Using Your Mental Health Treatment Plan
This is a brief overview of how to use your Mental Health Treatment Plan. If you have any questions, and it's not answered here, please feel welcome to contact me directly.
1. See your referrer
GP OR PSYCHIATRIST
​Your referrer will assess your mental health and write you a Mental Health Treatment Plan for up to 6 sessions with a psychologist.
2. Use your sessions
You can now give your referral to a psychologist and attend up to 6 sessions. You will be entitled to a Medicare rebate for each session. We can assist you with claiming your rebates, or you can submit to Medicare yourself.
3. Obtain a review
After the last session on your referral, your psychologist will write a letter to your referrer. You referrer will check-in with you and determine whether you require a Mental Health Treatment Plan Review. This entitles you to a small number of additional sessions (usually a further four) with your psychologist. Please note, reviews can only be issued 3 months after your previous review.
Things to note
Using Your Referral
If your referral is addressed to another psychologist, you can still use it to see Sarah. You don’t need to return to your GP for a new one—referrals can be used by any psychologist, not necessarily the one named on the letter.
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Medicare Rebates and Session Limits
The number of Medicare-rebated psychology sessions resets each calendar year (January to December). With a GP referral, you are generally eligible for up to ten rebated sessions per year. In January, you may be eligible for new sessions if you continue to experience mental health difficulties.
If you don’t use all the sessions from your current referral, the remaining sessions can carry over into the next calendar year. Any sessions beyond those covered by Medicare can be funded privately.
Please Note
This information offers a general overview of how Mental Health Treatment Plans work when seeing a psychologist. In practice, the process can be more nuanced and may vary depending on your individual circumstances. For the most accurate and up-to-date advice, please check with your referring doctor or contact this practice directly.