Disability in New Zealand

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About Disability Services

Key projects and programmes

The Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act and its companion Act the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act, allow the courts to make a compulsory care order for people with an intellectual disability who are charged with, or convicted of an imprisonable offence.

There are three ways people can become subject to the Act:

an order made in the course of criminal proceedings
by transfer from prison
by transfer from the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act for special patients or former special patients.

The Act provides for two different levels of care:

Secure Care (hospital level or community based)
Supervised Care.

Disability Services, part of the Health and Disability National Services Directorate, funds a number of services to support the administration of the Act and provides services for people under compulsory care orders, and people with an intellectual disability who require intensive services (the “civil population”).

Regional Intellectual Disability Care Agency (RIDCA)

A Regional Intellectual Disability Care Agency is a specialist service for people with an intellectual disability who:
are defined under the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 as a proposed care recipient, a care recipient, or a special care recipient, or have an intellectual disability and whose behaviour may pose serious risk of physical harm to themselves or others and for whom at least one of the following conditions applies: they are unable to get mainstream community services, they have symptoms of a psychiatric disorder, or substance use disorder or they have previously broken the law but are not currently subject to the criminal justice system.

Referrals to RIDCA can be made from NASC organisations.

RIDCA Service specification

Regional Intellectual Disability Supported Accommodation Service (RIDSAS)

A Regional Intellectual Disability Supported Accommodation Service provides community assessment beds, residential and day activities. These services are regionally based in the five main centres Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Referrals to these services are made by RIDCA.

RIDSAS service specification

National and Regional Intellectual Disability Secure Services (NIDSS/RIDSS)

Regional Intellectual Disability Secure Services (RIDSS) provide hospital level secure services and assessment beds. These services are supported by multi disciplinary teams specialising in intellectual disability. National Intellectual Disability Secure Services (NIDSS) offer forensic level hospital secure services and operate in Auckland and Wellington.

Referrals to these units are made by RIDCA and RIDSS.

RIDSS service specification

Page last updated: 11 July 2008