General mental health-Mental health care plan

No referral is needed if you are accessing services privately or self funded. However, to access Medicare rebates under the Better Access initiative, you will need a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral letter from your GP. You can also be referred directly by a psychiatrist or paediatrician. If you are unsure, contact us and we can help you work out the right pathway.

Under the Better Access initiative, eligible individuals can access up to 10 Medicare-rebated individual sessions per calendar year (1 January to 31 December). Your GP will initially refer you for up to 6 sessions. After those, you return to your GP for a plan review, and they may refer you for up to 4 further sessions reaching the annual limit of 10. Sessions reset each new calendar year.

Both Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and registered psychologists can provide Focussed Psychological Strategies under the Better Access initiative, and both are eligible for the same Medicare rebate under this program. AMHSWs like Colm bring a distinctive systems-aware, biopsychosocial lens they are trained to consider not just psychological symptoms but the social, relational, occupational, and environmental factors that shape and maintain mental health difficulties. For many people, this broader perspective is exactly what is needed.

The first session is primarily a conversation. Colm will take time to understand your situation, what has been happening, how it has been affecting you, and what you are hoping to get from therapy. There is no pressure to discuss anything you are not ready to explore. At the end of the session, you will have a clearer sense of what the work might look like and what to expect going forward.

Yes. Telehealth is a permanent feature of the Medicare Better Access initiative and is available for all individual sessions. Sessions are delivered via secure video and are clinically equivalent to in-person sessions for most presentations. Telehealth is available to clients across Queensland and nationally. In-person sessions are available on the Sunshine Coast.

A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not expire. However, you will need a new GP referral letter at the start of each new course of treatment (up to 6 sessions initially, then up to 4 more following a review). If your mental health needs or diagnosis change significantly, your GP may update the plan. It is generally recommended to review your plan with your GP at least once a year.

You can continue therapy privately without Medicare rebates. Alternatively, your GP may explore other Medicare pathways depending on your circumstances such as a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan if you have a relevant chronic condition. Your session limit also resets on 1 January each year, so if you are approaching the end of the calendar year, it may be worth planning ahead.

Start by calling or emailing us directly. You do not need to have everything figured out before making contact. We can talk you through the process, answer your questions, and help you decide whether and how to proceed. Alternatively, book a longer appointment with your GP, mention that you are interested in a Mental Health Treatment Plan, and ask for a referral to Coastal Sands Counselling.