We see many individuals and what you say to us is private and will not be shared with others if that is your wish. 

This privacy is also sometimes referred to as confidentiality, and is important as it helps people have more confidence in us and feel more comfortable in the information they share with us.

There are however some important exceptions that most psychologists will have to address from time to time. If you are involved in a court case (eg: WorkCover, TAC) and a formal request is made via a subpoena to release information about you, we may then have to do so, even without your consent as we have no choice in the matter.

There are also times, depending on the type of referral, for example via Medicare (usually under the GP Mental Health Care Plan), where we are required to send reviews to the General Practitioner (GP) in order to continue with your treatment, and to enable fee paying clients to claim rebates for the payments they make.

For private paying clients, these reviews to the GP are not a requirement, but sometimes makes sense if wanting the extra support and collaborative support of the other health professionals trying to assist you.

Also, if people are at serious risk of harm to either themselves or others, we must take the necessary steps to help in this situation by notifying the appropriate agency, eg: the Crisis Assessment Team.

If you are a child or adolescent and you have been harmed, we may have to share this information with your parent/s or guardian/s, or the relevant authorities (eg: Child Protection), depending on the situation, with or without your consent for your protection. We will do our best to talk to you to explain the situation and what we may need to tell them and why.

COVID-19 – We extend to all Australians our thoughts and best wishes as we all contend with the COVID-19 Pandemic.  It has been difficult for many to deal with the transitions we make, and continue to make, with the many changes and challenges we face.  The lockdowns and the insecurity of the hurdles we have to manage during these times has sometimes been mentally exhausting.

We have been fortunate to be granted approval by the Government to conduct Telehealth Services for psychology under the current climate due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This recommendation is to keep all Australians safe.

Telehealth services generally refers to the use of technologies that you may already be used to, such as telephone or video conferencing, to provide medical and psychological care and education over a distance between you and the practitioner.  Again, the intention is to keep us all safe.

It can sometimes be difficult for some people to make the adjustment necessary to have their consultation in this way, but we are in a process of change and we have to learn to adapt to these changes to still be in touch with our medical/mental health practitioners. Sometimes, something new scares us (and that is understandable), but we urge new clients to give it a go, as it is not as difficult as it sounds and becomes easier after the first time.

Video consultation – Our team currently utilises a program called COVIU for video conferencing.  It is a secure video conferencing software that meets the Australian and Medicare standards which has also been promoted by the Australian Psychological Society and is HIPPA compliant.

Clients do not have to have this program themselves or download it on their devices to participate with our psychologists in their consultation.  Our administration team will send you a link, which you click on to at the time of your consultation, and after a few clicks, you will come through to the psychologist.  It is truly easy to use.

With this program, not only will you be able to see the psychologist, but you will also be able to see the handouts that the psychologist from our team may use from time to time that is put on the screen, which you can also download and keep.  If this cannot be done via your device, there is a small fee, but these handouts can be emailed to you.

Telephone consultation – For those who do not own a computer, you are not disadvantaged, as you can still have your consultation via telephone.  We ask that you have pen and paper to write down notes during your consultation to remember key aspects of your session with your psychologist.

Practical conditions – With both Video and Telephone consultations, you must adhere to the following:

• You cannot be driving a car.
• Operating machinery.
• Cooking.
• Doing other tasks that may and can put you in danger, peril or risk your health.

It is common sense to avoid the above (amongst other things).  It is best to think of your telehealth session as being in the consultation room of your psychologist, where you are safe, not distracted or participating in any other activities and where you are alone and have privacy.  These are the optimum conditions.

Referrals are usually required for the following:

WorkCover – Your GP initiates the referral to us by writing down the nature of why you are coming to see us (eg: depression, anxiety, pain) which must be related to the WorkCover injury (or what happened at work).  This referral is then sent by you or your GP (and sometimes by us), to the WorkCover Insurer for approval of psychology services.  

Once the approval is given in writing, psychology services can then commence.  Sometimes clients may start psychology services under Medicare – see next point – until approval by the WorkCover Insurer is given.  Should this be the case, or if your request under WorkCover is denied, please discuss with your psychologist as this decision by the WorkCover Insurer may be overturned at the ACCS (Accident Compensation Conciliation Service – which is a process usually without cost to you).

Transport Accident Commission (TAC) – Your GP initiates the referral to us by writing down the nature of why you are coming to see us (eg: post-traumatic stress disorder, anger, depression, anxiety, pain), which must be related to the motor vehicle accident (which can include physical injuries and how you are adjusting to them).  This referral is then sent by you or the GP (and sometimes by us), to the TAC for approval of psychology services.  Once the approval is given in writing, psychology services can then commence. 

Medicare – Referrals under the Medicare system require an appropriate referral by the GP to us. If this paperwork is incorrect, your GP will be required to attend to this situation as it is their responsibility (and not ours) as it is this referral from the GP that initiates psychology services, and if the GP’s referral is incorrect, for those that are bulk-billed, your services with us cannot commence.  For those clients that are fee paying, they will not be able to claim a rebate until their GP has attended to correcting the referral (and billing of the GP Mental Health Care Plan to Medicare) and for the subsequent required Reviews. This is a requirement under Medicare to have the appropriate paperwork in place at the relevant times.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – For approved clients who are eligible for psychology services, we will bill you the amount for our services and you will be able to claim this amount back from your NDIS provider, if this is the arrangement you have with them.  Sometimes we can bill the provider directly if there is an appropriate arrangement put in place. A referral is not required for such services.

Private paying patients – Referrals are not required.

Private health insurance – Referrals are not usually required, as long as the insurance policy you have has the Extras Cover provided for psychology services (check with your private health insurance fund).  It is important to understand that you cannot claim from Medicare and your private health insurance for the same consultation – it’s either one or the other.  

Face-to-face consultations are carried out at our Head Office in Lalor, but it is best to ring our Head Office to enquire as things sometimes change rapidly, (eg: lockdowns because of high COVID infection numbers or Government directives).

Our organisation has a Zero Tolerance Policy relating to any verbal or physical abuse towards any of our staff, or others within the centre, which will result in the termination of services and the possible reporting of such behaviour to Victoria Police.