NDIS Support & Care for people with PTSD

At Maple, we understand that PTSD affects everyone differently. Our personalised support is tailored to each participant’s goals, experiences, and support needs, helping people build stability, regain confidence, and participate more comfortably in everyday life.

Maple Community Services  prioritises getting to know you in order to identify and achieve your goals. We help you set a course for greater independence with reliable support. There is no better NDIS provider than Maple Community Services for PTSD support and financial help for people seeking ongoing care.

People living with PTSD may experience significant distress or impairing dysfunction from their illness. If you or a loved one are affected by prolonged or disabling PTSD, our PTSD Support Specialists are highly skilled and trained to provide the expert assistance you need to live your life to the fullest.

Yes. We support people living with PTSD and complex PTSD (CPTSD), providing flexible assistance that adapts to each person’s individual needs. Whether support is required with daily living, community participation, Supported Independent Living (SIL), or ongoing routines, our team works alongside participants to promote stability and independence.

Our focus is on helping participants rebuild confidence, establish healthy routines, and develop the skills needed to live as independently as possible. We provide practical support that empowers people to achieve their personal goals at a pace that feels right for them.

Absolutely. PTSD can have a significant impact on families and carers as well as the individual. We work closely with families by providing reliable support, open communication, and respite opportunities so everyone feels informed, supported, and confident throughout the journey.

Our Support Workers for PTSD have studied and trained diligently to understand and respond to the needs of people with PTSD. You can feel confident and at ease with our PTSD Support Workers’ exceptional skills and qualifications. We pride ourselves on our years of experience providing PTSD support.

Families choose Maple because of our personalised approach, consistent support teams, and commitment to building genuine relationships. We work collaboratively with participants, families, Support Coordinators, and healthcare professionals to provide reliable support that adapts to changing needs and helps people living with PTSD achieve greater confidence, stability, and independence.

Our extensive experience, capacity for 24/7 support, and strong community spirit set us apart when it comes to PTSD support services. Our pervading family values and friendly specialists give you and your loved ones peace of mind and exceptional support to pursue a happy, fulfilling life.

At Maple Community Services, we focus on building strong relationships with each and every client that walks through our doors, providing them with the tools, supports, and access to services that will enable them to live independently.

Our priority is matching you with a like-minded Support Worker, someone who speaks your language, understands your goals, and is committed to ensuring you have all the necessary support you need to live your life to the fullest.

The Maple Family will work with you to create a personalised approach to your support schedule and roll out. We will continually review and recommend support updates, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the support you receive are optimal for you to achieve your personal, social, and emotional wellbeing goals.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a serious mental health condition that can severely impact a person’s day-to-day functioning and quality of life. Some examples of trauma that can result in PTSD include the death of a loved one; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; near-death experiences; severe illness; witnessing a traumatic death or accident; wartime environments; or other possible traumatising events.

When these symptoms persist for more than a month, the patient is considered to have PTSD. Within the first month following the inciting event, patients with these symptoms are considered to have Acute Stress Disorder.

When a patient is diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder or PTSD, it’s important that they receive appropriate treatment to manage their illness and prevent long-lasting symptoms. Treatment for either disorder most commonly includes trauma-focused behavioral therapy, though medications may also be used in the treatment regimen for people who experience more severe symptoms or other related conditions.

PTSD can affect many aspects of everyday life, including confidence, relationships, work, education, sleep, and the ability to feel safe in certain situations. While everyone’s experience is different, the right support can help people establish routines, rebuild confidence, and participate more comfortably in everyday activities.

While PTSD often develops after a single traumatic event, complex PTSD (CPTSD) is typically associated with repeated or prolonged trauma over time. In addition to the symptoms of PTSD, people living with CPTSD may experience ongoing difficulties with emotional regulation, self-esteem, and relationships.

If you suffer from a long term disability resulting from a mental health condition like PTSD, which is recognized as a Psychosocial Disability under NDIS, you may be eligible for funding to avail of our support services.

It is estimated that 3 million people in Australia suffer with mild to moderate mental health issues and around 700,000 people have severe and persistent mental health illnesses that demonstrate complex needs and thus require support due to their disability.

At Maple Community Services, we’ll walk you through the assessment process to see if you qualify for NDIS PTSD benefits. If you or your loved one meets the criteria, we can help facilitate the process and have the full capacity to provide any support services you need.

To become an NDIS participant, you need to provide evidence of your mental health condition but a specific diagnosis is not required. NDIS support is contingent on how the condition impacts you and your daily activities, rather than the diagnosis itself, and that’s where our PTSD Specialists can help you.

