Contact & Location
Shed 1, 2B Holmes Street, Ballarat Central, VIC 3350
Contact number: 0404 303 814
Email:
To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour.
~ William Blake
Coronavirus Updates
Dear all,
In the wake of the pandemic status that the COVID-19 has taken, the Australian government and Department of Health have made certain steps in order to slow down the spread of the virus. The current telehealth provisions by Medicare for psychology are available for all Australians until the end of September 2020. At this point, there is no further update from Medicare about the provision of on-going telehealth items for psychological treatment.
Telehealth can be delivered via telephone or secure video-conferencing which is a system similar to Skype and FaceTime but encrypted to protect client privacy. Telehealth has been shown to be an effective method for delivering psychological treatment. For our sessions, we will be using Coviu.
Clients who are accessing psychological treatment under NDIS, DVA and Worksafe are all eligible for telehealth services. For clients who are funded by Worksafe, please seek permission from your case worker first.
Some private health insurers will cover you for telehealth services - please check with your insurer.
For updated information about the COVID-19 pandemic, please click here.
If you are at all unhappy with the access to mental health supports via telehealth during this crisis, please contact Medicare on 1800 132 468 or online at https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/contact-us/complaints-and-feedback. Alternatively, you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner on 1300 582 113 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday or online at https://hcc.vic.gov.au/public/about-complaints and support change to allow all Australians to access Medicare rebated Telehealth services in this crisis.
If you believe that you are experiencing symptoms, please review and contact or call 1800 675 398.
Update: 01/08/2020 - With the 2nd wave of the pandemic still going strong, the Victorian Premier has advised that, in addition to Greater Melbourne and the Mitchell shire, the Greater Geelong and Otway region, as well as the Moorabool and Golden Plains are now in lock down. The Premier has also advised that, as of 11:59pm on 2nd August 2020, face coverings are required when we are stepping out from our homes.
At this point, I am taking the step to move to telehealth-only sessions with clients who reside within the lock-down regions. For those residing outside of these areas, I am still open to seeing clients face-to-face.
I will continue to monitor the situation closely. Should there be further issues, the move would then be to resume telehealth-only sessions until the pandemic stabilizes again.
Please do NOT attend in person if:
- you are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19, such as shortness of breath, fever, dry cough, sore throat, tiredness, headache, etc.
- if you have recently been COVID-tested but have yet to receive a negative result;
- if you have had recent contact with someone who has been COVID-tested;
- if you have had recent contact with, or have yourself been to, the lock-down areas;
- if you have had recent contact with someone who has recently returned from overseas or if you have recently returned from overseas;
- if you refuse to or are unable to wear an appropriate face covering for whatever reason.
DO NOT ATTEND SESSIONS IN PERSON IF YOU MEET ANY OF THE ABOVE CRITERIA!!
If you are healthy and are opting to attend sessions in person, please ensure that you use the provided hand sanitizer immediately upon entering the waiting area before touching any other surfaces. In line with the Premier's mandate, you will also be required to wear an appropriate face covering (i.e. face mask) for the duration of your time within the practice space.
If you belong in the vulnerable group, please consider continuing with your appointments via telehealth for your own safety.
In these uncertain times, I ask that you look after yourself and your loved ones.