Referral information for General Practitioners
Bloom Health Clinic is a dynamic and well-established psychology service located in the heart of the Redlands. As a practice we are dedicated to excellence, and pride ourselves on providing high quality professional services in a warm and positive environment.
We are committed to providing you with timely correspondence, regular progress updates, and the ability to consult with your patients psychologist about mental health concerns.
We value a collaborative and holistic approach to treatment with a focus on supporting your patients to live confidently and peacefully. We maintain a detailed ‘skills matrix’ of clinician experience to help facilitate clients being seen by a suitable psychologist. Our intake team have a strong knowledge of each psychologists’ background, areas of expertise, personal style, and availability to facilitate booking your client in with a suitable psychologist.
Our team of professional and highly skilled practitioners have extensive experience, working with adults, couples, adolescents, children and families. All of the clinicians at Bloom Health Clinic work from a person-centred and relational approach, utilising best-practice techniques and evidence-based therapies to develop the right mental health plan for each clients unique situation.
At Bloom we believe the therapeutic process is about safety, connection, & meaning and are dedicated to helping your patients heal, develop self-acceptance, and become aware of their inner strengths through an authentic, gentle, and respectful approach to therapy.
The Referral Process
-
Medicare rebates under the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners (GP’s) through the MBS (Better Access) initiative are available for patients with a mental disorder to receive up to 10 individual and up to 10 group allied mental health services per calendar year (1 January to 31 December).
-
Preparing a MHTP for your patients will involve both assessing the patient and preparing the Mental Health Treatment Plan document.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan template is recommended to ensure all relevant information is provided and to support the most appropriate referral for your patient. Templates are available from:
Australian Government, Department of Health, Better Access GP Mental health Treatment Plan Templates
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), GP Mental Health Treatment Plan Template
General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration, GP Mental Heath Treatment Plan Templates
It is not mandatory to use any particular form when preparing and claiming for a MHTP, but it is mandatory to document all of the Medicare requirements as outlined by Medicare.
-
A MHTP is not considered a referral, and alone, is not sufficient for our psychologists to provide a service. To meet Medicare Compliance, we request that a MHTP be accompanied by a referral letter.
Unlike a MHTP, there is no set structure or item number associated with a referral. It is simply a letter requesting psychological intervention for your patient.
While there is no standard referral letter format prescribed by Services Australia/Medicare, in order to accept a GP referral at Bloom Health Clinic we require a signed and dated referral letter which includes the following information:
Client Name
Client Date of birth
Client Address
Client’s symptoms or diagnosis
A list of any current medications
The number of treatment services the client needs to receive (up to 6 sessions)
A statement about whether the client has a MHTP, shared care plan or a psychiatrist assessment and management plan
Where appropriate, and with the patient’s agreement, the GP can also attach a copy of the mental health treatment plan to the referral.
Medicare rebates can only be processed once we have received a completed copy of the patient’s referral letter and MHTP.
-
Although, it is best practice that referral letters and MHTP are made out to the treating clinician this is not essential as recent Medicare changes now allow clients to take their existing referrals to any clinician of their choice.
In this instance to prioritise client ease, we recommend making out a referral to ‘The Psychologist’ at Bloom Health Clinic (location address: 1A 23-27 Middle Street Cleveland, Qld, 4163).
Of course if you would like to make a referral out to a particular psychologist we will always do our best to accommodate this as a first preference, however if waitlists make this challenging we do look to others in the team to ensure the client can be seen in a timely fashion, while still ensuring a suitable match for you clients referral needs.
-
We accept referrals by hand delivery from patients or via email to admin@bloomhealthclinic.au
-
To ensure your clients are able to make a timely appointment with Bloom Health Clinic following your referral, please inform them that they need to contact the clinic to make an appointment.
Due to privacy reasons, we will wait for the client to contact us directly before initiating contact. Not all clients wish to activate their referrals and we want to respect their right to autonomy when booking an appointment at Bloom Health Clinic.
