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GP Information

Most common mental health problems are eligible under the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative introduced in November 2006. It is easy to arrange for your patients.

Signature Psychology practitioners are registered with Medicare. This practice is committed to providing affordable quality comprehensive mental health services to the Perth region. Medicare rebates can vary depending upon client circumstances, length of session and the type of service provided by the Clinical Psychologist. A co-payment or gap is charged.

Please click on the headings below to find out more information:

How do I refer ?

There is no set format for this however there are some minimum requirements.

A written referral is required, for those patients who qualify for Medicare rebates under the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative.

Please give us a call on (08) 9467 7610 and we can answer any questions you may have.

A Mental Health Plan must be lodged with Medicare prior to the patient making an appointment with us (if they wish to access the mental health rebate).

A copy of a K10 or DASS can be helpful when forwarded to us with the referral. This initial referral will enable the patient to receive Medicare rebates for their first 6 sessions with the Clinical Psychologist. Up to 10 sessions per ‘calendar year’ are covered by Medicare.

This is usually conducted after the patient has received their first six sessions with a Clinical Psychologist or at other relevant times. I will send a brief relevant progress report to assist in your review. Based on your review any required adjustments to the GP Mental Health Care Plan can be made. Following this the patient can continue their next four sessions with the Clinical Psychologist if necessary.

Using Outcome Measurement Tools:

Unless clinically inappropriate, an outcome measurement tool should be utilized to evaluate symptoms during the assessment and review of the GP Mental Health Care Plan. This provides a structured way of measuring symptoms and monitoring progress. There is no requirement to use any specific outcome measurement tool.

While outcome measurement tools are not diagnostic tools, a patient’s responses will illuminate some of the problems they are experiencing. This may assist you in reaching a diagnosis. Like any clinical instrument, clinicians using outcome measurement tools should become familiar with their appropriate use and interpretation.

Two commonly used and easily administered outcome measurement tools are available to download below. These can be printed and given to patients to complete or read to them and their responses recorded. You can find a digital copy of both the K-10 and DASS-21 here.

DASS – Depression Anxiety Stress Scale – DASS Courtesy of : www.psy.unsw.edu.au

The DASS 21 is an abbreviated version of the DASS 42 and measures depression, anxiety and stress. It takes approximately 2 – 4 minutes for the patient to complete. Scores for each subscale (Depression, Anxiety, Stress) can be obtained quickly by summing and doubling the scores for each of the items that make up the subscale. The scoring template makes it easy to identify which questions contribute to each subscale. If you are interested, here is a short one page document that provides you with detailed information on the DASS-21.

The maximum score for each subscale is 42. Higher scores indicate increased difficulty in that area. The DASS is designed primarily to provide a continuum of severity rather than to focus on the assignment of discrete severity categories such as ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’. The DASS therefore is most useful to identify areas of difficulty experienced by patients and to track progress across the three areas.

K10 – Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

The K10 consists of 10 items and measures non-specific psychological distress. It takes about 2 minutes for the patient to complete and about 1 minute to score. Basic scoring information is included in the download document. Higher scores indicate increased distress and greater likelihood that a person is experiencing a mental disorder. Further information relating to the K10 is available here.

Next Steps...

Would you like to have a chat with the practice manager to arrange an appointment with Dr. Patrick Kingsep ? If so… please get in touch.

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