Rani’s story – getting the right supports for her family

Rani had recently migrated to Australia from India with her husband and three young children. One of her sons, Aarav, was six years old and had autism. Aarav was receiving therapy through the NDIS, including speech and occupational therapy, but the family was struggling. They didn’t have extended family nearby, were at risk of losing their rental housing, and couldn’t provide the one-on-one care Aarav needed. Rani was trying to juggle parenting, work and household tasks – and she was feeling increasingly overwhelmed. She was also at risk of carer burnout and experiencing suicidal thoughts.

A social worker met with the family and carried out a comprehensive social work assessment – looking at Aarav’s therapy needs as well as the family’s housing, finances, work commitments and support networks. The social worker identified four key risks affecting Aarav and his family. She then contacted the local area coordinator and asked for changes to their NDIS plan, recommending the addition of core supports (day-to-day help) and capacity building therapeutic supports (services to help the family improve their skills and independence).

The social worker looked at the whole picture, not just one area of need.

With these new supports in place, the family was able to get practical help at home, make the environment safer for Aarav, and give Rani some much-needed breathing space amongst other positive outcomes. This meant the family could function better as a unit and better support Aarav’s development.

Social workers can help NDIS participants and families get the right support across all areas of life – not just therapy.

Emily’s story – building confidence and independence

Emily was a teenager with autism. She experienced social anxiety, learning difficulties and sensory sensitivities, and often found it overwhelming to leave the house. At the time she met her social worker, she wasn’t attending school or social activities and didn’t see a clear future for herself.

Social workers can provide therapeutic supports that help people build emotional regulation, life skills, and social participation.

Emily’s accredited mental health social worker began with a functional assessment – a review of Emily’s daily life, challenges, and the barriers holding her back. She then delivered therapeutic interventions that addressed the problems Emily was experiencing in her environment and aimed to build her psychosocial capacity. Together, they developed strategies for managing her energy, improving emotional regulation, and setting realistic goals for routines, communication and participation. The social worker also worked closely with Emily’s support workers, turning her goals into clear plans that could be reviewed and adjusted as she made progress.

The social worker helped Emily navigate the challenges in her everyday life and build the skills to reach her goals.

Four years later, Emily had completed a Certificate III course at TAFE, was enrolling in a course to work in the beauty industry and was socially active. She was still living at home but was working towards living independently.

Mental health social workers can provide therapeutic supports under the NDIS that build emotional regulation, life skills and social participation.

Maya’s story – making a plan that works in real life

Maya was a single mum raising three children, all with significant disabilities including autism. One of her children sometimes had severe meltdowns that required calling an ambulance and, at times, hospital care. Their upstairs apartment was unsafe because one child could climb the balcony rail. They had no friends or family nearby, and Maya was struggling to put her NDIS support plan into action. Another NDIS provider referred her to a social worker because she was having difficulty enacting her plan.

Social workers can help families make sense of complex situations and turn support plans into something they can actually use.

The social worker assessed what daily life was like in the family home, mapping relationships, available services, and the barriers stopping them from getting help. She found that the family was isolated, the children’s behaviours were affecting one another, and significant barriers were preventing them from using the supports they already had.

The social worker developed a holistic plan that addressed immediate safety risks, identified services that could be provided, and looked at what was stopping those services from working. She also considered Maya’s capacity to act – sometimes providing short-term help to ‘calm’ situations so that Maya could then manage independently. She worked with the family to find more accessible housing, developed a budget for their NDIS supports, and coordinated with other professionals, including the children’s school, to put the plan into action.

At first, the social worker checked in daily, but as Maya’s confidence grew, this reduced to occasional calls. Within two months, Maya was running the plan herself, calling on support only when needed. The family was safer, better connected, and more able to use their NDIS supports effectively. Maya also became more independent in exercising choice and control over her supports.

Social workers can help NDIS participants and families build the skills and confidence to use their supports and live more independently.

Liam’s story – reducing stress by changing the environment

Liam was a wheelchair user with reduced upper limb function, an acquired brain injury, and communication difficulties. At the time he met his social worker he was living in 24/7 supported accommodation but was having frequent outbursts, damaging property, and sometimes acting aggressively towards staff.

Liam’s social worker, who was also a registered behaviour support practitioner, carried out a functional behavioural assessment – looking at possible triggers for his distress, the physical setup of his home, and the dynamics of his relationships with staff, family, and other key people in his life.

One key issue emerged when Liam was confined to bed and urgently needed to use the bathroom, but because of his reduced upper limb function, he couldn’t use the urine bottle on his own, and communication difficulties meant staff sometimes didn’t realise he needed help straight away. The delays left him feeling powerless and frustrated, often leading to verbal outbursts and damage to objects nearby.

Social workers look at the person in the context of their whole environment to find practical solutions that improve quality of life.

The social worker recommended installing a call bell system so Liam could get help immediately, and repositioning staff so they were close enough to respond quickly. She also worked with Liam’s family to arrange a move to specialist disability accommodation – a setting better suited to his needs, where staff were based next to his living area and could respond promptly.

