Living with a mental health condition looks different for everyone. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different days. One person with depression might struggle to leave the house; another might manage work but find tasks at home overwhelming. One person with PTSD might find crowded places hardest; another might find mornings hardest. Good support starts from the person, not the label.
Lanara is a family-owned Sydney provider of psychosocial support, social participation, personal care, and daily living assistance. We support self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants, as well as private clients. Every one of our support workers holds a university degree in psychology or a related discipline and has completed mental health and trauma-informed training.
This article covers the conditions our team supports, and whether the NDIS covers them. It is not a clinical guide, and we are not a treatment service. Our support is practical and non-clinical: help with the everyday parts of life, alongside your GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other health professionals.
Does the NDIS Cover These Conditions?
The NDIS does not fund a diagnosis on its own. It funds support for disability. When a mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression causes long-term disability, this is called psychosocial disability, and it can be covered.
To be eligible, the NDIA needs evidence that your impairment is likely to be permanent and substantially reduces your ability to do everyday activities, such as communicating, socialising, learning, moving around, looking after yourself, or managing your life. The NDIA usually decides whether an impairment is likely to be permanent after available and appropriate treatment options have been considered. That is why two people with the same diagnosis can get different decisions.
Clinical treatment, such as medication, psychiatry, and therapy, is funded through the health system, not the NDIS. From January 2028, eligibility for new applicants will be decided using a new standardised assessment of functional capacity. Our guide to understanding psychosocial disability explains eligibility and evidence in more detail.
Depression
Depression is common and often misunderstood. It is more than sadness. For many people it means a deep loss of energy, motivation, and interest in things they used to enjoy. Getting out of bed, showering, making a meal, or replying to a message can feel impossible, and the gap between wanting to do something and being able to do it often fills with shame.
Our support workers understand that encouragement alone is not enough, and that pushing too hard can backfire. They help people build gentle routines that give structure without pressure, help with daily tasks so everyday life takes less effort, and provide steady, non-judgemental company for people who have become isolated.
The focus is on small wins: a walk around the block, a meal cooked together, a conversation that asks nothing in return. Over time, small wins add up.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias. What they have in common is a sense of threat that does not switch off, which is exhausting to live with and hard for others to understand.
Social situations, public transport, unfamiliar places, or even a ringing phone can cause real distress. Avoiding them makes sense in the moment, but over time avoidance can shrink a person’s world and make the anxiety stronger.
Our support workers understand this cycle. They help people widen their comfort zone at a pace that feels manageable, for example by going with someone on their first trip to the supermarket in months, sitting with them in a café until the anxiety settles, or being a calm, predictable presence on a hard morning. For people with social anxiety, our social participation support is a gradual way to rebuild confidence in the community.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can develop after any experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. It is not a sign of weakness. Many people with PTSD seem to be managing well from the outside while dealing with flashbacks, nightmares, constant alertness, or emotional numbness.
Trauma-informed care is a basic principle at Lanara, and every member of our team has completed trauma-informed training. In practice, that means paying attention to possible triggers, respecting personal boundaries, keeping things predictable, and following the person’s lead rather than pushing.
For people with PTSD, trust and consistency matter most. We match carefully so the person feels safe with their support worker, and we accept that trust takes time.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder involves episodes of mania or hypomania and episodes of depression. The swings can make it hard to keep up routines, relationships, and responsibilities.
Supporting someone with bipolar disorder takes flexibility and attention. Our support workers understand how mood changes can show up day to day and adjust their approach. During low periods, they focus on practical help and gentle encouragement. During elevated periods, they offer a calm presence and help the person keep up the routines that support their stability.
We are not a treatment service, so working with the person’s treating clinicians matters. With the person’s consent, we keep in touch with their treating team so any concerns about their mental health reach the right professional quickly.
Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders can make it hard to manage daily life, keep up relationships, and take part in the community. Symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, and reduced motivation or emotional expression can make routine tasks difficult.
These conditions are often misunderstood and heavily stigmatised. Our support workers start from the person, not the diagnosis: their strengths, their interests, and their goals. Support is practical and consistent, with the aim of keeping daily life stable and helping the person stay connected to their community.
