Social Work
Social work at HandinHand is practical, person-centred support for the times life gets complicated. Our Accredited Social Workers help you manage your mental health, navigate the NDIS, and sort out the everyday things that have become hard to face alone.
Social work delivered by AASW-accredited Social Workers, including Mental Health Social Workers. In person, by phone, and online across Australia.
Person-centred social work that holds to the standards the profession sets, not just the easy wins.
NDIS-registered. Accredited Social Workers and members of the AASW. Mental Health Social Workers on the team. Trauma-informed, rights-based practice.
What Social Work Looks Like in Practice
Three kinds of social work support people come to us for.
Social work is the practical side of mental health support. It joins emotional care with real-world action, so you are not left to sort out the hard parts on your own.
One-to-one support through grief, trauma, family breakdown, isolation, or adjusting to a diagnosis. This fits if you want someone to talk to who also understands the systems around you. Delivered by Accredited Social Workers.
NDIS Navigation and Advocacy
Help to read your NDIS plan, access the right services, and challenge a decision when your plan falls short. This suits anyone stuck in the paperwork or facing a knockback. We can apply, review, and appeal alongside you.
Case Management and Practical Help
Coordinated support for housing, Centrelink, community access, and daily living. This fits people juggling several services, or in the middle of a crisis. We keep the pieces connected so nothing falls through.
Case Management and Practical Help
Coordinated support for housing, Centrelink, community access, and daily living. This fits people juggling several services, or in the middle of a crisis. We keep the pieces connected so nothing falls through.
You should not have to fight the system to be heard. If support let you down before, that is exactly where social work earns its place.
A lot of people reach us after a run of closed doors. A plan that did not cover what you needed. A referral that went nowhere. A service that stopped returning calls. By the time you find us, you are often tired of explaining yourself. So we start by listening, and then we do what we say we will do.
You might be a parent holding a family together through a separation or a child protection process. You might be a participant whose NDIS plan was cut and who does not know where to turn. You might be someone leaving an unsafe situation and needing a safe next step. These are the moments this work was built for.
Good social work is not about handing you a brochure. It is about staying with you until the next step is real, and then walking it with you.
That is the work our team is here for, whether it is counselling through a hard season, untangling an NDIS plan, or coordinating the practical supports around you. Our Accredited Social Workers are AASW members, trauma-informed and rights-based, working in person or by telehealth, and they will tell you honestly when another service would fit you better.
What does good social work involve?
Social work built around your whole situation, not just one problem at a time.
Good support starts with the full picture: your mental health, your relationships, your housing, your funding, and what you actually want to change. From there, your practitioner combines practical action with genuine support. That might mean making calls on your behalf, sitting with you through a hard conversation, drafting a plan, or simply helping you decide what matters most first. Everything is explained in plain language, and nothing is done over your head.
Our team meets clients in our centres, at home, in the community, and online across every state in Australia.
A social work plan usually includes
- A first conversation to understand your situation and goals
- A shared plan that names what matters most first
- Practical help with NDIS, services, or paperwork
- Emotional support through the hard parts
- Advocacy when a decision needs challenging
- Coordination with the services already around you, with consent
- An honest review if your needs change or we are not the right fit
What this means for you
Social work built to lighten the load, not add another form to fill in.
It should make your life more manageable, for you and the people around you. Here is what that looks like in how we work.
Not sure if social work is what you need, or something else? A free 15-minute call will sort it out.
What the process looks like
From your first call to your first session, here is how it works.
- Book call
1
Tell us what is going on. We will say honestly whether social work is the right fit, talk through the funding that applies, and answer your first questions. There is no commitment at this stage.
2
We confirm funding and match a social worker
We sort your pathway, whether that is NDIS, Medicare through an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, or private. We handle any referral paperwork and pair you with a practitioner suited to your situation.
3
We agree a plan and set your first session
Together we set your goals and priorities, choose where to meet, in person, at home, in the community, or online, and lock in a time that works for you.
- First session
Start with a conversation
The clearest first step is usually a short call.
Fifteen minutes, no cost, no paperwork to fill in first. Tell us where things are stuck and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right move, which funding fits, and what realistic timing looks like. If another service would serve you better, we will point you there.
Or call us directly: 1300 853 293
Mon-Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm AEST
40+ practitioners across Australia
AASW-accredited · NDIS-registered · Telehealth nationally
In their own words
How participants, families, and Support Coordinators describe our social work team.
Shared with permission, in line with NDIS and AASW guidelines. These reflect people’s experience of working with us, not clinical outcomes or NDIA decisions.
Trusted across Australia by NDIS participants, families, and Support Coordinators who rely on this support.
Servicing QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, and via telehealth nationally.
Where we deliver social work across Australia.
We deliver this support in person from our centres in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Morayfield in Moreton Bay, North Strathfield in Sydney, Melbourne, and Mandurah in Western Australia. These centres serve the broader catchments, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Caboolture, Sydney metro, and Perth.
Because so much of this work happens in real life, our team also meets people at home and in the community, and delivers support by phone and telehealth across every state and territory in Australia.
