- Do I need a referral?
You do not need a referral to see one of our psychologists, however if you do have a referral & valid plan in place from a GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician, you can claim a Medicare rebate. You may be eligible for 6-10 sessions per calendar year depending on your presenting concerns. If referred by a doctor, we will write back to the doctor after the initial consultation, 6th session and 10th session, and you may need to check in with the doctor for a review after the 6th session. Rebates cannot be claimed for the 7th session without a review/re-referral.
- Can I get a Medicare Rebate?
Please see above. In most circumstances, and where eligible, we can process the rebate for you on the spot through our HICAPS terminal which saves you time doing it yourself. To do so, please make sure you have your Medicare card or number, and a debit card with you on the day to process the rebate back into.
- Do private health rebates apply?
Yes, some private health insurance companies will provide a rebate for psychological services, it is best to check with your private health provider directly as the outcome will vary depending on your level of cover. We can provide on the spot rebates for most private health providers through our HICAPS terminal – you can check to see if your provider is supported on the HICAPS Health Insurers Page.
- Can I attend without my child?
Absolutely, in fact many parents like to attend the first consultation without their child so that they can fill us in on the background. This will vary considerably. We do like parents to be open and honest with the child about why they are coming to a psychologist but how much information you share in front of your child will vary significantly based on the reasons for coming.
- Do I stay in the session with my child?
This will vary considerably depending on the age of the child and the presenting concerns. Your clinician will explain the suitability of you being in the session with your child. Typically for younger children, we will see your child alone for the first sessions, and then provide feedback to the parent as appropriate, and with the consent of the child. For older children and adolescents, it depends on their needs and most often they are seen alone without the parent present, as it is important that they feel their information is safe and private. Our aim is to have a collaborative approach and work together as a team, in most cases, the child will attend sessions independently without their parent however this is very individual for each situation.
For assessments, children will attend the session on their own except in the case of very young children (e.g. under 3 years). Your psychologist will explain this when they meet you.
- How do I pay?
Payment is required in full on the day of service, unless you have a third party referral who will pay on invoice. We have full EFTPOS facilities (with exception of AMEX) through HICAPS. A full fee schedule is sent out with our information pack upon booking.
- What information is required before attending our first appointment?
Our friendly reception team will email an information pack prior to your first appointment which contains important information and other intake forms. We ask that you complete and return this as early as possible prior to attending your first appointment. Please also bring along any reports or previous treatment information that you may have to the first appointment, so we can work out who is best placed to assist you. This allows your psychologist to feel like they already know a bit about you and why you are coming to the clinic before you even come through the door and will help you feel welcome and at ease.
- Are you registered with NDIS?
Yes, we are registered with the NDIS, for Therapeutic supports, ECEI or Early Childhood Intervention, and Positive Behaviour Supports, (PBS) these come under Capacity Building and we work with children and families as well as adults. You can be Plan, Agency or Self-managed when you access our services.
- Do you charge cancellation fees?
We currently have a significant demand for our services and have many people waiting for appointments. If you are unable to attend an appointment, we can avoid sending you a cancellation fee if you give us 48 hours notice, as we can usually fill the spot. Without adequate notice, we struggle to fill the spot, and do have a cancellation policy in place:
- 24 – 48 hours Notice: 50% of usual Session Fee applies
- Less than 24 hours’ Notice: Full Session Fee applies
- Missed or Non-Attended Appointments: Full Session Fee applies
We understand that sometimes life gets in the way of scheduled appointment times, you will need to contact us if you have extenuating circumstances that we need to take into consideration. A full copy of our fees & rebate policy and our late notice policy is emailed with our intake pack upon booking. Please also note that Medicare Rebates and Health fund benefits do not apply to cancellation fees, and that our cancellation policy does still apply to most third-party referrals, including Primary Health Networks (PHN) funded appointments, as they do not cover cancellation charges.
Help us NEVER charge a missed appointment fee. All you need to do is give us 48 hours notice and let us know. That way we stay on time and you avoid late fees. Can’t make it? Simply call as early as possible on (03) 6426 3050 or email to let us know.