With these changes in place, Liam’s distress was reduced significantly. His outbursts became rare, his self-esteem improved, and he had a renewed sense of dignity and control over his daily life.

Social workers look at the person in the context of their whole environment to find practical solutions that help improve quality of life for NDIS participants.

Noah’s story – shaping a life based on his choices

Noah was a young man with autism who didn’t speak. He lived with his family and received extensive daily in-home support, attended activities with his NDIS service provider twice a week, and saw both a speech therapist and a positive behaviour specialist. But most of his days were spent being “looked after” rather than doing things that made him feel valued. He had few friendships, no hobbies, and no real say in how his support was delivered.

Social workers help people clarify what they want from life and make sure supports line up with those goals.

Noah’s social worker worked with him and his family to develop a clear vision of the life he wanted – including hobbies, social opportunities, housing needs, and financial options. She then brought together the people involved in Noah’s care to explain this vision, outline the steps to achieve it, and agree on how each support worker’s shift could directly contribute to these goals. She also set up an evaluation process so everyone could track progress and adjust as needed.

Importantly, the social worker helped Noah and his family build the skills to advocate for themselves – to communicate clearly with providers, understand their rights, and take constructive action if needs weren’t being met.

The results were immediate and life-changing. Noah made friends, became active in his community, and even hosted a birthday party for ten guests. He was starting to think about living independently – something that hadn’t even been discussed before.

Social workers can help NDIS participants and their families align supports with personal goals and build the skills to speak up for what they need.

Sophie’s story – reducing anxiety and building connections

Sophie was a 14-year-old with autism, acute anxiety, and severe OCD symptoms, particularly around showering. She also had frequent outbursts and couldn’t regulate her behaviour. She avoided psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, and had been ruthlessly bullied in the past, leaving her with very low self-esteem.

Social workers use therapeutic approaches to help people improve their social function and participation.

Sophie’s social worker began by creating a safe, trusting environment and because of Sophie’s anxiety, her parents attended the first eight sessions with her.

As a pathway to support her to navigate daily life and deepen her self-understanding as an autistic person, the social worker used EMDR therapy to help Sophie process the trauma of being an Autistic person in a neurotypical world  Over six months, Sophie’s OCD symptoms and unhealthy coping mechanisms reduced, and she began to understand her own triggers and how to manage them.

The social worker then introduced conversations about community connection and access – preparing Sophie to set specific goals for getting out into the community. The plan included engaging a support worker or therapy assistant to help her with these goals. Over time, the social work sessions were reduced, with the aim of eventually stepping back altogether.

With this approach, Sophie was able to reduce her anxiety, improve her coping skills, and start preparing for more active community participation.

Social workers can provide therapeutic supports under the NDIS that reduce distress, build coping skills, and open the door to community participation.

Mark’s story – overcoming trauma to reconnect socially

Mark was living with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. Past traumatic experiences left him unable to connect with people in dating situations and struggling to maintain friendships. His confidence was low, and he often avoided community activities altogether.

Social workers can use therapeutic approaches to address trauma, shift perspectives, and build skills that help people participate more fully in life.

Mark’s social worker began by focusing on his PTSD symptoms, using EMDR therapy to help him reprocess past trauma so it no longer had the same intense effect. These weekly sessions ran for nearly a year, and during that time, Mark made enormous progress – the severe PTSD responses that once dominated his life stopped, and he began speaking more positively about himself.

The next step was a ‘paradigm shift’. The social worker supported Mark to move from thinking of himself as someone with a severe mental illness to seeing himself as neurodivergent. This gave him a more empowering self-identity and helped him understand that his brain simply worked differently, meaning he needed different kinds of support. Mark described this change as life-changing.

From there, the social worker introduced practical strategies to help Mark engage socially – including dating scripts, narrative therapy to reshape unhelpful stories about himself, and cognitive behavioural techniques to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns. Together, they practised constructive responses to fears about dating and interacting with others.

Over time, Mark’s confidence grew. He was able to handle social situations more positively, opening the door to greater social inclusion and community participation. His increased capacity also meant his next NDIS plan required less funding for capacity-building supports.

Social workers can use therapeutic approaches to address trauma, shift perspectives, and build skills that help people participate more fully in life.

Jade’s story – learning to self-advocate for services

Jade was a mother with autism, complex PTSD, and a personality disorder. Her three children also had autism. Life was stressful, and she found it difficult to get the services her family needed.

A big part of the problem was how she was perceived. When something triggered her – such as a GP commenting on her weight – her behaviour could quickly escalate. She masked well enough at first that people didn’t realise she had a disability or a serious mental health condition. Instead, they sometimes assumed her behaviour was linked to drug or alcohol abuse.

This misunderstanding made it hard to maintain relationships with providers. Jade had been through multiple GPs – sometimes leaving when she felt offended, other times being told the clinic could no longer see her. She was eventually flagged as a ‘doctor shopper’. Centrelink had escorted her out after outbursts, and some pharmacies refused to dispense her medication unless she was accompanied. She did have a support worker for some appointments, but they couldn’t help her regulate her behaviour.

