To claim a rebate from Medicare for psychological services, either for an individual session or a group program, you must have a special referral from your GP, a psychiatrist or a paediatrician. This is called a ‘Mental Health Care Plan’ (MHCP) and you will need to bring this with you to your first appointment.

There are two categories of Medicare items when you are claiming a rebate: one for Registered Psychologists and the other for Clinical Psychologists. We have both types here at The Resilience Centre.

What is a Registered Psychologist?
All psychologists are legally required to register with the Psychologist Registration Board in the State or Territory, in the same way medical practitioners must be registered. This means they must be competent and follow a strict ‘Code of Conduct’. Not all counsellors or therapists are registered psychologists. All our practitioners are registered here at  The Resilience Centre.

Can I access the benefits of a Mental Health Care Plan if I am already seeing a psychologist?
You will need to see an appropriate medical practitioner such as your GP or a psychiatrist, to see if you are eligible for a referral to your already existing psychologist under a Mental Health Care Plan.

How many sessions with a psychologist are possible with a Mental Health Care Plan?

Eligible patients will generally receive up to 10 x  individual services in a calendar year (January to December).

You will need to have a review with your GP after your 6th session to discuss your progress within counselling.

Additionally, you may also receive up to 10 x sessions, when you are participating in group therapy program.

Once you have reached the maximum number of sessions per calendar year, you would not be eligible for any further Medicare rebates under the Better Access Scheme until the new calendar year.

Provision exist for patients to receive additional services where there are exceptional circumstances. These exceptional circumstances will be identified and determined by your referring doctor.

What will it cost me?
Rebates vary slightly depending upon a number of factors. Please discuss this with our staff at reception.

How will I pay it?
At this practice you will need to pay the full fee for the consultation and then use your receipt to claim a Medicare rebate.

Does the Medicare Safety Net apply to my out of pocket expenses under this initiative?
Yes, you are responsible for paying any charges in excess of the benefit from  Medicare for items under this initiative. However, these out-of-pocket costs will count towards the Medicare Safety Net.

What about my Private Health Insurance?
You cannot use both private health insurance ancillary cover, and a Medicare rebate for these services.

You need to decide whether you will use Medicare, or your private health insurance ancillary cover to pay for your psychological services. You can either access rebates from Medicare by following the claiming process, or claim where available on your insurer’s ancillary benefits.

Private health insurance rebates are applicable for clients with the appropriate cover. Our office is equipped with HICAPS facilities, so if you bring your health fund card, we can process your rebate during your appointment. If you wish to determine the amount of your rebate before your first session, please contact your health fund for this specific information.

The Resilience Centre offers confidential psychological services to all clients. Information about you is kept confidential, except in the following circumstances:

• When it is subpoenaed by a court.
• If a client divulges that they or another person/s intends to harm themselves or others. In such circumstances we have a ‘duty of care’ to take all appropriate action to safeguard those who are affected or concerned.
• When case notes are discussed with another psychologist for supervision or case management purposes.
• When you give your approval to discuss or provide written reports to another person, professional agency or service provider. These may include doctors, lawyers, employers or any named individual. Under these circumstances, your written permission is always required.
• Please note that some clients are under a Medicare Mental Health Care Plan set up by their GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician. Psychologists are required to send a report to the referring doctor advising them of your progress. You may discuss the content of this report with your psychologist, prior to its submission.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the new way of providing support for Australians with a disability, their families and their carers. The NDIS is being introduced in stages and will be rolled out by district within NSW.

If you are not currently receiving disability supports, you can apply to access the NDIS. For more information, please visit here: Access requirements.

Each person who is assessed as eligible then has an approved NDIS support plan to guide them.

If you have chosen to self manage your plan, you will be able to select the practitioner of your choice. You can therefore make an appointment to see any one of our practitioners at The Resilience Centre.

Does NDIS cover group programs?

Yes the NDIS does cover group programs sometimes but you will need to check with your plan manager. We can check for you if we get their details from you.

How will I pay it?

At this practice, you will need to pay the full fee for the individual session or group program and then use your receipt to claim the expense back through the Scheme.

Medical treatment for DVA Gold Cards:

When you use your Veteran Gold Card for medical treatment:

1. Tell your health provider that you have the DVA Veteran Gold Card and ask them if they will accept this for your treatment.
2. They may ask if you have a referral.
3. In some cases they may need to get prior approval from us.
4. Your provider will then tell you if they can accept your Veteran Gold Card.

Cancellation Policy for All Clients of The Resilience Centre – Update July 2025

Due to our continuously growing waiting list here at The Resilience Centre, we kindly ask that if you need to cancel your appointment with your practitioner, we require a minimum of 48 hours notice, which will incur no penalty.

If your cancellation is less than 48 hours notice, unfortunately you will be charged for 50% of your scheduled fee. If your cancellation is less than 24 hours notice, unfortunately you will be charged for 100% of your scheduled fee. 

We hope that you understand this new change due to our always expanding wait list and our hope is that if you are unable to have your appointment, that we have enough time to offer it to another client.

Please note that in the event that you can’t get to the Centre but you are still available for your appointment (example: if you are sick or you are caring for a child that is sick), you are welcome to call our reception and they can change your session to online.