Get short-term disability support in a crisis

If a crisis is threatening your health or wellbeing, you can get help from the Integrated Service Response Program. We can coordinate and may pay for your disability services for a short time.

What you can get will depend on your needs and age.

Check if you can get help

You must be:

• an ACT Resident
• under 65
• participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme or meet the disability criteria.

If you are in a crisis, we can still help you if you meet the NDIS disability criteria, and you are either:

• waiting to find out about your NDIS application or plan
• not eligible for NDIS because you do not meet the NDIS residence requirements.

You can get help from us if:

• you're at risk of harm or there's a risk you’ll harm someone
• your needs cannot be met through your National Disability Insurance Scheme package
• you need help to access other free government or community services.

You must also have a disability that means you need intensive support. For example:

• your disability makes it difficult to communicate, to interact socially, to learn, to move about or to care for yourself
• you will likely need support your whole life.

What you cannot get

You cannot get help to pay for:

• rent and other housing costs
• medical costs
• ongoing disability supports that the NDIS must provide
• disability supports that the health or education systems must provide.

How to get help

Someone who can assess your need for urgent help must:

1. Download and fill in the Integrated Service Response referral form [PDF 585kB].
2. Get you, your parent or legal guardian to sign the consent section.
3. Email the form to the Integrated Service Response Program.

A person who can assess your needs can be a:

• NDIS support coordinator
• disability services provider
• health professional
• housing worker
• Child Youth and Protection Services worker
• Office of the Public Advocate.

The person cannot be your parent or guardian.

Giving your consent

Your referrer will ask you, or your parent or legal guardian, to sign the referral form to prove you give your consent.

This means you agree for us to share information about you to get you the support you need.

We may share your details with other services such as:

• Housing ACT
• National Disability Insurance Agency
• government services such as housing, health, mental health, child protection and education.

Deciding what you need

We will make sure everyone works together to support your needs. This includes:

• the National Disability Insurance Agency
• disability service providers
• government services such as housing, health, mental health, child protection and education.

We will make sure you have the information you need to make an informed choice.

If we agree you need services from a disability service provider, they must be registered with the NDIS. We will pay the disability service provider.

Contact us