My Aged Care is the Australian Government's entry point for accessing aged care services. To get started, you can call 1800 200 422 or apply online at myagedcare.gov.au. You'll be asked about your needs and referred for an assessment. MyCareSpace can also help you understand your options before or after you register.

As of 1 November 2025, the Support at Home program replaced Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) under the new Aged Care Act. It provides older Australians with flexible, tailored in-home support through simplified budgets and clearer care levels, helping people remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

You are generally eligible if you are aged 65 or older (or 50 and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and need support with daily tasks or health care. Eligibility is confirmed through a formal assessment arranged via My Aged Care.

After registering with My Aged Care, an assessment organisation will contact you — usually within 2–6 weeks — to confirm your details and book an assessment. You can also be assessed in person at a Services Australia office with an Aged Care Specialist Officer (ACSO). The assessment determines what level of support you qualify for.

Support at Home can fund a wide range of services including personal care, domestic assistance, nursing, allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry), transport, social support, equipment and aids, and flexible respite care. Your specific services and budget will depend on your assessed needs.

Costs vary depending on the type of care and your financial situation. The Australian Government subsidises most aged care services, and you may be asked to contribute based on your income and assets. If you are unable to afford your care costs, you can apply for financial hardship assistance — the Government may cover some or all of your fees.

Yes. You have the right to choose the provider that best suits your needs, and you can switch providers if you are not satisfied. MyCareSpace can help you compare aged care providers in your area, understand your options, and connect you with services that have current availability.

Home care (now through the Support at Home program) supports you to remain living independently in your own home with assistance. Residential aged care (an aged care home or nursing home) is for older people who can no longer live at home and need ongoing daily care, accommodation, meals, and nursing support in a facility setting.

MyCareSpace is a free service that helps older Australians and their families find and connect with aged care providers. Whether you're just starting the My Aged Care process, looking for a Support at Home provider, or wanting to compare your options, our team can guide you through the system and match you with verified providers who have current availability.

Under the Aged Care Act 2024 (in force from 1 November 2025), you have strengthened rights including the right to safe, respectful, and high-quality care; the right to be involved in decisions about your care; and the right to raise concerns without fear. All government-funded aged care providers must meet the new Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, with greater accountability and protections than before.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is an evidence-based, person-centred approach funded through the NDIS that helps people with disability who experience behaviours of concern. Rather than focusing only on behaviour itself, PBS seeks to understand the meaning behind behaviour and meet unmet needs through supportive strategies.
PBS aims to improve quality of life, increase independence, reduce distress, and build skills, while reducing the need for restrictive practices.

A behaviour support plan is a personalised document developed by a registered positive behaviour support practitioner for someone experiencing behaviours of concern. The plan is built through assessment, observation and collaboration with the person, their family and their support team.
A positive behaviour support plan typically covers:
• Strengthening positive behaviours and personal interests
• Understanding the causes of behaviour, including the effects of trauma
• Developing proactive strategies to reduce behaviours of concern
• Outlining how to respond when behaviours occur
The plan is a working document that is reviewed and updated regularly as the person's needs and circumstances change.

MyCareSpace takes the stress out of finding PBS providers by doing the searching and availability checks for you. We take the time to understand the participant’s behaviour support needs, NDIS goals and preferred service settings, then find suitable practitioners with confirmed availability.
This saves you time, reduces delays and connects you with the right experts sooner.

Timeframes depend on where you live and the complexity of your support needs, but many participants are connected with PBS practitioners within days instead of months.
Because our team actively confirms availability, we help reduce long waitlists and make behaviour support more accessible.

MyCareSpace is free to use for NDIS participants, families and support coordinators. There is no fee to submit a request or to be connected with therapy providers.

The cost of therapy services themselves is billed by the provider in line with NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant’s plan. Our role is to help you find the right provider with availability, without adding additional cost or pressure to your NDIS journey.

Behaviour support practitioners must be registered in their individual right with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. To become registered, a practitioner must complete an assessment and submit an application demonstrating they are suitable to undertake behaviour support assessments, including functional behaviour assessments, and to develop behaviour support plans.
Once registered, PBS practitioners must also:
• Be supervised by behaviour support practitioners with a greater level of experience
• Provide evidence of their capabilities to the NDIS Commission via a self-assessment
• Maintain their individual registration regardless of whether they work for a registered or unregistered NDIS provider
When using MyCareSpace, you can be confident that the practitioners we connect you with meet these registration requirements.

The PBS practitioner themselves must always be individually registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. However, the provider organisation they work for does not need to be a registered NDIS provider, provided no restrictive practices are being implemented.
If a behaviour support plan includes restrictive practices, only a registered NDIS provider can implement those practices.
Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants can choose to use unregistered providers for positive behaviour support, as long as the practitioner delivering the service holds individual registration. Agency-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider.

PBS is available to NDIS participants who experience behaviours of concern that affect their safety, participation or quality of life. This can include children, adolescents and adults.
PBS involves collaboration with families, carers, support workers and other clinicians to ensure consistent support across environments.

Yes. Support coordinators, LACs and plan managers regularly use MyCareSpace to connect participants with PBS practitioners who have availability.
Our service helps reduce delays, supports urgent placements and saves time for busy coordinators.

Positive Behaviour Supports are funded under "Behaviour Supports" (previously called “Improved Relationships”) in an NDIS Plan.
Specifically, this funding should appear as:
• Specialist Behavioural Intervention Support
• Behaviour Management Plan Incl. Training In Behaviour Management Strategies

Positive behaviour support is an evidence-based approach that seeks to understand the reasons behind behaviours of concern and develop proactive strategies to meet a person's needs in better ways. The focus is always on improving quality of life and building skills.
Restrictive practices are interventions that restrict a person's rights or freedom of movement, such as physical restraint, seclusion, chemical restraint or environmental restraint. These are regulated under the NDIS and can only be used as a last resort with strict oversight from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
The goal of positive behaviour support is to reduce and ultimately eliminate the need for restrictive practices. If restrictive practices are currently in place, a behaviour support plan must be developed by a registered PBS practitioner, and only a registered NDIS provider can implement those practices.

An NDIS psychologist supports people with disability to improve emotional wellbeing, build coping skills and strengthen everyday independence. Psychology under the NDIS is focused on helping participants manage the mental health and emotional challenges that can impact daily life, relationships, learning, work and community participation.
A psychologist works alongside the participant to understand their goals, provide evidence-based strategies, and support areas such as anxiety, emotional regulation, trauma, behaviour, confidence and social connection.

Under the NDIS, both general psychologists and clinical psychologists can deliver psychological supports. The key difference is the level of training and the NDIS pricing tier.
A general psychologist holds a minimum four-year degree plus supervised practice. A clinical psychologist has completed additional postgraduate training (typically a masters or doctorate in clinical psychology) and is endorsed by the Psychology Board of Australia. Clinical psychologists may charge at a higher NDIS rate due to their advanced training.
Both can provide therapy, assessments and reports for NDIS participants. The right choice depends on the participant's needs, goals and plan funding.

MyCareSpace takes the pressure off families and participants who are spending weeks or months searching for the right provider.
Our Connections Team learns about the participant’s needs, preferred location and therapy goals, then searches across our network of verified psychologists Australia wide. We confirm appointment availability before connecting you, so you can access support sooner.

An NDIS psychologist can support participants with a wide range of mental health, emotional and behavioural needs. These include:
• Managing anxiety, stress and emotional overwhelm
• Support with depression and low mood
• Trauma-informed therapy and recovery support
• Psychosocial disability and mental health capacity building
• Autism-related emotional and social support
• Behavioural challenges and regulation strategies
• Social connection, relationships and communication
• Support during life transitions, grief or adjustment
Your psychologist will tailor their approach based on your individual goals, environment and NDIS plan.

Connection time depends on your location and support needs, but many participants are matched with available psychologists within days.
Because our team checks current availability directly with providers, we can often reduce long wait times and help you start therapy earlier.

Yes. MyCareSpace is completely free for NDIS participants, families and support coordinators.
There is no cost to submit a request or receive provider options. Psychology sessions are billed by the provider according to NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant’s plan.

To help us find the best psychology match quickly, we ask for a small amount of information, such as:
Participant location and preferred service delivery (clinic, outreach, telehealth)
NDIS plan details
The type of psychological support needed
Who the request is being submitted for
This allows our team to connect you with suitable providers faster.

