Maybe a support coordinator has told you the person needs behaviour support, and you are not sure how it gets paid for. Maybe you are reading a plan full of line items that do not seem to mention it anywhere. Maybe the funding ran out, or was never there to begin with. Working out how Positive Behaviour Support is funded under the NDIS can feel like its own puzzle. This guide walks you through it, one piece at a time.
01 . Which budget
Which NDIS budget funds Positive Behaviour Support
Positive Behaviour Support is funded through the NDIS Capacity Building budget. Capacity Building is the part of a plan that pays for building skills and support around a person, rather than day-to-day help.
Within Capacity Building, behaviour support sits under two named line items: Specialist Behaviour Support, and the Behaviour Support Plan item. On most plans these appear in the Improved Relationships category. On some newer plans, the same budget is shown under a heading called Behaviour Support. The wording on the page is not always the same from plan to plan.
There is also a third path. In some cases, behaviour support is funded under Improved Daily Living instead of, or alongside, Improved Relationships. This tends to happen when the work is closely tied to building daily living skills, independence, or taking part in the community.
If the category names are confusing, you are not alone. The label matters less than one thing: that your plan includes Capacity Building funding that covers behaviour support. Your support coordinator or plan manager can confirm which line item applies to your plan.
02 . What it covers
What the funding covers
Behaviour support funding covers the whole cycle of Positive Behaviour Support, not just the assessment or the plan on its own. It usually pays for:
- The functional behaviour assessment. Observation, conversations with the people who know the person well, gathering information, and writing it up. Our guide to functional behaviour assessment explains what this part involves.
- Writing the behaviour support plan. The plan sets out everyday strategies, goals for building skills, what to do in a difficult moment, and a plan to reduce any restrictive practices that are in place.
- Putting the plan into practice. Visits to support the plan across the places the person spends time: home, school, a day program, a group home, or the community.
- Training family, carers, and staff. Showing the people in the person’s life how to use the strategies, so everyone is doing the same thing.
- Monitoring and review. Tracking how things are going, adjusting the plan, and formal reviews at least once a year.
- Reporting to the NDIS Commission. Lodging the plan and providing the required reports where restrictive practices are involved.
What the funding does not usually cover is general disability support, allied health unrelated to the behaviour support plan, or equipment and home changes. Those are usually paid for under different parts of an NDIS plan.
03 . Who can ask
Who can request behaviour support funding
A few people can raise the need for Positive Behaviour Support funding in a plan:
- The participant can ask for it at a plan review or reassessment.
- A support coordinator can recommend it and provide evidence to the NDIA.
- A plan manager can advise on what funding is available and help coordinate the request.
- Family members or carers can raise it with the support coordinator or the Local Area Coordinator.
The strongest requests come with evidence. An allied health report, notes on what has been happening, feedback from a school, or a letter from a GP or support coordinator all help to show why behaviour support is needed.
The label on the plan matters less than one thing: that the funding to do the work is actually there.
04 . How your plan is managed
How plan management affects your choice of provider
The way your NDIS plan is managed shapes which behaviour support providers you can use.
Agency-managed. The NDIA manages the funding directly, and you use registered NDIS providers. Your support coordinator or the NDIA can help you find a registered behaviour support provider.
Plan-managed. A plan manager looks after the funding for you. You can use both registered and unregistered providers. The plan manager processes invoices and tracks spending against the budget.
Self-managed. You manage the funding yourself. You can use any provider, including unregistered practitioners. You pay invoices and keep the records. Self-management gives the most flexibility and the most paperwork.
For behaviour support there is one important rule that sits above all of this. If restrictive practices are in use, the practitioner must be a registered NDIS behaviour support practitioner, no matter how the plan is managed. That requirement is about the practitioner’s competency and the rules they work under, not about the type of plan.
Optimum Health Solutions works with plan-managed, agency-managed, and self-managed NDIS participants.
05 . When it is not in your plan
What to do if behaviour support is not in your plan
This is one of the most common frustrations families and support coordinators raise. The person clearly needs Positive Behaviour Support, but the current plan does not include the funding.
Here is what you can do.
1. Request a plan review. You can ask for a plan review at any time if your circumstances have changed. Evidence that behaviours of concern have increased, that current supports are not meeting the person’s needs, or that restrictive practices are being used without a plan can all support the request.
2. Ask your support coordinator or Local Area Coordinator to advocate. A support coordinator can write a letter or report to the NDIA explaining why behaviour support should be included. Specific evidence works far better than a general statement. Documented examples, how often things are happening, and the effect on the person’s daily life all carry more weight.
3. Gather supporting evidence. Reports from allied health practitioners, teachers, group home managers, or GPs that describe what is happening and why a behaviour support plan is needed all strengthen a review request.
4. Look at what can start in the meantime. If a plan review is months away and the situation is pressing, there are a few options. Some providers can begin an initial conversation or assessment using existing Capacity Building funds, if there is room in the budget. A support coordinator can advise whether that is possible on your plan.
A Medicare pathway can also help get started. A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan can fund up to five allied health services per calendar year. This is not a replacement for full NDIS-funded Positive Behaviour Support, but it can be a starting point. Private sessions are also available if you would rather begin without waiting.
Further reading
These guides cover the parts of Positive Behaviour Support that sit around the funding:
- What is Positive Behaviour Support? The full approach explained.
- What is a functional behaviour assessment? What the assessment process involves.
- Restrictive practices under the NDIS The regulated types and the obligations that come with them.
- What is behaviour support? Our introductory blog post.
For the official NDIS price limits, see the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
