Brain Injury Support in the ACT: Lifetime Care and Support Scheme
A catastrophic brain injury from a motor accident or workplace accident in the ACT may be covered by the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (LTCSS), which can fund treatment, rehabilitation and care, including speech therapy for as long as it's needed.
What is the ACT Lifetime Care and Support Scheme?
The LTCSS is a Territory Government scheme, administered through ACT Treasury, that provides long-term care and support to people who sustain a catastrophic injury as a result of a motor accident in the ACT from 1 July 2014, or a workplace accident from 1 July 2016. It's a no-fault scheme: cover applies regardless of who was at fault, and extends to pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupants, as long as at least one vehicle involved had CTP cover.
The ACT Lifetime Care and Support Commissioner has an arrangement with the NSW Lifetime Care and Support Authority, which manages the day-to-day delivery of services to ACT participants, so if you're an ACT participant, your treatment and care requests are coordinated through that partnership.
Who is eligible for brain injury support in the ACT?
The Scheme applies to catastrophic injuries, defined to include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Amputations
- Burns
- Permanent blindness
Historically, traumatic brain injury has accounted for the large majority of LTCSS participant, reflecting how common and significant this injury type is among people catastrophically injured on ACT roads. Participants generally start as an interim participant for up to two years before being assessed for lifetime participation, and children aren't assessed for lifetime participation before turning five.
What does the LTCSS cover?
The Scheme can pay for treatment, rehabilitation and care related to your motor accident or workplace accident injury, provided it's reasonable and necessary. This includes medical treatment, aids and equipment, home and vehicle modifications, attendant care services, and support to return to study or work.
Speech therapy under the LTCSS
Speech therapy is specifically listed alongside physiotherapy and occupational therapy as a form of rehabilitation the Scheme funds. For someone with a traumatic brain injury, this typically covers therapy for communication difficulties, cognitive-communication challenges, and swallowing (dysphagia), where these needs relate to the injury and support the person's goals for daily life and community participation.
How ClearConvo can help
ClearConvo provides speech pathology assessment and therapy via telehealth across Australia, including experience working with the communication and swallowing needs that follow a brain injury.
For LTCSS participants, this means:
- Access to consistent speech pathology support from home, which matters given the Territory's smaller number of specialist brain injury services locally
- Speech pathologists certified with Speech Pathology Australia, in line with the professional standards expected of providers under the Scheme
- Coordination with your case manager and LTCS Coordinator so speech pathology fits into your broader treatment, rehabilitation and care needs
Speech Therapy, Brain Injury Support in the ACT
Tell us about yourself.
Getting started
- If you're not yet a participant: a Severe Injury Advice Form is often completed at hospital following a serious accident, or you can contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or by ringing 6207 7008 for more information or their website: https://www.treasury.act.gov.au/ltcss/contact-us
- If you're already a participant: services are usually requested by your case manager and approved by your LTCS Coordinator before they begin.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Eligibility and funded supports are set out in the Lifetime Care and Support (Catastrophic Injuries) Act 2014 and the LTCS Guidelines, and can change — always confirm current details directly with the LTCS Commissioner.
