A statement from ANZACATA - Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association

 

Creative Arts Therapy and the NDIS - Update October 2025

 

Information for NDIS Planners, Plan Managers and Local Area Co-ordinators  (confirmed by NDIA Oct 28th 2025)

 

Creative Arts Therapists are university-trained allied health clinicians who help participants on the NDIS with therapy support. Professional Creative Arts Therapists (masters level trained) and Tier level Practising Members (graduate/post-graduate level trained) currently provide NDIS participants with Improved Daily Living Therapeutic Supports.

 

Creative Arts Therapy is funded under the NDIS. It must be undertaken by a Creative Arts Therapist, registered with ANZACATA. The Therapist will work with the participant to make a plan, conduct sessions in accordance with the goals of the participant and report to the NDIA on progress with the participant in reaching their goals. They may use drama, dance, movement or art based interventions.

 

Changes are coming into place: from Nov 24th onwards

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Art Therapy is still able to be accessed by anyone on the NDIS. It must be deemed reasonable and necessary, and there must be funds in a participant’s budget for it. Decisions about whether to approve Art Therapy in the plan are made by a specialist NDIS team. All therapy supports are stated but Art Therapy does not have to be listed specifically as a stated support. Unless there are restrictions or comments in the plan about what the participant must spend their therapy funding on, they can choose which therapy support to use, as long as it is an NDIS support. Plan Managers will pay invoices for Art Therapy if there are therapy supports in the plan and there are no restrictions about how therapy funding must be used. Only ANZACATA Professional members (masters level trained) can claim for Art Therapy after Nov 24th. They will continue to use the 0128 code and the hourly rate will be updated by the NDIA Pricing Arrangement & Price Limits Guide to be $156.16. Non-members of ANZACATA and those of our members on Tier level, will not be able to offer Art Therapy. They may offer other non-therapy support items.Art Therapy cannot be claimed under the ‘other professional’ category from November 24th onwards. If any plan managers or support co-ordinators are unsure if an Art Therapist claiming under code 0128 is an ANZACATA Professional member, please contact ANZACATA directly for verification from our records.