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Referral
Do I need a referral?
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It really depends on the reason for the psychological service and support. Generally speaking, you do not need a referral.
However, you may be entitled to received a Medicare Rebate (Australia) if you are referred by your GP under the GP Mental Health Care Plan through the Medicare Better Access Initiative (BAI).
In Australia, it is considered best practice to be referred by your treating/regular GP for mental health related concerns as they can monitor you from a holistic perspective while taking into consideration your past health history. Other medical practitioners such as a psychiatrist or a paediatrician may provide you a referral.
There are no referral required for couple or family therapy as the Better Access Initiative (BAI) was only designed for individuals and not couples or family.
What is the most common way to be referred?
The GP route is the most common and is usually for individuals seeking to be under the Better Access Initiative (BAI) by Medicare. The BAI was designed to help reduce out of pocket treatment cost for individuals.
To access the BAI, it is recommended that you make an appointment with your GP and obtain the Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) before making an appointment with us.
Start of by contacting your GP or GP's admin team and notify them that you are seeking to be referred to see a psychologist. It is sensible to request for a double session with your GP as it provides time for your GP to write the necessary reports and referrals. If the GP feels that it is appropriate to see a psychologist, the GP will write you a referral letter and a MHCP. You can request the GP to send the referral letter and MHCP to us directly or you can bring the referral letter and MHCP along in your first session.
Once you have obtained the referral letter and MHCP, please give us a ring and we will schedule you in for your first initial consult. We will provide you the clinic address once we have established an appointment date.
1
Contact GP
Make contact with GP. Request for a double session appointment as you would like to talk to your GP about a Mental Health Care Plan.
2
Mental Health Care Plan
Attend GP appointment and obtain Mental Health Care Plan and referral letter. The GP can send the letter to AURE or you can bring it along during your initial appointment with us.
3
Contact AURE
Give us a ring at 04 8819 4610 to make an initial appointment between 9am - 5pm. We will provide you further information & details and the address to the clinic.
How many sessions can I have?
You are entitled to have as many sessions as you need.
However, under the BAI by Medicare, all individuals are entitled to receive:
- Maximum of 10 Individual sessions in a calendar year (typically - 6+4) and
- Maximum of 10 group sessions in a calendar year
Fees
Session Rates
Fees and rebates will be discussed prior to your first session.
The Medicare Rebate is set at $96.65 for 50 minutes if you have a current GP Mental Health Care Plan.
The current NDIS Psychology fee rate is set at $244.22. You must be either "Self-Managed" or "Plan-Managed".
Couples therapy and family based therapy are not covered under the Medicare Rebate.
We currently only accept credit and debit cards.
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