What is a mental health treatment plan?

A mental health treatment plan is a plan created together with your GP, to support you if you are suffering with mental illness. It will help you to access and coordinate your treatment, as well as providing information on additional supports and services, and the steps to take if your condition deteriorates suddenly.

In most cases, when people attend their GP to discuss a mental health treatment plan, they are interested in getting a referral to a mental health professional (usually a psychologist) as part of this plan, to enable access to lower cost therapy sessions.

If you have a valid mental health care plan, the Australian Government will pay some or all of the cost of up to 10 sessions with a psychologist/mental health professional per calendar year. In this case, the psychologist you’ve been referred to will be able to give you a Medicare Rebate for those sessions, to reduce your out-of-pocket cost.

Working on your mental health with a therapist takes time, and usually requires many appointments over months or years- so a mental health treatment plan is a good way to reduce the financial impact of getting the help you need.

How to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan

To get a mental health treatment plan, first you need to make an appointment with a GP. This appointment can be conducted in person at a GP clinic, OR via telehealth with an online doctor, such as Qoctor. A video call (rather than just a phone call) is considered best practice for telehealth. The doctor will ask a range of questions to understand your circumstances, needs and goals. They will create a document summarising the treatment plan, which they will then share with you.

The GP will then activate a specific Medicare item that will enable you to see a psychologist (or mental health worker/social worker), for 6 sessions initially, with 4 more sessions being accessible following a review with the GP. The review can take place a minimum of 6 weeks after the initial appointment. A total of 10 sessions are available per each calendar year, and it is worth noting that they do not “roll over” if they are not used. 

Once you have the treatment plan, you can contact the psychologist yourself, to make the appointment. However, your GP may also send the referral through to them on your behalf if you consent to this, and may share it with other health professionals involved in your care, if your wish.

How do mental health treatment plans work?

When a GP creates a mental health treatment plan with you, it means you can access lower cost sessions with a psychologist/mental health expert, as you qualify for a Medicare rebate for up to 10 visits per calendar year. Without the plan, it can be a lot more expensive to see a psychologist.

Once the first 6 sessions are completed, your psychologist will usually advise you to book in for a review with your GP. During this review appointment, the GP will assess how you are going. They may repeat some questionnaires to measure your progress. They can then enable access to 4 more sessions.

How much does it cost to get a mental health treatment plan?

A mental health treatment plan, you need to take into account the cost of seeing the GP and then of the counselling/psychology sessions themselves.

First, you will need to attend a GP to get the plan. The cost of seeing a GP varies from place to place- some GPs fully bulk-bill if you have Medicare, but these days most charge a “gap fee”. The average gap fee in 2024 is around $40 but tends to be significantly higher in some areas. In many clinics, there can be a waiting time of days or weeks.

With Qoctor, it costs $49.99 to speak to a doctor about getting a mental health treatment plan- and typically you can get your online doctor appointment the same day.

When you book in with your chosen psychologist/mental health professional, it is important to also ask them about their fees. Even though the cost is reduced by having a mental health treatment plan, most psychologists also charge a gap fee, which can vary quite a bit between different practitioners.

Aside from a mental health treatment plan, are there other ways to access low-cost counselling and mental health support?

If you do not have a mental health treatment plan, there may be some low cost or free counselling options that you can consider, such as:

• An EAP- An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free, confidential assessments, short-term counselling and support to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. Some employers may extend this to family members of the employee. Ask your HR department if your workplace has an EAP- sometimes there is one, but people are not aware it exists!
• University/student well-being programs- many educational institutions and universities offer free, confidential, short-term, psychological counselling to currently enrolled students and staff. Ask your student well-being officer or your on-campus health centre if you are unsure.
• Insurance cover- many health insurance policies, including OSHC (overseas student health cover) policies, partially or fully cover psychology sessions. You can check this on your policy details, or by contacting your insurer. For overseas students, OSHC policies will usually require you to have a GP referral to a psychologist and/or a mental health treatment plan, to enable the policy to cover the sessions.
• Victims of Crime services- these services exist in each state and territory, varying in terms of what is available. However, access to counselling services may be offered in some places. Search “victims of crime free counselling” in your area.
• Local government/city councils- local councils may fund free or low-cost counselling for certain groups such as families and children- search on your local council website.
• Support groups/associations for specific illnesses- some organisations offer free counselling if you or a family member suffer from a particular health condition that is impacting your emotional and mental health. This includes the Cancer Council. If you have a chronic illness, it is worth contacting the relevant support organisation and enquiring about services they offer.

In addition, there are many free online and helpline resources:

Online resources/helplines for mental health

• Beyond Blue  Call 1300 22 4636, for 24/7 support. Beyond Blue can provide advice, referrals and support with trained mental health professionals.
• Lifeline 13 11 14 or SMS support at 0477 13 11 14. Call Lifeline 24/7 for crisis support and suicide prevention services. Text support is also available.
• Suicide Callback Service The Suicide Call Back Service offers 24/7 free counselling and support for people at risk of suicide, carers and bereaved.
• Mensline Call Mensline 1300 78 99 78, available 24/7 for telephone and online support for men with emotional health and relationship concerns.
•  Kidshelpline 1800 55 1800 Kids Helpline is 24/7 free and confidential phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5-25.

• 13 Yarn 13 92 76 13 YARN is a 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Q Life 1800 184 527 QLife provides phone and online anonymous LGBTIQ+  support and referral. 3pm – 12am local time every day.
• Head to Health is a Federal Government platform that provides a directory of Australia’s most trusted mental health organisations.  Head to Health includes apps, online programs, online forums, and phone services, as well as a range of digital information resources. You can call 1800 595 212, Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00pm, or visit the website to speak to a mental health professional and find the support that best meets your needs.