Expanding in the east to provide more NDIS support

Melbourne City Mission (MCM) has expanded its disability service Support Coordination to Melbourne’s eastern suburbs by opening a new site in Boronia.

Support Coordination is a service that assists National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants to understand their funding plan, find and connect to providers, and coordinate their services.

MCM Support Coordinators Tara Callaway and Miranda Chitty started working from the site on Boronia Road in April and are enjoying the opportunity to support people with disability, carers and families in the local community.

"As a Support Coordinator, I work with participants in Melbourne’s inner and outer eastern suburbs to access the most supports from their NDIS packages as possible," Miranda says.

Miranda brings both professional and personal experiences of the NDIS to her role.

"I am very familiar with the NDIS, given my experience of working with them with my daughter. I chose to become a Support Coordinator because I’m passionate about helping, supporting and advocating for people with disability and sharing my lived experience of working with the NDIS. I wanted to be able to make a difference in people’s lives," Miranda says.

The NDIS is expected to support 15,400 people in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs by 2020, including many people who may receive support services for the first time.

Tara, who has been working in the sector for 24 years, is equally driven to support people with disability and their families to better understand and make the most of the NDIS.

"Individuals and their families already have so much going on in their lives that they often don’t have the time or energy to investigate services that can support them. Service systems are hard to navigate at the best of times, so it can make such a difference to people to have the support of someone who knows how it works and knows of quality services in their local area," Tara says.

Since joining MCM in 2005, Tara has seen the transformational change of the NDIS first-hand and supported many people to transition to the scheme.

"I have witnessed the NDIS change not only participants’ lives but that of their whole families.

"The Support Coordination team at MCM are passionate and dedicated to helping people with disability and their families. I love being able to assist people to achieve great outcomes and improve the quality of their lives," Tara says.

MCM is an experienced, registered NDIS provider, with a range of disability services across Victoria

MCM has been delivering NDIS services since the start of the trial in the Barwon region, and in the years since has continued to grow its services and expertise.

Learn more about MCM’s Support Coordination service or call our Central Support Team on 1800 343 287.