Understanding a Social Worker’s NDIS support can make a big difference when you are trying to navigate plans, funding and the range of services available. Many participants and families are unsure what a social worker actually does within the NDIS, and how they differ from other allied health professionals.
This guide explains how social workers help you build capacity, strengthen your wellbeing and make daily life easier, using information from the AASW’s national guidance on social work within the NDIS
.
What Does Social Worker offering NDIS Support Actually Mean?
A Social worker offering NDIS support usually refers to therapeutic, practical and capacity-building services delivered by qualified social workers within the scheme.
Social workers focus on the whole person rather than one isolated aspect of life. They look at emotional wellbeing, daily routines, environmental factors, social relationships and personal strengths. This holistic approach is central to the AASW’s definition of social work practice.
Their goal is to help participants live with more confidence, safety, stability and independent decision making.
What Makes Social Worker NDIS Support Unique?
According to the AASW, social workers are specialists in social functioning. Social functioning includes your ability to:
- Build and maintain relationships
- Participate in community life
- Manage emotions and communication
- Handle daily roles and responsibilities
- Navigate systems such as school, work or services
Because the NDIS is built around functional capacity, social workers are an excellent match for participants who need help across emotional, behavioural, family or daily living areas.
Therapy Provided Through Social Workers and NDIS Support
Therapeutic support is a major part of social worker NDIS services. Therapy is person centred, strengths based and trauma informed, which means you stay in control of your goals and pace.
Social worker NDIS therapy may focus on:
- Emotional regulation
- Stress, anxiety and overwhelm
- Identity, confidence and self worth
- Social connection and communication
- Distress tolerance
- Adjustment to diagnosis or life changes
- Relationship patterns and family dynamics
Therapy helps you understand what is happening internally while also building practical tools for daily life.
Capacity Building Through Social Worker NDIS Support
Capacity building means developing the skills you need to participate in your day to day life with more confidence and independence. The AASW identifies multiple NDIS skill areas where social workers are recognised providers.
A social worker may help you:
- Build daily living routines
- Strengthen executive functioning skills
- Improve emotional coping
- Increase community participation
- Understand and manage triggers
- Strengthen communication skills
- Set and work towards personal goals
- Improve decision making and planning
- Develop independence around home or community tasks
The aim is to support long term growth, not short term fixes.
Social Workers and Psychosocial Disability
The AASW emphasises that social workers have specific training in psychosocial disability. They understand how mental health, trauma, behaviour, environment and social roles all interact.
This makes them particularly supportive for participants living with:
- ADHD
- Autism
- Mood or anxiety disorders
- Trauma histories
- Emotional dysregulation
- Social or communication difficulties
A social worker helps you make sense of your experience and build strategies that feel realistic rather than overwhelming.
Assessments Completed by Social Workers in the NDIS
Social workers provide several assessments that the NDIS may require for planning, goal setting or review. These assessments include:
- Functional capacity assessments
- Psychosocial assessments
- Behaviour assessments
- Daily living and skill assessments
- Risk or safety assessments
- Carer and environmental context assessments
- Reports for plan reviews or access requests
These assessments describe how your disability affects everyday life, which is the key information the NDIS uses for funding decisions.
Types of Social Work NDIS Support Recognised by the AASW
The AASW lists a wide scope of supports delivered by social workers within the scheme. These include:
- Improved Daily Living supports
- Therapeutic supports
- Early Childhood intervention
- Behaviour support
- Support coordination
- Employment and education assistance
- Life stage and transition support
- Housing and tenancy support
- Social and community participation support
Because of this broad skill set, social workers are often the most flexible and versatile professionals in a participant’s team.
How Social Workers Support Families and Carers
Social workers also support the people around the participant. They can strengthen carer capacity and provide guidance during complex emotional or behavioural situations.
Support may include:
- Helping families understand NDIS processes
- Supporting calmer communication in the home
- Assisting with school meetings or workplace adjustments
- Reducing family stress and overwhelm
- Building consistent routines or strategies
- Supporting siblings or extended family
- This focus on relationships is a key part of social functioning.
When Might Social Work Support through NDIS Be Right for You?
You may benefit from a social worker if you are:
- Feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks
- Wanting therapeutic support without pressure
- Needing help with routines or emotional regulation
- Navigating trauma or long term stress
- Struggling at school, work or in relationships
- Looking to build independence
- Needing assessments for planning or review
- Wanting support for both emotional and practical goals
Social work is designed to meet you exactly where you are.
Final Thoughts & Further Reading
Social worker NDIS support helps you build emotional strength, independent living skills and confidence across all areas of your life. Their unique training in social functioning, trauma informed care and capacity building means your support feels personal, collaborative and meaningful.
If you want to explore how social worker NDIS support can help you or someone you care for, reaching out is the first step.
Looking for support? Book a session with a Brisbane based social worker today and take the next step towards meaningful change.
For more information about psychosocial disability and the NDIS, visit the NDIS overview on mental health supports.
You can also download this AASW Guide: Social Workers and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).