate NDIS-speak into human language

But What If I Don't Have Funding for One?

Here's where things get interesting. Not everyone gets Support Coordination in their plan. The NDIS sometimes looks at you and thinks, "This person seems capable!" – whether that's true or not.

Suddenly, you're your own Support Coordinator. It's like being told to be your own dentist. Sure, you have teeth, but that doesn't mean you know how to fill a cavity.

Your Real Best Friend: The Calendary

Whether you have a professional Support Coordinator or you're flying solo, let me introduce you to your new best friend: The Calendary. This magnificent A3-sized hybrid of calendar and diary becomes your personal Support Coordination assistant.

With a Support Coordinator: Your Calendary becomes the perfect collaboration tool. Record their advice, track referrals, and note which providers they've connected you with. When they say, "Remember that speech therapist I mentioned last month?" you can flip back and find the exact name.

Without a Support Coordinator: Your Calendary becomes even more crucial. Use it to track every NDIS-related phone call, appointment, and service inquiry. Color-code your funding categories. Note which providers were helpful and which ones aren't and why.

DIY Support Coordination: Not Impossible!

The good news? With your Calendary in hand, you can navigate this ship without an official coordinator.

Local disability advocacy organisations often offer free advice (write their contact details in your Calendary). Facebook groups for NDIS participants are goldmines of information (note useful tips in your Calendary). That friend who's been on the NDIS for years? Buy them coffee, pick their brain, and – you guessed it – record their wisdom in your Calendary.

Finding Your North Star

The trick isn't having all the answers – it's knowing where to find them when you need them. Your Calendary becomes that central repository of helpful websites, phone numbers, and that one person at the NDIA who actually returned your call (frame their name in gold and highlight it in your Calendary).

The Support Coordinator Within

Sometimes the best Support Coordinator is the one you become after months of figuring things out through trial, error, and meticulous Calendary entries at midnight while Googling "what does NDIS capacity building actually mean?"

So whether you're working with a professional or mapping your own course, remember: everyone needs help navigating the NDIS, but with your trusty Calendary by your side, there's more than one way to find your path.

You've got this – with or without an official guide, but definitely with your Calendary.

If you do have a NDIS Support Coordinator, don't forget to write their details in the Important Contacts page of your Calendary.