GP-referral / Medicare Mental Health Care Plan information (applies to Alice Robertson only):
In 2006, the Australian Government introduced new Medicare items for counselling by registered psychologists. This service provides greater access to psychologists and is providing more affordable mental healthcare.
Under the new Medicare scheme, all registered psychologists (and clinical psychologists) who are endorsed by Medicare Australia can provide treatment.
You must be referred by your GP.
Your GP will need to complete a detailed mental health assessment and prepare a Mental Health Care Plan before referring you to a psychologist. You should book a longer session with your GP to enable time for this.
Your doctor must first assess that you require the services of a psychologist. Your doctor should allow you to request a specific psychologist, or if you prefer they may refer you to a registered psychologist that he/she recommends.
Eligible clients can generally receive:
- Up to 10 individual sessions in a calendar year. Your referring doctor will assess your progress after the first six sessions.
NB. Not all clients are eligible for this Scheme, as your GP must diagnose an identifiable mental health issue.
The Scheme comprises mostly of short-term, solution-focused work, as opposed to medium or longer-term psychotherapy. Take a look at some of the articles we have included on this website to gain an understanding of the difference between psychological interventions (such as CBT) and psychotherapy.
Feel free to contact us to discuss these issues.