The Commonwealth Department of Health Disability and Ageing (DHDA) funds our Individual Advocacy through the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP).
As a cross disability membership organisation, we provide advocacy for clients with any type of disability, including:
- intellectual
- psychiatric
- sensory
- physical; or
- any combination of these
However, clients must live within our Melbourne Metropolitan allocated intake area.
We provide people with disabilities access to effective individual advocacy support which promotes and protects their rights by helping to remove barriers to their full and equal participation in the community.
We give priority to people with disabilities who are facing complex and difficult challenges where they feel unable to act, speak or write about a difficult situation on their own, or do not have the support required to resolve an issue.
Waiting List for Individual Advocacy
We have a Waiting list because there are more people with disabilities who require advocacy support than we have the staff, funding and time available to meet.
This means not everyone who is eligible for support will get it straight away. There will be times when demand is so high that the Waiting List is closed. This is because we cannot provide a service within a reasonable time frame. During these times we are unable to accept any new intake requests for Advocacy.
How long will you have to wait?
The amount of time you spend on the Individual Waiting List is determined by:
How urgent the issue is
For example:
- deadline for lodging an internal review of a decision about their NDIS Plan
- tribunal hearing next week
- eviction notice
- cancellation of pension
- is homeless or at risk of homelessness
- involved in the justice system or
- is a witness or a victim of crime
The circumstances of the person with a disability
Whether the person with a disability:
- Is a victim of abuse, neglect or violence
- Is in imminent danger
- Is vulnerable to exploitation.
- Has the capacity to self-advocate
- Has family or other supports in place that can help them.
- Needs reasonable adjustments to participate in the Advocacy process.
What happens when a Disability Advocate is allocated?
At DJA, once an individual with disability has been placed on our Waiting list, a Disability Advocate will be allocated when their Waiting List time is up to provide information, help them explore their options and work through issues, make informed decisions and develop an Individual Advocacy Plan with clear steps and timelines to help them achieve their goal.
By working this way with individuals with disabilities we can help them:
- understand and exercise their rights
- self-advocate, wherever possible
- identify and address situations of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation
- understand and/or access Centrelink and other government services
- lodge an application to become a Participant in the NDIS
- Lodge an internal review if they think their NDIS Plan is wrong for them
- find and use community services, including legal services
- request extra support (such as reasonable adjustments) at school or work.
- Advocate for reasonable adjustments to keep them employed
- Have repairs done to their government allocated housing
- Support them with interactions with Victoria Police, Public Transport Ticket Inspectors, local councils, service providers such as banks and insurance companies and, neighbourhood disputes
Please use the Contact Us page if you need Individual Advocacy support.
If your issue is legal, our Legal Advocacy page explains the services we specialise in.