Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Support work → practical help and day-to-day support, like providing prompts and reminders, working through life admin tasks or helping you organise things.

    Psychosocial recovery coaching (PRC) → building capacity, confidence, and skills to navigate daily life and services including the NDIS.

    Social work → skills-based, capacity-building targeted sessions focused on working through specific situations, challenges or barriers.

  • The main purpose is to avoid a conflict of interest. PRC (or Support Coordination) providers are in a position of power where they are supporting someone to make decisions about how they spend their NDIS funding. While strategies can be put in place to help minimise the potential influence, providing both PRC and support work to the same person at the same time can blur roles, influence decision making and create a further power imbalance.

    If you’re looking for PRC and other supports, and are usure which to trial, please don’t hesitate to contact us to chat about what might be most suitable for you specifically.

  • I (Cassie) haven’t been asked this yet but it’s something that I anticipate people may be curious about.

    There’s two main reasons:

    1. I love variety in my routine. I thrive on doing a mix of things and so in this context, that means offering different types of support in my work at Nearish.

    2. It’s about sustainability. Each service has different demands, and having a balance or mix helps me work in a way that’s sustainable for the long-term.

About Our Services

  • Most of our work is with NDIS participants, but we also work with people who pay privately.

  • The majority of services we provide are remote, with the exception of social work which is available with Cassie in person on a Friday in St Peters NSW.

    Our virtual support work, social work and psychosocial recovery coaching include via video call, phone, text, email, or a mix.

    While there are lots of people out there seeking in person support, there are many who prefer remote services for many reasons including accessibility.

    Virtual support means you’re not paying for provider travel time, don’t need to have someone in your own home or physical space, and can have support set up in a way that may reduce your energy expenditure.

  • You choose how to connect - video (Google Meet), phone, text, or email. For text/email, we agree on a time block that we are solely focused on communicating with you - just like in an in person meeting.

    If you’ve picked a video call session, we will send you a Google Meet link.

    You can change your mind about the session format at any point.

  • Nope, it’s optional. Some people like a quick chat first, others prefer to book in for a full session straight away.

  • Sessions - including a free initial chat - can be booked via our online booking system. Click the ‘Book Online’ button at the top of the website to access it. Pick which service you’re after and then select a booking time.

    You can also email or call us!

How We Work

  • Sometimes people have a clear idea of the support they’re seeking and sometimes they don’t. Both are completely okay! If you’re unsure, we’ll talk about your goals, needs, and preferences. Funding might affect which services you can access if you have an NDIS plan. We’ll also flag any NDIS rules (like PRC conflicts) that might affect the options.

  • Our team is neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed, and we work with people with a wide range of disabilities, mental health and life experiences.

    The below list isn’t exhaustive but we have extensive experience working with people with one or many of the following experiences/identities:

    • Psychosocial disability

    • Autism

    • ADHD

    • Chronic illness (including autoimmune conditions, ME/CFS, POTS and other forms of dysautonomia, MCAS, h/EDS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, migraine and more)

    • Trauma and complex trauma (including dissociation and multiplicity)

    • Queer and/or gender diverse folk

  • That’s completely fine! We can start with a conversation and figure it out together regardless of which service you’re accessing - there’s no need to have it all mapped out before we begin.

Finding the Right Fit

  • Nearish Support is currently not a registered NDIS provider. This means that participant’s whose funding is NDIA/agency-managed are unable to use their plan to access our services.

  • Some of the work we do happens outside our direct sessions and it still takes time and skill. It also supports the effectiveness and quality of the support provided during direct sessions.

    This can include:

    • Writing case notes

    • Preparing personalised resources

    • Sending a session summary

    • Updating your support plan

    • Communicating with other services

    • Making referrals

    • Writing reports

    For NDIS participants, the NDIA call this non-face-to-face support provision. It ensures your support is thorough, well-documented, and keeps things moving between sessions.

    The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits provides further information on this on page 21.

NDIS & Billing

Still have a question that’s not answered above? Ask away!