Someone to talk to, someone who will listen

We have a couple of options to choose from to access a psychologist and therapeutic interventions.

We have a Psychologist who visits every two weeks which you will need a GP referral for. To get the referral you will need to ask for a long appointment when you call/come in to make a GP appointment. When you see the GP you will need to ask for a referral to see the Psychologist and ask for a Mental Health Care Plan.

  • The Doctor will talk with you for a while to see how you are feeling, and likely ask you some questions like – Have you thought about harming yourself? Or, do you ever feel like there is no point living anymore? They ask because they care about you, and want the best for your health and wellbeing
  • You will then fill out a form that will ask questions about how you have been feeling and coping in the last two weeks
  • The form will assess your level of stress, anxiety and depression
  • You and your GP will come up with a plan to help with your health and wellbeing – it will include a referral to the Psychologist, and if you are taking medication for your mental health, you can also ask for a referral to talk to a Psychiatrist (specialist in mental health medication).

You can choose to see our psychologist here which is 100% free and bulk billed, or there is also the option to see another psychologist of your choosing in the area, or also you could use telehealth (skype appointments) if you would prefer to see a psychologist (Clinical Psychologist only) further away .

Important information for using an external Psychologist is that the Mental Health Care Plan rebate may only covers a certain amount of the Psychologist’s fee, if they charges more than the rebate allows, you will be out of pocket the gap fee.

Our second option is using the Healthwise psychologist services – which is only available to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

There are 2 ways you can refer to HealthWISE

We have a couple of options to choose from to access a psychologist and therapeutic interventions.

1. Self-referrals

You can call the free call number 1800 931 540 and ask to speak to the Indigenous Mental Health team for help with your self-referral.

You must be over 18 years old to refer yourself

If under 18 years old, you will need consent from your Parents/Guardians for referral

2. CRAICCHS support

CRAICCHS can support the connection to Healthwise using the Mental Health Care Plans process.

If you are on or need a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), talk to your GP and they can assist with your Referral and Consent Form