A child psychologist working under the NDIS supports emotional development, behaviour, learning and social participation. This can include help with:
• Anxiety and school refusal
• Autism and emotional regulation
• Behavioural challenges
• Building social confidence
• Parent support and family strategies
Child psychologists may also provide reports to assist with early intervention and plan reviews. MyCareSpace can connect you with child psychologists who have current availability in your area.

NDIS psychology for adults focuses on improving mental wellbeing, independence and community participation. Supports may include:
Trauma recovery and psychosocial disability support
Managing anxiety or depression
Building coping strategies and routines
Increasing social connection and confidence
Support during major life transitions
Psychologists can also provide evidence and reports to support ongoing NDIS funding.

Psychology is funded under the Capacity Building category of an NDIS plan, specifically under Improved Daily Living (Assessment, Recommendation, Therapy and Training). The NDIS Price Guide sets different maximum hourly rates depending on the psychologist's level of qualification and registration.
If psychology funding is included in your plan, you can typically begin services straight away. If it is not included, a psychologist may provide an assessment or report to support a funding request or plan review.
MyCareSpace can connect you with psychologists experienced in NDIS documentation and evidence-based support.

Yes. Support coordinators, LACs and plan managers regularly use MyCareSpace to help participants access psychologists with current availability.
Our service saves time, reduces delays and supports faster access to mental health and wellbeing supports.

No, you do not need a GP referral or mental health care plan to access psychology under the NDIS. If your NDIS plan includes funding for psychology under Capacity Building supports, you can access psychological services directly.
A GP mental health care plan is a separate Medicare pathway and is not required for NDIS-funded psychology.
Self-managed and plan-managed participants can choose any qualified psychologist, while agency-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider. MyCareSpace can help you find a psychologist with availability regardless of how your plan is managed.

Speech therapy, also known as speech pathology, supports people to communicate effectively and safely. For NDIS participants, speech therapy can help with speech development, language, understanding, social interaction, communication aids and swallowing difficulties.
A speech therapist works with you to understand your goals, assess communication needs, and provide strategies, therapy programs, assistive communication supports or reports for NDIS funding.

A speech therapist and a speech pathologist are the same profession. In Australia, the formal title is speech pathologist, and the field is known as speech pathology. However, many people use the term speech therapist in everyday language.
Both titles refer to a qualified allied health professional who assesses and treats communication and swallowing difficulties. All practising speech pathologists in Australia hold a university degree and are eligible for membership with Speech Pathology Australia.

Under the NDIS, speech pathology services are funded as allied health therapy supports.

MyCareSpace removes the stress and guesswork from finding the right speech therapist. Instead of searching directories, contacting multiple providers or joining long waitlists, our Connections Team does the work for you.
We take the time to understand the participant’s needs, location, preferences and NDIS plan, then search across our network of verified speech therapy providers Australia wide. We confirm availability before connecting you, so you receive options that are suitable and ready to support you.

An NDIS speech therapist can provide a wide range of supports depending on the participant's goals and needs. These include:
• Speech clarity and pronunciation
• Language development and understanding
• Social communication and conversation skills
• Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) supports
• Stuttering and fluency therapy
• Support for adults after stroke, injury or neurological conditions
• Feeding and swallowing difficulties
• Communication support for autism and developmental delay
Your speech therapist will tailor their approach based on your individual goals, environment and NDIS plan.

MyCareSpace is free to use for NDIS participants, families and support coordinators. There is no fee to submit a request or to be connected with speech therapy providers.

The cost of speech therapy services themselves is billed by the provider in line with NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant’s plan. Our role is to help you find the right provider with availability, without adding additional cost or pressure to your NDIS journey.

NDIS Paediatric speech therapy focuses on building skills needed for communication, learning and social participation. Child speech therapy may support:
Language development
Speech sounds and clarity
Social interaction and play communication
Communication support for autism
Feeding and swallowing challenges
Parent coaching and early intervention
Speech therapists may also provide assessments and reports to support NDIS plan reviews.

NDIS speech therapy for adults supports independence, communication and safety. Adult speech therapy may focus on:
Communication after stroke or brain injury
Voice and fluency support
Social communication skills
AAC systems for complex needs
Swallowing and mealtime safety
Capacity building for community participation
Speech therapists can also provide reports for funding decisions and ongoing supports.

No, you do not need a GP referral to access speech therapy under the NDIS. If your NDIS plan includes funding for speech therapy under Capacity Building supports, you can access speech pathology services directly.
Self-managed and plan-managed participants can choose any qualified speech pathologist, while agency-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider.
MyCareSpace can help you find a speech therapist with availability regardless of how your plan is managed.

