Rural and Remote Australians no longer need to miss out on quality Psychological Services, New-Well Start Psychology can also offer Psychological Services to rural and remote Australians through Telehealth.
Connecting City Psychologists with Rural Australians
Click on the topic below to see related frequently asked questions and view qualifying regions.
Rural and Remote Clients Through Telehealth
Q. Is New-Well Start Psychology able to provide me with Telehealth Services if I live in a remote rural location?
A. Yes, NWSP is able to use video conferencing to provide Telehealth Services provided you qualify.
Q. Do FIFO (fly in fly out) workers qualify to access Telehealth Psychological Services.
A. YES, if you have a valid referral and you are in a MMM 4 – 7 area at the time of the service. See “What Determines the Regions” FAQ for details on how to view the regions.
Q. How is the Telehealth session delivered, is it via phone?
A. For a Medicare Telehealth benefit the service MUST be provided by an audio AND video link. A phone call is not sufficient to qualify. These services can be provided via a Smart Phone.
Q. How many sessions am I entitled to have utilising Telehealth Services?
A. You are entitle to ten (10) individual sessions and ten (10) group sessions (maximum) every calendar year. A calendar year is valid from 1 January to 31 December and does not relate to your referral letter date.
After 6 sessions under the Better Access initiative you will require a review by your referring practitioner to access further sessions.
Q. Where can I access further information?
A. You can view the following Department of Health Guidelines and FAQ’s:
Better Access Telehealth initiative for rural and remote patients Frequently Asked Questions
Better Access Telehealth initiative for rural and remote patients Guidelines
Q. What determines if a region is rural or remote?
A. The Department of Health uses the Modified Monash Model (MMM) to classify regions. To qualify for Telehealth services you must live in a region MMM 4 – 7.
You can view THIS MAP to see the regions, then follow the instructions below.
On the right under “Select Your Layers” find “Department of Health – custom remoteness classification” and check the box next to “Modified Monash Model (2015)”. You will see different colours for the regions, you can enter your address in the search box above “Select Your Layers”.
Q. Who can access Telehealth Services?
A. Clients must meet the normal requirements for Better Access services and be in a rural or remote region at the time of the service. The client must also be located more than 15 kilometres by road from the providing practitioner.