Functional Assessment & SNA: Psychosocial Disability & Autism

Workshop Duration: 1.5 hours

Cost: $90.00

Do fluctuating capacity and episodic function make assessments difficult to capture?

Are you unsure how to clearly justify support needs for psychosocial disability or autism?

This workshop builds structured, trauma informed assessment skills and NDIA aligned reporting clarity

Purchase this workshop

What will you learn?

In this workshop, you will gain practical knowledge and tools to:

Define functional capacity and Support Needs Assessment (SNA) within the NDIS context
Understand when functional capacity assessments are required for access, reviews and planning
Learn how the introduction of SNAs will impact our OT practice and completion of functional capacity assessments (an evolving space!)
Apply the ICF framework across communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self care and self management
Use a structured assessment process from referral screening through to interviews, observation, standardised tools and reporting
Assess function during periods of stability while capturing episodic and fluctuating capacity
Compare best day and worst day function to reflect real world support needs
Identify and clearly communicate functional impact, substantially reduced capacity and support requirements
Select appropriate assessment tools and triangulate standardised data with observation and lived experience
Use NDIA aligned language, support descriptors and ratios to strengthen clinical justification
Write clear, defensible reports that link function, goals and reasonable and necessary supports across Core, Capital and Capacity Building

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is designed for allied health professionals completing functional and support needs assessments under the NDIS. It will be particularly useful for:

Occupational Therapists new to completing functional capacity assessments
Occupational Therapists wanting to understand how Support Needs Assessments will impact their role in completing of FCAs
Occupational Therapists seeking to refine assessment quality and reporting clarity
OTs working with psychosocial disability, autism or co occurring conditions
OTs working in community, home based or private practice settings

Why attend?

In this workshop, you will:

Learn a structured, defensible approach to assessing fluctuating functional capacity
Strengthen trauma informed and participant centred assessment practices
Gain clarity around NDIA expectations for evidence and reporting
Improve confidence linking functional evidence to support needs and funding decisions
Access practical examples grounded in real NDIS assessment contexts

What's included?

Gain online access to the workshop – live workshops are delivered via Zoom, while self-paced options include access to recorded sessions
Download workshop slides and any resources provided by the presenter
Enjoy six months of access to the recording and resources via your Verve OT Learning Library
Receive a certificate of completion for your CPD records, available via email upon completion of the workshop

About the Presenter

Muriel Cummins is an Occupational Therapist with extensive experience across mental health and disability practice. In addition to being an OT, she holds a Master of Public Health. She has worked in clinical, not-for-profit, peak-body and private-practice settings.

A tireless advocate for an equitable, best-practice NDIS, Muriel sits on the Every Australian Counts steering Committee; on both NDIS and mental health Occupational Therapy Australia National Reference Groups; the Transforming Australia's Mental Health Service System (TAMHSS) committee; and the ICF-Australia Interest Group which explores the application of international frameworks in the Australian context.

Muriel co-founded the Occupational Therapy Society for Invisible and Hidden Disability (OTSi) and works to build this dynamic organisation.

She holds the Policy and Strategy Advisory role with the Australian Rehabilition and Assistive Technology Association (ARATA).

Her leadership was recognised when she received the Australian Allied Health Awards – Occupational Therapist of the Year (2022).

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What Are Others Saying?

"The workshop was highly insightful and provided a good overview of how to conduct FCA specifically tailored to individuals with psychosocial disabilities. This workshop is essential for OTs working within the NDIS space and will help OTs advocate effectively for their clients via reports."

Francesca B, Occupational Therapist

"Great workshop with insights into which assessments to consider using when completing Functional Capacity Assessments for Psychosocial disability. My key take away make sure the participant has a good understanding of what the assessment entails and i think OTs that work in mental health or those who are just starting to would benefit from this workshop."