Yes. Support coordinators, plan managers and LACs regularly use MyCareSpace to help participants find speech therapists with current availability.

Our service helps reduce delays, saves time and supports faster connection to therapy, particularly when participants have complex needs or urgent support requirements.

Speech therapy is typically funded under the Capacity Building category of an NDIS plan, specifically under Improved Daily Living (Assessment, Recommendation, Therapy and Training). Capital supports may also fund assistive communication technology such as AAC devices. If speech therapy funding is already included in your plan, you can usually begin services straight away. If it is not currently included, a speech therapist may complete an assessment or report to support a plan review or funding request. MyCareSpace can connect you with speech pathology providers experienced in NDIS assessments and reporting.

Occupational therapy supports people to participate in everyday activities that are important to their independence, health and wellbeing. For NDIS participants, occupational therapy can help with daily living skills, mobility, self care, communication, sensory processing, and participation at home, school, work or in the community.


MyCareSpace removes the stress and guesswork from finding the right occupational therapist. Instead of searching through directories, contacting multiple providers or joining long waitlists, our Connections Team does the work for you.

We take the time to understand the participant’s needs, location, preferences and NDIS plan, then search across our network of verified occupational therapy providers Australia wide. We confirm availability before connecting you, so you receive options that are suitable and ready to support you. This service is designed to save time and reduce delays in accessing therapy.

Timeframes can vary depending on location, service type and individual needs, but in many cases MyCareSpace is able to connect people with occupational therapists within days rather than months.

Our team actively checks provider availability and prioritises therapists who have appointments available now or short wait times. For families and participants who have been searching for extended periods, this can make a significant difference in getting supports started sooner.

MyCareSpace is free to use for NDIS participants, families and support coordinators. There is no fee to submit a request or to be connected with occupational therapy providers.

The cost of occupational therapy services themselves is billed by the provider in line with NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant’s plan. Our role is to help you find the right provider with availability, without adding additional cost or pressure to your NDIS journey.

To help us quickly connect you with suitable therapy providers who have availability, we ask for a small amount of information when you submit a request. This allows our Connections Team to accurately match your needs.

Relevant NDIS plan details

Confirmation of who you are submitting the request forThis allows our Connections Team to quickly find suitable providers and check availability on your behalf.

NDIS occupational therapy for adults supports independence, safety and participation in daily life. Adult OT may focus on daily living skills, mobility, work or study participation, community access, sensory regulation and mental health support.

OTs can also recommend assistive technology, home modifications and complete assessments or reports to support NDIS funding decisions.

No, you do not need a GP referral to access occupational therapy under the NDIS. If your NDIS plan includes funding for occupational therapy under Capacity Building or Capital supports, you can access OT services directly.
Self-managed and plan-managed participants can choose any qualified occupational therapist, while agency-managed participants must use a registered NDIS provider.
MyCareSpace can help you find an occupational therapist with availability regardless of how your plan is managed.

Yes. Support coordinators, plan managers and LACs regularly use MyCareSpace to help participants find occupational therapists with current availability.

Our service helps reduce delays, saves time and supports faster connection to therapy, particularly when participants have complex needs or urgent support requirements.

Occupational therapy is funded under the Capacity Building category of an NDIS plan, and can also be funded under Capital supports for assistive technology and housing modifications. Specifically, OT services typically fall under Improved Daily Living (Assessment, Recommendation, Therapy and Training). If OT funding is already included in your plan, you can usually begin services straight away. If OT is not currently included, an occupational therapist may complete an assessment or report to support a plan review or funding request. MyCareSpace can help connect you with OT providers experienced in NDIS reporting and assessments.

While both are allied health professionals funded under the NDIS, occupational therapists and physiotherapists have different areas of focus.
An occupational therapist helps people participate in everyday activities and daily living tasks, focusing on function, independence, assistive technology, home modifications and sensory processing.
A physiotherapist focuses primarily on movement, physical function, strength, mobility and pain management. For more detail refer to our useful resource: https://mycarespace.com.au/resources/what-is-the-difference-between-occupational-and-physiotherapy-in-the-ndis
Many NDIS participants benefit from both services working together. MyCareSpace can help you find both occupational therapists and physiotherapists with availability.