NDIS Specialist Support Coordinator

This role focuses on coordinating support for NDIS participants whose situations are complicated by factors such as mental health conditions, housing instability, involvement with the justice system, or multiple diagnoses. A Specialist Support Coordinator works with the participant, their family or carers, and a range of service providers to make sure the NDIS plan is actually put into action. The work involves assessing risk, resolving crises, building a participant's capacity to manage their own supports over time, and reporting back to the NDIS on how funding is being used. It is distinct from general support coordination because it requires a higher level of clinical or psychosocial knowledge.

A typical day could include reviewing a participant's plan to identify gaps in their current supports, making calls to allied health providers to arrange assessments, attending a meeting with a hospital discharge team to plan a safe transition home, and writing progress notes or reports for the NDIA. There may also be time spent on the phone with a participant in crisis, coordinating with a housing service, or helping a family understand what the plan funding covers. The work is rarely predictable, and priorities can shift quickly depending on participant needs.

A bachelor degree in social work or an allied health discipline is the standard entry point for this role (JSA Occupation Profile). Relevant fields include occupational therapy, psychology, and nursing, among others. Some employers may also consider candidates with a combination of a related degree and substantial direct experience in disability or community services. Registration with a relevant professional body, such as the Australian Association of Social Workers, may strengthen an application depending on the employer. For information on funded training options, see yourcareer.gov.au or dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe.

This is a role that carries real emotional weight. Participants often come to a Specialist Support Coordinator at a point of crisis or significant vulnerability, and the complexity of their situations can be difficult to navigate. Caseloads can be demanding, and the gap between what a participant needs and what their plan funding covers is a recurring frustration. The administrative side of the work, including reporting, compliance, and plan reviews, takes up a meaningful portion of time. People moving into this role from a clinical background sometimes find the shift toward coordination and advocacy, rather than direct clinical intervention, takes adjustment. Burnout is a known risk in the broader disability sector, and finding an employer with strong supervision and support structures matters.

Roles are found across metropolitan, regional, and rural areas, reflecting the national reach of the NDIS. Demand tends to be higher in areas with larger NDIS participant populations, which includes most capital cities and many regional centres.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4117, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Case Note Writingcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Conflict De-escalationcore
• Crisis interventioncore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Disability Support Coordinationcore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• NDIS Plan Navigationcore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Referral Coordinationcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Service Navigation and Referralcore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• NDIS myplace Provider Portal
• Professional Boundaries Maintenance

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 8 October 2026