Our Commitment to You and Your Patient
-
Once we receive contact from your client we will work to match them with a suitable psychologist and ensure a timely first appointment is made. Where we are unable to make an appointment within a suitable timeframe we will provide a rough indication of waitlist timeframes and add your client to our waitlist list. If this is not a suitable option or the client is not agreeable to being on our waitlist we will inform you of this and do our best to help facilitate alternative referral pathways.
-
When you refer to us, we will write to you after your client is seen at the initial session, at any stage that your clients presentation changes, and at the end of treatment or any time treatment is on hold. When we have concerns for a client’s safety we will contact you and work consultatively to help create a care plan for the client.
If you client is referred under a MHTP we will also write to you at the key Medicare review points.
• After the initial appointment
• At conclusion of each course of treatment (re-referral letter)
• At patient discharge
Should you send a referral that we are unable to assist with or accommodate in a suitable timeframe we will inform you via writing.
Please note that our director and principal clinical psychologist Jessica Tollemache is available to come and meet with you or your Practice Manager to help facilitate a smoother referral process, as a meet and greet, or to provide professional development in mental health areas of interest.
Learn more about our event speaking services here.
-
Like most helping professions, GPs can experience burn-out and benefit from professional support. Just as you support us with our physical health, we are available to support you with your mental health when required. Please contact our friendly Client Care Team should you wish to see a practitioner at Bloom Health Clinic.
Navigating MHTP Validity, Referrals and Reviews
Navigating the referrals and reviews process under a MHTP can be challenging. There has been much confusion around the number of sessions provided under a MHTP, when a new referral can be obtained, and when a review is required. To help clarify this process we have outlined the relevant information below.
-
A MHTP does not expire, a patient can continue on the same MHTP indefinitely with the GP updating a patient’s original plan over the years if appropriate. In other words, once processed, the original MHTP is always valid (unlike referrals).
-
Patients with a MHTP should have at least one formal review following activation of their MHTP. Generally, a formal review (MBS item 2712) should occur four weeks to six months after the activation of a GP MHTP. In most cases, a review of a patient’s MHTP will occur after the first referral is completed (i.e., after the first treatment block which is typically 6 sessions).
If a further review is required, this can occur three months after the first review, however most patients should not need more than two formal reviews in a 12 month period as a review only needs to be completed if something has changed clinically in regard to the patient’s mental health presentation.
If a patient is not in need of a MHTP review but requires access to further sessions under their plan, you may write a rereferral letter to the treating psychologist requesting that the patient continue to be seen. A patient may require rereferral for the remainder of their MHTP sessions as early as 6 weeks following their initial referral.
-
There is a myth that Better Access referrals are valid for a specific period of time such as 12 months, however this is not true. Better Access referrals are valid for the number of sessions specified in the referral, and can cross calendar years if needed. Referrals can be provided at any point in the calendar year and are not dictated by the MHTP commencement date.
Under the Better Access initiative, when activating a MHTP GPs should initially refer eligible patients for six psychological services. If the initial referral is complete and further treatment for the patient is required, there is no requirement for the health practitioner to wait until the anniversary of the initial MHTP before referring their patient for the additional four services that are available.
Note: Please be sure to stipulate the number of sessions you are requesting the patient have access to (e.g. “for the balance of their remaining sessions for the calendar year”).
-
Session limits are based on a calendar year (i.e., 1 January to 31 December). Clients can access up to 10 sessions per calendar year for individual therapy.
Each referral letter must specify the number of sessions covered by that referral. This is called the course of treatment. In this instant a set of 10 sessions is typically made up of two courses of treatment. In addition, referrals for individual therapy under the initial 10 sessions may be for a maximum of six sessions per referral (in any combination up to a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year).
The standard approach is a 6+4 combination, but any combination is acceptable (up to a maximum of 6 per referral and 10 total initial sessions per calendar year).
-
Unlike formal reviews, there is no specific item number associated with preparation of a referral or rereferral under a MHTP. GPs can use a standard consultation item number, or they can use a mental health consultation item number (if they are eligible to do so).