The NDIS aims to provide better access to high quality, personalised, and innovative supports and services to enhance the independence and social and economic participation of people with disabilities and their carers.

The NDIS funds several critical services for people with PTSD. These include personal care support, community access support, nutritional support, skill development, transport, household tasks and behavioural support. Plan Management and Support Coordination Funding are almost always offered to NDIS Participants when they receive their plan. The types and amounts of funding available are dependent on the level of disability.

The best way to provide support to people living with PTSD is to learn about the illness, the symptoms, the treatment options and course, and the specific needs of your loved one. In doing so, you can learn to spot and prevent triggers, help your loved one cope with their symptoms, and provide a safe, nonjudgmental, and patient space for them to heal.

Behavioural therapy, particularly Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy, is seen as the most effective treatment for people living with PTSD. The therapy helps people process the event they experienced and their physical, mental, and emotional responses to it.

There is no cure for PTSD, but patients can recover with appropriate support. Medications are often only used to help manage a person’s symptoms rather than as a treatment option.

Many people living with PTSD or CPTSD can maintain or regain their independence with the right combination of mental health care, therapies, community supports, and personalised NDIS assistance. Tailored support can help people establish routines, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and achieve their personal goals.

• War and military experiences
• Sexual or physical assault
• The sudden death or a serious injury of a loved one
• Serious accidents such as a car crash
• Natural disasters such as fire, typhoons, floods or earthquakes
• Terrorist attacks

The psychological impacts of trauma can be deep and complex and can affect us both physically and emotionally. Symptoms of PTSD may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety. It may affect the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us.

The 27th of June is a significant date to celebrate PTSD Awareness Day as it falls on the birthday of Sergeant Joe Beil who committed suicide in 2007. The North Dakota National Guard member suffered from PTSD after two tours in Iraq, so the day is now celebrated as a tribute to him and the many others who have been subjected to this serious condition. 

Unfortunately, many people who live with PTSD don’t receive the treatment they need because they don’t recognise their symptoms for what they are; they may not know that treatments can help them and thus do not seek help. Others fear a diagnosis of PTSD due to stigma around mental health conditions. 

A trigger could consist of anything that reminds your loved one of the trauma and sets off a PTSD symptom. Common external triggers of PTSD can include, but are not limited to:

• Significant dates or times, such as anniversaries or even a specific time of day
• Certain people, locations or even objects associated with the trauma
• Sights, sounds, or smells that remind them of the traumatic experience
• Media coverage of trauma or negative news events or conversations on these topics.
• Confined spaces or circumstances such as being stuck in traffic or in a crowded place.
• Certain types of weather, seasons, places in nature.
• Hospitalisation, medical treatment or funerals.
• Issues in relationships, at work or financial strain.

Common internal triggers can include, but are not limited to:

• Sensations that recall the trauma such as old wounds, scars, pain, or other injuries.
• Strong emotions such as being trapped, feelings of helplessness, or being out of control.
• Physical discomfort such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, sickness, or sexual frustration.
• Mixed feelings towards loved ones such as love, vulnerability, and resentment.

The psychological impacts of trauma can be deep and complex and can affect us both physically and emotionally, as well as the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. It’s important to know what the symptoms are so you can recognise it in yourself or a loved one and get the treatment needed.

Re-living the traumatic event – you or your loved one may be troubled by distressing and unwanted memories of the event, you may experience vivid nightmares, or flashbacks.

Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event – you may find yourself wanting to avoid certain places, people, thoughts, and activities that bring back memories of the event.

Experiencing negative thoughts and feelings – feelings of guilt, fear, anger, or numbness among others are common with PTSD.

Hypervigilance and mood swings – You may experience trouble sleeping or concentrating; experiencing feelings of anger or irritability; you may find yourself easily startled; you may end up taking more risks; or constantly be on the lookout for danger.

Most effective treatments for PTSD fall under the umbrella of cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT. CBT can help you to adjust the thought patterns that are disturbing you using specific techniques. Some of these techniques include talking through your trauma and concentrating on where your fears originate from.

Cognitive Processing Therapy – a 12-week course to examine how you think about your trauma and determine techniques to deal with it.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy – 8-15 sessions to confront the trauma and learn breathing techniques to ease anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing – 3 months of weekly sessions to transition your thought process positively while thinking about the trauma.

Stress Inoculation Training – 3 months of sessions to focus on changing how you deal with stress from the trauma.

Medications – these can help you to stop thinking about and reacting to what happened and encourage a more positive outlook. Consult your therapist or GP for medication options that might work for you.