NDIS participants in Cobar now have better access to consistent allied health services in their local community with the recent appointment of Joanne Morley as a therapy facilitator.
The Centre for Disability Studies (CDS) has employed three therapy facilitators to implement and monitor allied health programs in Cobar and also Coonamble and Coonabarabran.
CDS Disability Outreach Coordinator, Katherine Shannon said access to allied health professionals in regional communities has been very limited.
“In the communities of Cobar, Coonamble and Coonabarabran the frequency of a visit from allied health professional varies from fortnightly to once a school term.
“Recruiting local therapy facilitators to implement programs designed by an allied health professional will enable NDIS participants to access more regular services and increase the capacity of allied health professionals to respond to the demand for disability services in rural communities,” Ms Shannon said.
“Therapy facilitators can work with the NDIS participant’s existing allied health professional or CDS can work with the participant to find an allied health professional.”
Therapy facilitators will be supported in their role by Ms Shannon and they will meet quarterly in Dubbo for professional development, peer support, supervision and training.
Mrs Morley and her fellow therapy facilitators attended induction training in Dubbo last week and will start seeing clients in the coming weeks, with the support of allied health professionals who have designed programs for these NDIS participants.
The project has been made possible by a NSW Government Disability Sector Scale-Up Business Acceleration Grant.
