Victorians, the Gov Is Now Offering You Twice as Many Subsidised Therapy Sessions

Here's how you can access them.

There's no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty in our day-to-day lives, particularly for people living in Victoria. 

With the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continuing to rise in the state, the Victorian government has introduced Stage 4 restrictions across metropolitan Melbourne. 

While these measures are necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, it's undeniably tough to go back into lockdown. Not being able to see your friends and family as much as you'd like or facing reduced hours at work can be difficult for anyone to deal with.

But for people with mental health issues, it can be particularly challenging.

Fortunately, the federal government has announced that they will provide 10 additional Medicare-subsidised psychological therapy sessions for Victorians subjected to further restrictions in areas impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Okay, but how does that work? 

To access the 10 additional sessions, you'll need to already have a Mental Health Treatment Plan. A Mental Health Treatment Plan is a plan your doctor writes with you about treating your mental health condition. It helps you access a range of allied health professionals like psychologists.

With a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you're entitled to 10 individual and support group sessions in one year. 

Additionally, if you have a Mental Health Care Plan, the Medicare rebate covers you for a certain amount of the value of your session, so you won't have to pay the full cost. 

The federal government is providing an additional 10 sessions, on top of the standard 10. 

Along with having a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you'll need to schedule an appointment with your GP and have a review to get the additional sessions. 

This will allow you to continue to receive mental health care from your psychologist, psychiatrist, GP or any other eligible allied health worker. 

The additional sessions are for those who have already used their initial 10 sessions through their Mental Health Treatment Plan, and who are subject to public health orders restricting their movement within a state or territory issued any time from 1 July 2020 to 31 March 2021, and who are required to isolate or quarantine under public health orders. 

This measure will commence from Friday 7 August and will be available until 31 March 2021. 

With a Mental Health Care Plan, the current psychology rebate amount is around $87.45 and the clinical psychology rebate is about $124.50. 

What other services can I access if I don't have a Mental Health Treatment Plan?

If you don't have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, it's still important to find other ways to take care of your mental health during lockdown.

There are a number of other free crisis support resources that you can call or obtain online counselling with. These include Lifeline Australia, Beyond Blue, MensLine, Care in Mind, Mindspot, Suicide Call Back Service, Headspace, Kids Helpline, ReachOut, SANE Australia, 1800Respect, Directline and Switchboard Victoria.

You can read more about coping with uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic here. 

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

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