GP Mental Health Care Plan
The most common form of referral to see a psychologist is the Mental Health Care Plan. This plan is completed by your GP or Paediatrician. If your doctor has assessed that you require the services of a psychologist, they may write a Mental Health Care Plan. Under a Mental Health Care Plan there must be a diagnosable disorder that impacts upon a person’s emotions, thoughts, behaviour, social skills or decision-making. Your doctor will determine your eligibility for this plan.
Eligible clients can receive:
- Up to 10 individual services in a calendar year. After 6 visits your referring doctor will assess your progress and need for further treatment.
- Up to 10 group therapy services in a calendar year.
- Due to Covid-19 additional 10 individual services in a calendar year (expires June 2022)
- Medicare rebates are available
Self-Referral
No referral or Mental Health Care Plan is required or necessary to make an appointment to see a psychologist. However, no rebates apply to contribute to the cost of the appointment. You may wish to claim a rebate through your private health insurance. Please check the eligibility for psychology services with your health insurance provider prior to attending your first appointment. Private health insurance cannot be used in conjunction with a Medicare rebate. Rebates from private health insurers vary considerably so you will need to check the level of ancillary cover with your insurer.
NDIS
NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME (NDIS)
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), aims to provide community linking and individualised support for people with permanent and significant disability, their families and carers. This includes people with a psychosocial disability. The Scheme is about building individual skills and capability so that people can engage in their community and achieve their life goals. Psychosocial disability is the term usedby the NDIS to describe a disability arising from a mental health issue. Not everyone who has a mental health issue however will have a psychosocial disability.
There are 3 different ways that NDIS plan funding can be managed:
- Self-managed: the person will claim funding from the NDIS plan to pay providers themselves. Providers will invoice the client directly for supports that have agreed to be provided.
- Plan-managed: the plan management provider will make claims and pay providers on behalf of the client for supports that have agreed to be provided.
- NDIA-managed: Providers will claim payment directly from the client’s NDIS plan. Where supports are NDIA-managed, only an NDIS registered provider can be used.
Psychologists at Growing Minds Psychology Services have opted to only deliver services to participants with self-managed or plan-managed plans. Our psychologists are not NDIS registered providers and as such cannot provide services for clients who are NDIA-managed.
At Growing Minds Psychology Services our psychologists can assist clients to reach the goals set out in their plan. Some of the support services we provide are behaviour support, social skill development, problem solving, emotion regulation, and increase of skills and/or capacity for independence and community participation. We can also provide support to client’s family members as required.
Our psychologists can also provide assistance to client’s in accessing the NDIS. The treating psychologist can recommend appropriate ongoing psychosocial interventions for the client. Clients can choose to include these recommendations in their individual plan once they are accepted as participants in the NDIS.