Routine and predictability often help. We keep support patterns consistent, and we support people to build and keep social connections in ways that feel safe. Schizophrenia can be covered by the NDIS as a psychosocial disability when it meets the eligibility requirements explained above.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Borderline personality disorder involves intense emotions, difficulties in relationships, and a changeable sense of self. Many people with BPD have had difficult experiences with services in the past, so a steady, trusting support relationship can make a real difference.
Our team’s psychology background helps here. Support workers understand intense emotional reactions and respond calmly and consistently. Clear, predictable boundaries are not about being cold. They provide the safety that lets trust develop.
We take a long-term view. The relationship itself is part of the support, so matching matters, and we look for a support worker with the right temperament, skills, and experience.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
In OCD, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) drive repeated behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) that bring short-term relief from anxiety. It can take up a lot of time and energy and get in the way of work, relationships, and self-care.
Our support workers understand how OCD works and take care not to reinforce compulsions without meaning to. They help with daily tasks in a way that fits the person’s treatment, and with consent they check in with the treating psychologist or psychiatrist so their support works with the therapy, not against it.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, are serious mental health conditions with physical health risks. They often come with complex feelings about food, body image, and self-worth, and need a sensitive, non-judgemental approach.
Our support workers take care with language and behaviour around food and bodies, and follow the guidance of the person’s treatment team. Support might include help with meal preparation, going with the person to appointments, and keeping up daily routines during recovery.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
An acquired brain injury can result from a stroke, an accident, or another neurological event. It can affect thinking, communication, emotional regulation, and physical ability. Many people with an ABI also experience depression or anxiety as they adjust to changes in their abilities and sense of self.
Our team’s psychology background helps them understand the thinking and emotional sides of brain injury and adapt how they communicate. They provide practical help with daily living while also supporting wellbeing and community participation.
How We Work: The Lanara Approach
We support people with physical and psychosocial disability. Whatever the condition, the same principles apply. We are person-centred, so your goals, preferences, and values guide the support. We are trauma-informed, so we keep in mind how past experiences can affect you and work to make support feel safe. And we are psychology-informed, so our team brings a real understanding of mental health to everyday support.
When you first contact us, we take time to understand your situation and what you want from support. We then match you with a support worker who has the right experience, temperament, and skills, and brief them on your needs before you meet, so they arrive prepared.
With your consent, we work alongside your existing team, including your GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, or support coordinator, so our support fits with theirs.
Who We Welcome
We support:
- Self-managed NDIS participants, who manage their own funding and have the freedom to choose any provider.
- Plan-managed NDIS participants, whose plan manager pays providers on their behalf and who can also choose unregistered providers.
- Private clients, who fund their support independently without an NDIS plan.
A Final Word
Living with a mental health condition does not have to mean living a smaller life. Consistent support from people who understand mental health can make daily life more manageable and help you stay connected to the people and activities that matter to you.
If you or someone you care about is looking for psychology-informed psychosocial support, personal care, or daily living assistance in Sydney, contact us for a confidential, no-obligation conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is schizophrenia covered by the NDIS?
A: It can be. The NDIS does not fund schizophrenia as a diagnosis, but it can fund support for psychosocial disability caused by schizophrenia when the impairment is likely to be permanent and substantially reduces your ability to do everyday activities. Medication and psychiatric treatment are funded through the health system. If you are not sure whether you are eligible, your local NDIS partner can help you check.
Q: Do I need a formal diagnosis to access your support?
A: Not necessarily. Many of our clients have a formal diagnosis, but we look at each person’s situation individually. What matters most is understanding your current challenges and goals. Get in touch and we will work out together whether our services are the right fit. NDIS eligibility has its own evidence requirements, explained above.
Q: Can you support someone with more than one condition?
A: Yes. Many of our clients live with more than one condition, for example depression and anxiety, or PTSD alongside a history of substance use. We tailor support to the whole person.
Q: Do you work alongside my existing treatment team?
A: Yes, and we encourage it. With your consent, we are happy to liaise with your GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, or allied health professionals so our support fits with your treatment goals.
Q: What areas of Sydney do you service?
A: We support people across Sydney’s Inner West, Inner City and South Sydney, Canterbury-Bankstown, St George and Bayside, Burwood, Strathfield and Canada Bay, and the Eastern Suburbs. See our service areas for suburb lists, or contact us to check your location.
Q: How do I get started?
A: Call us or get in touch through our website. We will arrange a no-obligation conversation to learn about your situation and talk about how we might help.