Your wellbeing is our priority!
There are plenty of reasons adults and children experience stress, anxiety and depression. As the last few months have shown us, life has many twists and turns and sometimes we may need extra support to cope with everything life throws our way. Whether that is raising a child with special needs, juggling multiple children’s needs, work hassles or… a pandemic!
Australia’s health care system includes mental health care plans, which entitle any adult or child to Medicare rebates. In a year, there are entitlements for up to 10 individual and 10 group appointments, with a mental health service provider. That includes certain psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers. Psychologists can help with difficult feelings you might be having, as well as feelings of grief and loss. Social workers can help you navigate the healthcare system and provide counselling and other support services.
You can’t get Medicare rebates for all 10 sessions in one go. After the first 6 appointments, you need to see your doctor again for a mental health plan review and arrange another referral.
Your doctor can give you a referral to allied mental health services in your area. Book an appointment with your doctor to tell them what’s been going on and discuss your options. Or you can get more information from Beyond Blue, which includes a search tool to locate mental health professionals near you.
If you do not have access to Medicare, a mental health plan can sometimes be accessible via your private health insurance.
Headspace has a great blog post explaining why ‘Having a plan can make a huge different to wellbeing’
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0422 667 596 if you have any questions. Or subscribe to our seasonal Newsletter here for Aurora Speech updates.