What is mental health plan? Can it be rewritten?

[Pseudomonas]

Hi friends, just a random question coz I didn't know anything abt this mental health plan when I saw my first and only counsellor. Counsellor did say a few sessions ago he'd forward/discuss the health plan to my referring gp, but he later also said I should perhaps find another gp in his suburb, he'd omit PTSD in report despite he knows I've got it, he'd write my issues more severe than they are to improve the chances of getting healthcare benefits, etc....in a nutshell, I am seeing my regular gp tmr but I don't know if counsellor has sent her a mental health plan, and how reliable the contents are. I don't want to go and pick up the plan from counsellor.

What is in a mental health plan?

What is it's function?

If I don't want to claim Medicare for the six sessions I had with this counsellor, can my gp re-do a new mental health plan and refer me to a clinical psychologist?

Thanks so much,

Pauline

[MsPurple]

It sounds like it went well even if you have to wait a little for your next appointment. Maybe you should see a new gp at another clinic and get a mental health care plan and say you have seen this psych in the past an you would like it to be addressed to them. I was recommended my psych by the GP clinic but before they recommended them they asked me if I had seen anyone locally and wanted to see again. So you can ask to see your current psych as part of your mental health care plan. THis would allow some of it to be subserdised by medicare.

[Pseudomonas]

Thanks Ms Purple! I am on a blank mental health plan for now (yes, the psych was pretty blunt stating "your health plan is blank"), we stared at each other for two seconds as I couldn't summarize an explanation in one sentence (the plan was only marked to indicate I was conscious, with "anxiety" and "depression"). Can I change gp whilst I have attended session one under the mental health plan?

[MsPurple]

So was your appointment subserdised by medicare? So you have a mental health care plan? You can change GP's anytime. I see one for my mental health every now and again and I recently got a bulk billing dr because I cant always to see my private GP. As long as you have given the psychologist (or their receptionist) a copy of the mental health plan then it doesn't matter which GP you see. Also you can also change psychologist mid way through the mental health care plan if you don't think it is clicking, however your GP needs to change it on the care plan

[Pseudomonas]

Thanks so much, MsPurple! One last question for the experts: how to find a general practitioner with special interest in mental health... someone who won't cut me short the second I tell them I was upset at being traumatized. I tried this site, tried Dr Google, no luck so far - my impression is there are much more gp interested in family planning and women health than mental health

[MsPurple]

It can be hard to find one with a special interest. For me I looked for local GP clinics (I live in Brisbane so I looked for a few suburbs) I looked at the medical centres actual website and looked up the GPs and if they had a special interest. One time when I was living in Melbourne mum called her GP centre for me and asked if there was a GP who would be good for mental illness and I was refereed to that dr by the receptionist. He was really good too. You can find which GP clinics are near you by using this link https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/find-a-professional

I did some googling and I know a semi franchise like GP clinic called smartclinic have a search engine to look for dr with a special interest in mental health. Not sure if one is near you but could be something to look into.

When making the booking say it is for a mental health plan.

Hopefully this helps you out a bit. It took me a bit of googling to find one for myself. Even know I am starting to see two doctors as I needed one that bulk billed