Your first meeting with a provider
Below are some things to think about before your first meeting with a provider. They may help you to decide whether the provider and the supports and services they provide are right for you.
You may be able to find some answers before your meeting by looking at the provider’s website or talking to the person who made the appointment for you. You can also ask the provider at the meeting.
You don’t have to get answers for all these questions, and you may have other questions you want to ask.
You may want to write them down, so you don’t forget.
- How will this support help you with your disability-related needs?
- If you have received this support before, do you still need it/is it still helping you?
- Does your NDIS plan include funding for this support?
- How often do you want this support? How long is the appointment?
- What days do you want this support?
- What experience does the person who will give you the service have with your disability?
- How much will this support cost? (If self-managed, how does this price compare to the NDIS maximum price?)
- Are there other costs, like travel costs or report writing costs?
- Can the provider work with you when you need them to?
- How long does the provider think you will need the support?
- How can you get the most out of these supports?
- What do you need to bring to the session?
- How often will the provider review with you about whether the support is helping you?
- What experience does the provider/therapist have with the NDIS?
- If self-managed, how do you pay the provider – do they send an invoice and receipt?
- If plan-managed, do you need to do something for your plan manager to pay the provider?
- What do you want to know about the support?
- How can you change to a different support or stop the support when you don’t need it anymore?
The NDIS have created tip sheets with these questions that you can download: