National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Can I use my NDIS funding to pay for music therapy sessions?
Yes! Music therapy is a funded allied health support under the NDIS. You can use your NDIS funds to pay for music therapy if the therapy is provided by a Registered Music Therapist (registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association) and if music therapy will help you work toward your NDIS goals.
Thrive Music is a registered NDIS provider. This means that you can use your NDIS funds for our music therapy service regardless of whether your funding is self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed.
Which part of my NDIS plan do the funds for music therapy come from?
Music therapy funding comes from the Capacity Building - Improved Daily Living section of your NDIS plan.
For participants aged 7 years and over, the line item used is 15_615_0128_1_3 Assessment, Recommendation, Therapy or Training - Music Therapist.
For participants under 7 years of age, the line item used is 15_005_0118_1_3 Capacity Building for Early Childhood Interventions - Other Professional.
Do I need to share my NDIS plan with Thrive Music?
When you use your NDIS capacity building funds to pay for music therapy, you must provide evidence to the NDIA (in the form of a report) that the therapy is assisting you to work towards your plan goals. For this reason, it is important that we know what your NDIS goals are. We will ask you to share the goals section of your plan.
I would like to request funding for music therapy in my NDIS plan. What should I do?
If your music therapy is provided by a Registered Music Therapist and is a ‘reasonable and necessary’ support that will assist you to work towards your NDIS plan goals, you can ask your NDIA planner and/or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to include funding for music therapy in your plan. You can refer your planner to the NDIS section of the Australian Music Therapy Association website and share the following documents with your planner if they require further information:
Provider Registration Guide to Suitability: Music Therapist
Letter from General Manager NDIA Access and Planning: Letter
Music Therapy in Disability Information Booklet: Information Booklet
Music Therapy (General) Information Booklet: Music Therapy
Australian Music Therapy Association NDIS Webpage: AMTA Website
Can I use my NDIS funding to pay for music lessons?
Participating in music lessons or attending a community music group is different to music therapy. For this reason, music lessons are not funded under Therapeutic Supports by the NDIS.
However, you can use NDIS funding from the Capacity Building - Increased Social and Community Participation section of your NDIS plan to pay for music lessons. Funding for music lessons still needs to be considered a ‘reasonable and necessary’ support that assists you to work towards your NDIS plan goals.