Brain Injury Support in Western Australia: Catastrophic Injuries Support Scheme
If a brain injury happened as the result of a motor vehicle or workplace accident in Western Australia, the Catastrophic Injuries Support (CIS) Scheme may fund your treatment, care and support for life — including speech pathology.
What is the CIS Scheme?
The CIS Scheme is a Western Australian no-fault scheme, administered by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), that provides necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support to people catastrophically injured in a motor vehicle accident in WA on or after 1 July 2016, or a workplace accident on or after 1 July 2024.
Because it's a no-fault scheme, support is available regardless of who was responsible for the accident, provided you meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Motor Vehicle and Workplace Accidents (Catastrophic Injuries) Act 2016 and Regulations 2016.
Who is eligible for brain injury support in Western Australia?
The CIS Scheme covers people whose injuries are assessed as catastrophic, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Multiple amputations
- Severe burns
- Permanent traumatic blindness
Eligible participants are initially accepted as an interim participant for a minimum of two years, during which necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support is assessed and funded, coordinated by an allocated Care Services Coordinator. Some people recover enough within this period that ongoing support isn't required; others move on to longer-term participation.
Notably, brain injuries have historically made up the largest share of catastrophic injury cases accepted into the CIS Scheme, more than two in three, according to the Insurance Commission's own reporting, which reflects just how significant this pathway can be for people recovering from a serious road accident in WA.
What does the CIS Scheme cover?
The CIS team works directly with participants, their families and support teams to build a rehabilitation program suited to individual recovery goals, return-to-work or return-to-home plans, and ongoing support needs. Funded supports can include medical and dental treatment, rehabilitation, attendant care, aids and equipment, home and vehicle modifications, and vocational and education support, all assessed as necessary and reasonable for the person's catastrophic injury.
Speech pathology and the CIS Scheme
Rehabilitation supports provided by allied health professionals, including speech pathologists, are funded where they relate to the person's catastrophic injury and are delivered by a suitably qualified and registered provider. For someone with a traumatic brain injury, this typically covers support for communication difficulties, cognitive-communication challenges, and swallowing (dysphagia).
How ClearConvo can help
ClearConvo provides speech pathology assessment and therapy via telehealth right across Australia, with experience supporting the communication, cognitive and swallowing needs that can follow a traumatic brain injury.
Telehealth delivery is particularly valuable for CIS Scheme participants in regional and remote WA, historically, more than half of the state's catastrophic road injuries have occurred outside the Perth metro area, where access to a specialist speech pathologist in person can be limited.
- Service providers for the CIS Scheme are required to hold appropriate professional registration (such as AHPRA or an equivalent professional body membership, such as SPA), professional indemnity insurance, and public liability insurance, all of which ClearConvo maintains as an established, speech pathology provider
- Sessions can be delivered from home, wherever you are in WA
- We can work with your allocated Care Services Coordinator to align therapy with your broader rehabilitation program
Speech Therapy, Brain Injury Support in Western Australia
Tell us about yourself.
Getting started
- If you're not yet a participant: eligibility and notification of a catastrophic injury usually begins at the treating hospital, or you can contact ICWA directly on the details available at icwa.wa.gov.au.
- If you're already a CIS Scheme participant: providers need to register with the Scheme before treatment can be funded. Get in touch with ClearConvo and we can help coordinate registration and referral with your Care Services Coordinator so speech pathology can be added to your plan.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Eligibility and funded supports are set out in the Motor Vehicle and Workplace Accidents (Catastrophic Injuries) Act 2016 and Regulations 2016, and can change — always confirm current details directly with ICWA.
