Here at Able Foods, we believe that getting food on the table should be simple and straightforward for all NDIS participants.
We also understand that this may not always be the case: To get the cost of meal preparation and delivery funded through your NDIS plan, you may be required to provide evidence that this is “reasonable and necessary” for your situation.
So we’ve gone the extra mile to make this a little simpler: Able Foods offers a referral letter service by our very own Client Renewal Nutritionist, Tessa Villanueva.
Tessa’s role is to conduct phone consultations with NDIS participants and their support network for the purpose of crafting a knock-your-socks-off referral letter to present to the NDIA. (Okay, we might be biased, but she does have an 88%* success rate!)
Making a case for your meal support
A referral letter is an essential piece of supporting evidence when heading into your NDIS assessment meeting.
It supports your case, whether you’re aiming to add meal preparation and delivery into your plan for the first time, or to justify adding more meals. It shows how having meal support helps you work towards your goals, and makes recommendations for meals you may need in the future.
If you don’t have an upcoming reassessment meeting, or don’t have meal preparation and delivery mentioned in your plan yet, referral letters can still come in handy. In the interim, they can also be shared with Local Area Coordinators (LACs), Plan Managers, and Planners to justify using your core funding flexibly for meals.
Consultations with Able Foods
At Able Foods, Tessa’s referral letter services are offered to both our current customers as well as potential clients who need help to start services with us.
In her consultations, Tessa asks a series of questions about your general health and wellbeing, independence, and capability to prepare and cook food. It takes about 20-30 minutes, but if phone conversations aren’t for you, you can fill in a questionnaire instead. Four pages, done in your own time – easy!
Based on your answers, Tessa will write you a personalised referral letter and supporting quote, detailing exactly why meal support is a reasonable and necessary use of your NDIS funds.
Oh, and did we mention the service is free of charge? That’s right – no out-of-pocket cost and no NDIS cost.
About Tessa
Ok, enough of the nitty gritty. Who’s Tessa outside of Able Foods?
As well as being a registered clinical nutritionist, Tessa is an NDIS-registered personal trainer! Originally a statistician, Tessa pivoted to health science in 2014 and hasn’t looked back, revelling in the relationships she’s built with her clients.
“I fell in love with helping people with special needs; they’ve become such a huge part of my life."
On any given day, chances are you’ll find her squeezing in a workout between mothering her beautiful boy and grabbing coffee with friends. That’s if she’s not curled up at home with her head tucked into a good book.
In addition to speaking English and ‘toddler’, she proudly celebrates her Dutch heritage with two tattoos in her oma’s script, translating to ‘strength’ and ‘positive’. We couldn’t think of two better words to describe our wellness warrior.
Keen to get a referral letter?
Contacting us here and let us know that you’d like to book a free appointment with Tessa.
Words by: Alexandra van Winden, Client Engagement Specialist
* In 2023, out of 149 referral letters written for existing customers, 131 were successfully granted funding for meal preparation and delivery.
