Introduction
The After Hours Crisis Referral Service (AHCRS) is a service designed to assist adults (aged 18 and over) who are enrolled as NDIS participants. It provides support when these individuals with complex needs are facing a crisis due to a breakdown in their regular disability-related supports.
NDIS After-Hours Crisis Referral Service
This program offers an After-Hours Crisis Referral Service specifically for urgent situations that demand a response from the disability sector. This service is accessible only to authorised referrers, including emergency service organisations like the police and ambulance services, public and private hospitals, acute state mental health services, federal police, and state justice officers.
Crisis referrals come into play when a participant’s disability-related support suddenly isn’t working well, isn’t enough, or is completely unavailable. This happens when the participant or their existing support coordinator can’t quickly put in place short-term solutions or access the in-house support mentioned in their NDIS plan.
NDIS After-Hours Crisis Referral Service (AHCRS): Providing Emergency Support Beyond Business Hours
The NDIS After-Hours Crisis Referral Service (AHCRS) provides a dedicated communication channel via a toll-free number (1800) for authorised emergency service personnel to access outside of standard business hours. This service is specifically intended for instances where individuals aged 18 and over require emergency assistance due to a disruption in their disability-related support.
When we say “outside business hours,” we mean times beyond the usual weekday work hours, which include evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., as well as weekends and public holidays.
“Approved referrers” encompass various emergency service organisations, including ambulance services, public and private hospitals, police, acute state mental health services, and state justice officers. Each state and territory government has collaborated with the NDIA to determine approved referrers in their respective regions. The 1800 number has been disseminated to all relevant emergency services across states and territories.
Marathon Health administers this service on behalf of the NDIA. However, it’s essential to note that existing crisis and escalation procedures during regular business hours, such as contacting the NDIS National Contact Centre at 1800 800 110 or your local NDIS representative, continue to be available.
The AHCRS does not replace the roles of state and territory mainstream or emergency services. State and territory governments remain responsible for ensuring that people with disabilities can access mainstream services, including housing and homelessness support, family violence assistance, and other crisis services.
In the case of a crisis related to your disability support or if your health and well-being are in immediate jeopardy, please don’t hesitate to seek immediate assistance by dialing 000 to contact emergency services.
Conclusion:
The NDIS After-Hours Crisis Referral Service (AHCRS) plays a crucial role in the NDIS programme during crises. It operates beyond regular hours, assisting authorised emergency services in responding swiftly. While complementing daytime procedures, it also emphasises state and territory governments’ responsibility for broader disability support.
