A Margaret River success story is the highlight a new video to promote the National Disability Insurance Scheme trial in the lower South West.
The goal of the WA NDIS My Way model is to support people with a disability by identifying their strengths and needs, pathways to reach their aspirations and selecting services that would best meet these needs while forming links to natural support networks like people and local community groups.
The trial aims to assist a range of disabilities including psychosocial disability.
To fit into this category would be someone who endured a mental illness, which ahs resulted in being unresponsive to treatment and substantially reduces the ability to do daily routine activities.
This holds true for Ben White, the new face for the trial who was selected due to his fantastic response to the planning initiative, according to Disability Services Commission officer Kirsty Lawson.
Mr White suffers from a variety of mental disorders which impact his ability to manage his own life.
Mr White began to suffer from bouts of depression when he was 20 years old.
Since then, he has had a series of hospital visits, diagnoses and a brain injury affecting the path his life would take.
The slow climb back to independence began to take shape after being on the housing wait list for ten years before Mr White moved to Margaret River, 11 years ago.
In 2012, Mr White and his mother Veronica Ninham with the help of their family approached the local area co-ordinator for Disability Services who nominated Mr White to take part in the trial ‘My Way’ plan in 2014.
Under the trial, Mr White's life has been given direction once again.
He has returned to painting, a childhood gift which has captured the stages of his life, the style and palette choice offering an insight into his own struggle.
He has also quit smoking, lost weight and re-ignited his passion with various artistic elements, taking up photography and slowly returning to his love of surfing.
He even volunteers at the local Vinnies shop on a Tuesday morning, wanting to give back to the community he finally feels a part of.
The NDIS trial was introduced in 2014 and is unique as it involves two different disability service models being run in separate locations to determine their effectiveness.
The two trials will be evaluated to inform future disability services in WA.
Ms Ninham said Mr White had not been hospitalised since commencing the trial and felt if funding was to be cut, he would take dramatic steps backwards from what he has achieved.
“It’ll be a real step back for Ben if he loses that support,” Ms Ninham said.
Ms Ninham said the reason they participated in the video was to show their support for the trial that had helped Mr White on the path to recovery.
As of May 11, health minister Helen Morton said psychosocial disability was the most commonly identified primary disability for new people entering the WA NDIS My Way trial.
For more information on the trial, visit the Disability Services Commission website.