Where a situation needs someone physically present, a home or community visit is planned around where you are.
See what is available in your area on our pages for social work on the Gold Coast, in Logan, in Albury-Wodonga, in Redland Bay, and in Tweed Heads.
How to fund social work
Three ways to fund social work at HandinHand
Most people access this support through one of three pathways. The connection call confirms which one fits your situation, and we check eligibility with you before anything starts. You will always know the cost before we begin.
Medicare
Available when your sessions are with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan. This covers a set number of rebated sessions each calendar year. A gap fee may apply.
NDIS-Managed
Funded through your NDIS plan under Capacity Building, most often Improved Daily Living or Improved Relationships. We work with Plan-Managed, NDIA-Managed, and Self-Managed plans, and invoice under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
Most common pathway
Private pay
For people not eligible for NDIS or Medicare, or who prefer to self-fund. The service agreement and fees are confirmed in writing before any work starts.
NDIS plan management: Plan, NDIA, or Self-Managed?
NDIA-Managed means the agency pays us directly. Plan-Managed means a Plan Manager handles our invoices on your behalf. Self-Managed means you pay and claim back yourself. If you are not sure which applies, your plan documents will say, or we can check on the call. You do not need to be self-managed to access social work with us. Only the payment route changes.
Not sure which pathway fits your situation?
Book a free connection call and we will check together.
Is this right for you?
Social work suits some situations and not others. Here is how to tell, before you spend time on a call.
If you are unsure, the connection call exists precisely to work this out with you, at no cost. We will help you work it out together.
We work with you if...
- You are an NDIS participant struggling to understand or get the most from your plan.
- You are facing a hard situation like family breakdown, domestic and family violence, homelessness, or a recent diagnosis.
- You want emotional support from someone who also understands the systems and paperwork around you.
- You are a parent or carer carrying a lot and need practical help, not just sympathy.
- You need someone to advocate for you, including reviews or appeals when a decision falls short.
- You are a Support Coordinator who needs reliable, well-communicated support for someone on your caseload.
- You are funded through NDIS, eligible for Medicare with a GP plan, or able to self-fund, anywhere in Australia.
- You would prefer support at home or in the community, or by phone and telehealth.
We may not be the right fit if...
- You need urgent or crisis help right now. In an emergency, please call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, who can help immediately.
- You are looking only for a formal diagnosis or medication. That is the work of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or GP, and we can point you in the right direction.
- You need long-term Support Coordination as your only service. We provide direct support and case management, and can refer you to a dedicated Support Coordinator if that is the better fit.
- You want a guaranteed outcome, such as a specific funding result. We will advocate hard and honestly, but no provider can promise an NDIA or government decision.
Not sure which column you are in? That is exactly what the free connection call is for.
Book a free 15-minute call and we will work it out together.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The questions we hear most about social work.
Still unsure after reading these? The connection call is short, free, and there is no commitment afterwards.
Social work is practical and emotional support that helps you cope with life’s challenges and the systems around them. An Accredited Social Worker offers counselling, advocacy, case management, and help to access services. The focus is on your whole situation, not a single symptom.
A psychologist focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and clinical therapy for mental health. A social worker takes a wider, practical view: counselling alongside advocacy, case management, and help with housing, funding, and family matters. Many people benefit from both, and we can help you decide what you need first.
Our practitioners are Accredited Social Workers and members of the Australian Association of Social Workers. Some are also Mental Health Social Workers, which allows Medicare-rebated sessions. All work under the NDIS Code of Conduct and senior clinical supervision.
No. You can come to us directly. A GP referral is only needed if you want Medicare rebates with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. Support Coordinators often refer, but it is not required.
Yes. We deliver sessions by telehealth and phone nationally, as well as in person. Because some support involves being there in real life, home and community visits are arranged where they help. You can mix formats as your needs change.
Common reasons people come to us include adjusting to a diagnosis, family breakdown, domestic and family violence, homelessness or housing stress, social isolation, carer burnout, and the strain of managing an NDIS plan. If you are not sure we are the right fit, the connection call will tell you.
NDIS sessions are billed under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Medicare sessions with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker attract a rebate, with a possible gap. Private sessions are at our standard rate. You receive a clear quote and service agreement before any work begins.
Usually, yes. The NDIS funds this support under Capacity Building, most often Improved Daily Living or Improved Relationships. If you are not sure whether your plan covers it, we can check with you on the call and, if needed, help you make the case at your next review.
Yes. Advocacy is core to social work. We can help you understand the decision, gather the right evidence, and lodge a review or appeal. We cannot guarantee an outcome, but we make sure your case is put as strongly and clearly as possible.
We are honest about this. This work can open doors and ease pressure, but no one can promise a particular result, especially where a government decision is involved. If something is not working, we say so and change the approach, escalate, or connect you with a service better placed to help. The aim is to keep the support useful.
Yes. With your consent, we keep the people who matter updated at each step and share relevant documentation on request. You decide who is included and how much is shared.