Medicare rebates may apply to appointments at HMC, subject to specific eligibility requirements.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to access Medicare rebates for your appointments at HMC if any of the following circumstances apply:

• you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) and valid referral from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician.

• you have an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician.

• you have a Chronic Disease and Management Plan (CDM) and valid referral from your GP.

You will not be eligible for a Medicare rebate if your clinician is a:

• Provisional Psychologist

• AASW Accredited Social Worker

• Counsellor/Psychotherapist

• Play Therapist

• Therapy Assistant

In the interest of equity, fees for the clinicians listed above are priced similarly to the out-of-pocket cost of an appointment with a Medicare eligible clinician at HMC.

What else do I need to know?

Your GP will need you to book a "long consultation" to prepare a MHTP, EDP, or CDM, and accompanying referral letter to Healthy Mind Centre Launceston.

After you have attended the maximum number of appointments on your current referral, you will need to return to your GP, paediatrician, or psychiatrist to request a re-referral to Healthy Mind Centre Launceston.

The Medicare rebates (from November 2023) are:

• $82.30 Accredited Mental Health Social Worker

• $93.35 Registered Psychologist

• $137.05 Clinical Psychologist

You may be interested to know that once you have spent more than your Medicare Safety Net threshold for the calendar year, your Medicare rebate will increase. To find out more about the Medicare Safety Net and how to register, click HERE.

Depending on your funding allocation and plan goals, you may be able to claim the cost of your appointments through your NDIS plan. You can discuss this with admin prior to booking an initial appointment.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to use NDIS funding to pay for your appointments at HMC if all of the following circumstances apply:

• your NDIS plan contains funding for Improved Daily Living in the Capacity Building budget.

• your goals align with the proposed supports.

You will not be able to use your NDIS funding at HMC if:

• you are an Early Intervention participant with agency-managed funding.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to access private health rebates for your appointments at HMC if all of the following circumstances apply:

• your private health insurance policy covers appointments with your clinician

• you do not intend to claim a Medicare rebate for your appointments

You will not be eligible for a private health rebate if your clinician is a:

• Provisional Psychologist

• Play Therapist

• Therapy Assistant

What else do I need to know?

You are responsible for contacting your private health insurer to determine if your policy covers the services you intend to claim. Your insurer may require your clinician’s provider number to determine whether the service will be covered, which you can request from our friendly admin team.

Your private health insurer may require HMC to use specific billing codes relevant to the services provided. You will need to seek out this information and provide it to HMC, if applicable.

HMC can process most private health insurance claims in the clinic.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to use an EAP to pay for your appointments at HMC if any of the following circumstances apply:

• your employer has an EAP provider.

• your employer has an EAP arrangement with HMC.

What else do I need to know?

HMC can provide EAP services through Career Money Life, or a private payer arrangement.

You can contact your employer’s HR department and/or our friendly admin team to discuss this option further.

Your clinician may need to fill out a form for your EAP provider. You can contact our friendly admin team to discuss this further.

If your employer would like to make an EAP arrangement with HMC, they can complete the Organisation Enquiry Form HERE.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to use the Open Arms scheme (for veterans and families) to pay for your appointments at HMC if all of the following circumstances apply:

• you meet eligibility requirements for Open Arms or Bupa Open Arms

• your clinician is eligible to provide services under the Open Arms scheme

What else do I need to know?

Your clinician may need to fill out a form in order to become an Open Arms or Bupa Open Arms provider. You can contact our friendly admin team to discuss this further.

Who can use this funding source at HMC?

You may be able to use worker’s compensation funding to pay for your appointments at HMC if all of the following circumstances apply:

• you have a made a workers’ compensation claim

• you are eligible to access therapy services under your workers’ compensation claim

What else do I need to know?

You will need to provide HMC with the following information:

• your workers’ compensation claim number

• your workers’ compensation case manager name and contact details

Referral Pathways

There are several ways you can be referred to Healthy Mind Centre (HMC).

Self-referral
You can contact us directly to begin the intake process — no referral is required. Click here to self-refer.

GP referral
Your General Practitioner (GP) can refer you to HMC for therapy services.

Psychiatrist or Paediatrician referral
Your Psychiatrist or Paediatrician can also make a referral to HMC if they believe our services are suitable for your needs.

Other referrals
Referrals can also be made by other professionals or organisations, such as:

• National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) local area coordinators or support coordinators

• Worker’s compensation providers

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

• Schools

• Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, or other allied health professionals

If you’re unsure which referral pathway suits your situation, you can review the information under Funding Sources above or contact our admin team for guidance.

Once we receive your enquiry or referral, we will email you a combined intake and triaging form to complete. If your email address was not provided, our admin team will contact you by phone (call or text). You can usually expect to hear from us within 2–5 business days.

The information you provide helps us determine whether Healthy Mind Centre is the most suitable service for your needs and allows us to match you with an appropriate clinician. We consider factors such as clinical focus areas, schedules, and funding type to ensure the best fit.

Our priority is to connect you with a suitable clinician who has the soonest availability. If a suitable appointment time isn’t available straight away, we can discuss waitlist options or alternative supports to help you access care as soon as possible.

Our admin team will contact you by phone or email once an appointment becomes available with a suitable clinician. After your appointment is booked, you’ll receive practical information about attending your session — including details about our location, parking, and accessibility.

Initial appointments are usually 50 to 90 minutes in length. During this session:

• Your clinician will take time to understand your background, current concerns, and priorities.

• Together, you’ll discuss what you hope to gain from therapy and identify areas of focus.

• Your clinician may also recommend additional supports or resources that align with your goals.

You can read more about what to expect in your first session with an HMC clinician HERE.

After your initial session, your clinician will talk with you about what therapy frequency is both clinically appropriate and manageable. For many clients, this is fortnightly at least initially, though this can vary depending on your goals and circumstances.

Once a plan is in place, our admin team can help schedule appointments, or you can use our online booking system if you prefer. To help secure your preferred times, we generally recommend booking 3 sessions in advance.

Your clinician will regularly check in with you to reflect on your progress and gather feedback throughout therapy. This helps ensure your sessions remain focused, relevant, and responsive to your needs, as part of our feedback-informed practice approach.

If your sessions are funded through a third party (such as Medicare, NDIS, or another organisation), your clinician will also provide progress updates or reports as required by that funder. These updates are discussed with you first, so you’re aware of what will be communicated and why.

When you and your clinician agree that therapy is no longer needed, your clinician will provide a closing summary or letter to your referrer, where appropriate. You’re always welcome to reconnect with HMC in the future if new goals or challenges arise.