Confidentiality
Clients’ personal information will remain confidential except when:
1. It is subpoenaed by a court; or
2. Failure to disclose the information would in the reasonable belief of your treating psychologist place a client or another person at serious risk to life, health or safety; or
3. The client’s prior approval has been obtained to:
a) provide a written report to another professional or agency, e.g. a GP or a lawyer; or
b) discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent, employer or health provider; or
c) disclose the information in another way; or
d) you would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency (e.g. your GP) and disclosure of your personal information to that third party is for a purpose which is directly related to the primary purpose for which your personal information was collected. Please note that if you are seen under a Mental Health Care Plan, it is a requirement that basic information about attendance and treatment outcomes is provided to the referrer; or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law.
4. a client has provided consent for disclosure of written or verbal information to specific individuals, e.g.: provision of a written report to another professional such as a doctor or lawyer; or discussion of assessment or treatment recommendations with a parent, teacher, employer or health provider.
5. The psychological service provided is bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Collecting and Holding Information
Your personal information is gathered as part of your assessment and treatment, and is kept securely and, in the interests of your privacy, used only by your clinician and the authorised personnel of the practice (as necessary). As we are a Multidisciplinary Practice (meaning we have various providers under the one roof) you may engage more than one Doctor/Clinician here for your care. Each provider you see will be able to access your consultation notes and at times, when required discuss your care. Please advise if you do NOT wish for this to occur.
Your personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions and enables the clinician to provide a relevant and informed service to you. There may be times where this information requires disclosure to a Third Party (please ask Reception or your Practitioner if you require further information regarding this).
Fees Policy
Group sessions are charged at $80 per session, and the fee for the full course of 6 sessions is payable upfront as a lump sum of $480. Medicare rebates of $38.35 per session are available for eligible clients who have a valid Mental Health Care Plan. Rebates can only be awarded if the client attends the group session, so will be awarded at the completion of each session. This provides an incentive for attendance, as Medicare rules state that groups must have between 6 and 10 attendees for all attendees to be eligible for Medicare rebates.
If a session is cancelled, clients will be eligible for a refund. If a client ceases attendance, they may consult with the psychologist to see if they are eligible for a refund.
Alternative fees are applicable for parents using NDIS.
These fees are substantially lower than the Australian Psychological Society recommended fee of $311 for a standard 45-60 minute consultation, to maintain affordable services for clients.
Letters and reports: Psychologists facilitating group therapy are not able to provide letters and reports for medicolegal purposes. Attendance certificates may be requested.