Mental Health

Since November 1st, 2006, the “Better Access to Mental Health Care” initiative has allowed many Australians to access Medicare rebates for counselling services. Such services must be provided by registered psychologists (who must use certain approved evidence-based approaches), following referral by a GP, paediatrician or psychiatrist.

Medicare rebates are currently available for up to ten individual counselling sessions per calendar year (and up to 10 group sessions, although these are generally more appropriate for adults).

(You can find more about the scheme in this handout for patients.)

So how do you go about getting a referral to a psychologist for yourself and/or your child, so that you can claim Medicare rebates for counselling?

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Take a look at this really interesting article in the Guardian newspaper written by Michael Schofield, a father whose daughter was diagnosed with schizophrenia. His heart felt-story takes you on the emotional journey he and his family took to get to a diagnosis.

Although childhood schizophrenia is very rare, Michael Schofield’s experiences will be familiar to any parents who have received a serious diagnosis for their child, such as autism, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) or even a learning disorder.

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