Note: MBS item 2712 does not have to be used in order for additional psychological services to be accessed. GPs can use a different MBS item number to conduct a consultation with a patient for the purpose of providing access to additional sessions under their MHTP.
-
Supplementary to their 10 individual sessions, a patient with a valid MHTP is entitled to an additional 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year, provided that participation in the group program is considered complimentary to their individual treatment.
Group therapy requires a separate referral letter, and has a maximum of six sessions per referral (and a maximum of 10 group sessions per calendar year).
-
Referrals are valid for the number of services shown on the referral letter regardless of whether a patient chooses to change their allied mental health provider.
-
Referral for the provision of psychological services do not have an expiry date. These services are valid for the stated number of sessions on the referral rather than a specified period.
When referred psychological services are not used during the calendar year in which the patient is referred, the unused services may be used the next calendar year. In this instance, the psychological services will count towards the maximum number of services (10 sessions in any calendar year) available to the client in that year.
-
If a patient accesses Medicare benefits for all available services within a calendar year, they do not require a new MHTP to be created at the start of the next calendar year to continue accessing allied mental health services. Since a MHTP triggers a patient’s eligibility for funding under the Better Access Initiative a new mental health care plan should not be prepared unless clinically required.
In addition, if your patient requires treatment beyond the 10 sessions for which they can claim a Medicare rebate, they are able to continue to see their psychologist as a private paying client, but no Medicare rebate is available for the remainder of that calendar year.
-
In certain circumstances, it may be appropriate for the GP to prepare a new MHTP. For example, if a significant change occurs with the patient’s circumstance or symptoms, or if a patient transfers their care to a new GP.
FAQ’s for Referrers
-
GP MHTP Medicare items are:
MBS items 2700, 2701, 2715* or 2717* – Preparation of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (effective from 1 November 2011);
MBS item 2712 – Review of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan; and
MBS item 2713 – GP Mental Health Treatment Consultation.
Please note, GPs do not have to complete another MHTP using one of the new items (2700, 2701, 2715 or 2717) if they are already managing a patient’s care needs using one of the former GP MHTP items (items 2702 and 2710) and this plan is still appropriate to the patient’s needs.
*A more detailed overview of MBS item numbers relevant to GP MHTP’s is included in our GP Quick Reference Guide To MHTP’s. If you would like access to our GP Quick Reference Guide To MHTP’s please e-mail the clinic at admin@bloomhealthclinic.au
-
When referring a client without a MHTP, a referral letter is not required, although we do appreciate if a referral letter can be sent as it allows us to have a better understanding of your clients presentation which in turn helps us to best support them.
-
If a referral is incomplete or invalid, our admin team will contact you to provide clarification.
-
A Review is a specific process within Better Access, whereas a re-referral is a simple letter. Reviews can be conducted at the GP's discretion (but not within three months of another Review) and they have a specific item number (whereas referrals/rereferrals do not have timeframes and are not linked to specific item numbers).
A formal review is NOT essential in order for your patient to continue therapy, whereas a re-referral IS.
A direct quote from the Better Access education guide is that patients need a new referral for each course of treatment. Not a new review.
-
You do not need to see the patient for a re-referral, although you might insist on doing so which is your prerogative. By contrast, you must see the patient in person if they wish to conduct a formal review.
-
Navigating referrals under the Better Access Initiative can be a confusing process.
For this reason we have created a GP Quick Reference Guide To MHTP’s to support the referral pathway to Bloom Health Clinic. If you would like access to our GP Quick Reference Guide To MHTP’s please e-mail the clinic at admin@bloomhealthclinic.au
-
Bloom Health Clinic is not a Bulk Billing clinic, however, we do understand the importance of access to mental health support and in some instances will consider providing services at a reduced rate. Reduced rate services are approved on a case by case basis and may require further documentation.
If your patient is experiencing financial hardship please advise your patient to contact Bloom Health Clinic to discuss their situation.
Let’s chat.
HAVE QUESTIONS OR JUST WANT TO CHAT? BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH US.