Referral process to our Psychologists

Welcome and thanks for considering how to book in with our team.

We accept referrals from GP’s, medical and allied health professionals, professionals, schools, universities, employers, service providers, government departments and justice agencies. We also accept clients who self-refer to therapy!

Our Psychologists take private payment as well as providing psychological services for services provided under:

• Medicare (Better Access Scheme, Eating Disorder Plan, as well as Enhanced Primary Care)
• Private Health Insurance
• Insurance Commission of Western Australia
• Criminal Injury Compensation
• Australian Defence Force

Please call our reception staff if you are concerned that a particular client (or yourself) may have difficulty accessing rebates for the services provided by their psychologist.

Referrals from third party’s such as medical centres can be made by:

• Faxing a referral letter or request via our secure e-fax: 08 6270 1199*
• Emailing referral details via confidential email to: admin@aresolution.com.au
• Phoning our office on: (08) 6555 7786

Medicare referral letters (Mental Health Care Plans)

As per the Medicare Benefits Schedule Book (1 July 2020), for a client to claim a rebate for Medicare-eligible psychology services, “the instrument of referral must be in writing as a letter or note to [the psychologist or practice] and must be signed and dated by the referring practitioner”, and include their provider number. The referral must also be received prior to the client’s first appointment related to the referral.

Mental Health Care Plan Referral Letter Template

We highly recommend that doctors, including GPs, psychiatrists, and paediatricians, utilise the provided Aresolution Cover Letter/Referral Letter available on this page. Creating a template based on this suggested cover letter in your Electronic Medical Records software for future use is also advisable.

Template for Mental Health Care Plan Referrals

Mental Health Care Referral Sessions

Patients are entitled to 10 sessions per calendar year, which can be under an existing MHCP. Further, each referral can be up to a maximum of 6 sessions, please help ease the burden on our mental health care clients by a referral for 6 sessions at the initial and all subsequent appointments. Medicare limits the rebates to 10 sessions a year. Patients use their private health or private funds to fill the gap. 

Research suggests: 13-18 sessions of psychological therapy is needed for 50% of clients to fully recover and maintain the changes at 6 months follow up after therapy has finished. With the remaining 50% of clients needing 20 – 90+ sessions. It is imperative that we manage ongoing referrals consistently and effectively. 

If a patient accesses Medicare benefits for all available services within a calendar year, they do not require a new mental health treatment plan to be created at the start of the next calendar year to continue accessing allied mental health services all they need are referral letters. However, the patient will need a new referral from their health practitioner to continue to access allied mental health services, as each referral only covers up to six mental health services at a time.

When should a review of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan be conducted?

Patients with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan should undergo at least one formal review (MBS item 2712). Typically, a formal review should occur between four weeks to six months after the completion of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan. If further review is deemed necessary, it can occur three months after the initial review. In most cases, patients should not require more than two formal reviews within a 12-month period.

Unless under exceptional circumstances, a review of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan should not be conducted within three months of a previous claim for the same item (MBS item 2712) or within four weeks following a claim for a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan item (MBS items 2700, 2701, 2715, or 2717).

Additionally, it is generally expected that MBS item 2712 would not be claimed within four weeks of a claim for a referred psychiatrist assessment and management plan (MBS item 291).

Completing a review using MBS item 2712 is not necessary to refer a patient for further allied mental health services.

Medicare has released this MHCP referral flow chart to explain how the referral letters work across calendar years.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) referral

To get a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) referral to a psychologist, book an appointment with your General Practitioner (GP). Your GP will assess your clinical needs and complete a valid referral voucher (Form D0904) so you can receive fully funded, out-of-pocket-free treatment.

• From 1 July 2027:
  • The current 12-session (or 12 months, whichever occurs first) Treatment Cycle will be removed – which means veterans can access greater than 12 allied health sessions without needing an additional referral.
  • A $5,000 Annual Monetary Limit for allied health services each financial year will be established.
  • Veterans with a critical or acute health need will continue to be supported. This will include additional support above the limit where this is clinically indicated. The design of this and other aspects of the new arrangements will be informed through the engagement with the veteran community.

More information can be found on our website or the DVA website.

Referrals and treatment cycle

If you are treating a Veteran Card holder, they will need a valid referral from their usual treating general practitioner (GP). For an initial treatment cycle, the referral could also come from a:

• medical specialist
• treating hospital doctor
• hospital discharge planner

Under DVA treatment cycle arrangements, a referral to an allied health provider will last up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first.

Once a treatment cycle has ended, the client needs a new referral from their GP before you can provide further treatment. The client can have as many treatment cycles as their GP determines are clinically necessary.

Triage Process

You are welcome to refer to individual psychologists within the practice. To find out more about our individual psychologists please visit ‘Meet our team’ to explore their individual areas of interest, training and experience. Our referral grid also lists a range of presenting issues and whether or not each psychologist is accepting referrals. 

Review

After the completion of each referral block of sessions the psychologist will write back to you to report on client progress. 

Recommendations and Review

Aresolution psychology is a referral-based service. We appreciate your recommendation to others. 

If you are pleased with our referral services you are welcome to join our many happy customers and referrers that have left us a Google Review. 

Thank you in advance.