Social workers can help people build capacity and provide immediate support so they can get the services they need.

Jade’s social worker prepared her before each appointment. They talked about the purpose of the visit, the likely topics, and whether Jade wanted to take the lead.

They also worked on her self-advocacy skills. Jade tended to get stuck on minor details, which left no time to cover important points. The social worker helped her set a clear agenda and write concise, objective emails to send before appointments – sometimes using AI tools to make the language less confrontational.

Over three years, Jade’s behaviour at appointments became more regulated. She was able to keep the same GP, maintain consistent care, and get the support she and her children needed. She also became more confident at managing these situations herself, with the long-term goal of having a support worker take over the role the social worker had been providing.

Social workers can provide both immediate support and long-term skill building to help people maintain access to essential services.

Caleb’s story – finding safe accommodation in a crisis

Caleb was in his early 20s, on the autism spectrum, and receiving a disability support pension. He was living in a swag in the bush – without electricity, the ability to recharge his phone, or access to other amenities. It was unsafe, but temporary accommodation options through mainstream homelessness services weren’t suitable. Shared environments triggered his sensory sensitivities, and staff in those settings often weren’t equipped to understand or support his needs.

The NDIS support coordinator working with Caleb contacted a social worker to help him find somewhere to stay until his supported independent living arrangement could be finalised.

Social workers can respond quickly in a crisis while also building a person’s capacity for future independence.

Caleb’s social worker took time to listen to him without cutting him off, which helped him feel heard and built trust. She learned about his needs, what he could afford, and what kinds of environments he could manage.

Together, they explored accommodation options, quickly ruling out places that would be too noisy or unfamiliar. When they settled on a possibility, it was framed as ‘just trying it for one night’ so it didn’t feel like a big, overwhelming commitment.

Some stays were in shared accommodation with common kitchens and bathrooms, which Caleb found overwhelming. The social worker acknowledged his discomfort but praised his flexibility for ‘giving it a go’. She also negotiated lower rates where possible so his limited finances would stretch further.

After two weeks, his supported independent living arrangement was ready, and Caleb moved in. The process not only gave him somewhere safe to stay but also helped him build confidence in making decisions under pressure – a skill he could use in the future.

Social workers can respond quickly in a crisis, helping NDIS participants navigate urgent situations while also building their capacity to make decisions more independently.

Priya’s story – supporting a family through crisis and beyond

Priya was a mother of three children. The family had migrated from India, and one of her sons, aged seven, had autism. He needed constant one-on-one supervision because of violent behaviour toward family members, property damage, and other safety risks. Priya’s husband worked in a job that took him away from home for days at a time, leaving her as the main carer.

Before the social worker became involved, the family had been using their NDIS core support funding for in-home help and for intensive Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy over the summer holidays. They hadn’t realised this would quickly use up their budget. When the funds ran out, they could no longer pay for in-home support, leaving Priya under extreme pressure. Her mental health deteriorated, and she experienced suicidal ideation.

The in-home support they had been using came from unregistered providers – chosen because they could supply workers who spoke Hindi or Urdu and were available at short notice. But this arrangement had major drawbacks: poor handover between workers, last-minute cancellations, and even unauthorised restrictive practices like physically carrying the child when he refused to move.

 Social workers can coordinate complex situations, responding to urgent risks while also laying the groundwork for sustainable long-term supports.

As a specialist support coordinator, the social worker acted immediately. She secured short-term funding to reinstate help in the home and set up a digital communication system to improve coordination. This included a ‘shift notes’ channel where support workers and therapists could share updates after each shift, and a ‘shift change’ channel for rescheduling, so Priya no longer had to manage last-minute changes directly. These measures improved accountability and reduced the number of cancellations.

The social worker also helped resolve issues between the school and the family, supported Priya to access mental health services and respite, and worked with child protection to put extra safeguards in place for the children. At the same time, she was gathering evidence to secure longer-term, more stable support from registered providers. With these measures in place, immediate stressors were reduced, and the groundwork for longer-term support was underway.

Social workers can coordinate complex situations, responding to urgent risks while laying the groundwork for sustainable long-term supports.

Arjun’s story – helping a family embrace their child’s strengths

Arjun was a seven-year-old boy with autism. His parents, who had migrated from overseas, were struggling to connect with him and create opportunities within his abilities. In their home country, disability was often hidden, and they felt ashamed of some of Arjun’s behaviours – such as avoiding eye contact, not greeting visitors, and flapping his hands.

The family had no informal support networks in Australia, and they worried about Arjun’s future wellbeing and happiness. They were receiving NDIS funding for therapy and supports and had chosen to engage an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) provider to ‘treat’ Arjun’s autism. This approach focused on trying to change his behaviours rather than accepting his differences and building on his strengths.

Arjun’s social worker worked with his parents to explore their fears, reflect on their beliefs, and understand autism in a different Australian context. She helped them see that their focus on ‘fixing’ Arjun was creating distance between them, and that acceptance could open the door to more meaningful opportunities.

Social workers can help families reframe how they see disability and find new ways to support participation.