Mental health organisations have welcomed the government’s additional $430 million funding but are split on how effective the extra funding will be in terms of service delivery.
Psychologist Vanessa Rendalls said “I think it will be a lot harder to access; you need to meet certain criteria to be eligible and they [Medicare] will be giving fewer sessions.”
“The theory is more people will be able to use it because you’re providing less sessions but the degree of mental health has to be greater,” she said.
SANE Australia’s Executive Director, Barbara Hocking said “We are now at first base, and well positioned to make a real difference to the lives of people with mental illness and their families, but we still have a long way to go.”
According to SANE Australia, some of the challenges include getting states and territories on board, refining the proposed models of integrated community care and ensuring that there are enough trained mental health and other workers to deliver these programs.
Ms Rendalls, a member of the Australian Psychologists Society (APS), said that previously people were able to get 12 sessions with a psychologist but under new funding rules this has been halved.
She also believes it may become more difficult to access the funding.
“You have to get what’s called a mental health care plan [from a G.P]… and now doctors have been told to be more frugal about who they send so it’s really hard for people to get a referral – unless you know the right thing to say, it’s really hard.” she said.
Executive director of the APS, Professor Lyn Littlefield said that government plans to reduce the number of sessions will impact upon the effectiveness for the people who need it most.
“…reducing the number of sessions available for treatment will decrease the quality of overall service provision. It is a decision that needs to be reviewed.” she said.
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