No.
As a private practice, we do not require a GP referral to access our services and you are welcome to ‘self-refer’. However, if you would like to access a Medicare rebate for your sessions, you will need a Medicare plan from your GP or Paediatrician.
Please see here for further information.
Make an appointment to see your GP or Paediatrician prior to attending sessions at Okey Dokey. Your health professional can discuss options and eligibility for various Medicare plans that may be suitable.
If you explain why you want your child to access therapy, most GPs will be happy to write a Plan for you, although it is completely at their discretion.
When booking your appointment with your GP or Paediatrician, we recommend letting them know you are seeking a Medicare referral as the doctor will most likely require a double appointment.
You can claim up to 20 session rebates in a calendar year from Medicare using a “Mental Health Treatment Plan” for psychology.
If you are seeing our OT or Speech Pathologist, you can get a different Plan called a “Chronic Disease Management Plan” which entitles you to 5 sessions in a calendar year with those specialists.
Please visit our Fees and Payment Options page for further information.
No.
If you have a current Medicare plan, you will be entitled to a rebate.
However, this does not cover the full amount, and there will still be a gap out of pocket cost.
The rebate amount you will receive can vary depending on the type of Medicare plan you are using or your safety net limits. For more information on the rebate amounts, you can visit our Medicare Rebates page.
As a private practice, we don’t offer bulk billing sessions.
You may be entitled to a Medicare rebate to help cover a portion of these sessions. Please visit our Fees and Payment Options page for more information.
1. We have to determine if the requested assessment is appropriate.
2. We have to meet your child to determine how many sessions we will need to complete the assessment. Some children will take longer to complete the process than others depending on their individual attention span.
3. We need to determine what the assessment is for exactly as this may affect what reports and letters are required based on the outcome of the assessment.
4. We need to obtain a developmental history of the child which is important to include in any reports in order to provide appropriate context.
It takes a minimum of 4 weeks after completion of the assessment sessions to score and write the report. In most cases, our clinician will go through the report with you at a feedback session.
Not every practitioner is the perfect fit for every child or family. You’ll be allocated to a therapist during your intake phone call based on the information you disclose, but if you find they are not suitable at any time and for any reason, you can always request a change to another therapist.
Similarly, if the practitioner feels you’d be better served by a different clinician, that can also be arranged. You can always speak to your practitioner or the reception staff about any concerns and they will be happy to help.
The first step is to let your clinician know how you feel. If you are uncomfortable doing that, you can send an email marked “Confidential” to the Practice Manager, Andrew Tompkins at [email protected]. Your email will only be seen by Andrew and Raelene Dundon who is the Senior Clinician and Director. We will work with you to find an appropriate solution.
We welcome feedback are happy to hear about any concerns you might have.
Please visit our Complaints and Feedback page for further information.
Under Victorian law, registered psychologists (including provisional psychologists) are mandatory reporters which means that if during their work they form a reasonable belief of the physical or sexual abuse of a child, they are legally required to report that belief to authorities such as child protection. In most cases they will attempt to advise the parent that they need to make such a referral, but they are not legally required to.
No.
Our practice focusses purely on assessment and therapy. Our clinicians also don’t take sides in custody disputes and don’t provide formal recommendations regarding access or custody arrangements. A psychologist who works as part of the legal system would be a better option.
