Mental health conditions can cause profound, lasting limitations on a person’s ability to manage daily life. Yet people with mental health conditions often find it harder to access the NDIS funding they need — not because the NDIS does not cover mental health, but because the functional impact of their condition is not always clearly captured in clinical documentation. A thorough Functional Capacity Assessment can change this.

Mental health disability and the NDIS

The NDIS funds the functional impact of disability — including the functional impact of psychiatric conditions that are permanent or likely to be permanent. Conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, PTSD, complex PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, and personality disorders may all meet the NDIS access criteria where they result in significant functional limitation.

The NDIS does not fund a diagnosis. The evidence that determines what funding a participant receives is functional — it is about what the person can and cannot do, and what support they need to do it safely and consistently.

What does an FCA for mental health actually assess?

– Daily living and personal care

Mental health conditions — particularly depression and the negative symptoms of psychosis — can make even simple self-care tasks feel overwhelming. The FCA explores not just whether a person can physically manage these tasks, but whether they actually do them, how frequently, and what gets in the way.

– Self-management and daily organisation

For many people with mental health conditions, self-management is the most significantly affected area — managing finances, attending appointments, maintaining medications, keeping a tenancy, and responding to unexpected situations. Executive functioning difficulties are common and can make independent self-management extremely challenging.

– Daily routine and activity structure

Behaviour of concern often has a strong relationship with routine — with transitions, unstructured time, and demands placed on the participant during activities they find difficult. OT assessment of daily routines and environmental factors provides important context for understanding why behaviour occurs at particular times and settings.

– Community access and participation

Anxiety, agoraphobia, paranoia, and social withdrawal can significantly limit independent community access. The FCA explores what the person can and cannot access, what barriers exist, and what supports would allow greater participation.

– Social functioning

Maintaining relationships requires social and emotional capacities that can be profoundly affected by mental health conditions. The FCA assesses the quality and sustainability of the person’s social connections and their ability to manage interpersonal situations.

– Fluctuation and capacity across time

Perhaps the most important thing to capture in a mental health FCA is the fluctuating nature of many psychiatric conditions. The FCA asks about functioning across the full range of the person’s presentation — not just at the time of the assessment — to ensure the report captures genuine support needs.

How to refer

Sina OT’s team has specific clinical experience in psychosocial disability and mental health FCA. Assessments are completed in person in the participant’s home environment, with review of existing psychiatric and clinical documentation where available. Assessments are available across Adelaide and South Australia, and Melbourne.

Refer to Sina OT

Sina OT is an independent Occupational Therapy practice providing Functional Capacity Assessments across Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. All assessments are completed by experienced, registered Occupational Therapists. Services are available in English and Farsi (Persian). 400+ FCAs completed.