How many sessions can I have?
The number of sessions you can have will depend on the circumstances under which you have engaged with our service. For individuals referred under a mental health care plan, you are generally entitled to up to 10 sessions per calendar year that attract a Medicare rebate, as long as you have a current mental health care plan in place. However it is best to discuss with your GP if you are eligible for further Medicare rebate on additional sessions. Any additional sessions in a calendar year would then need to be funded privately. Sessions for other funded services such as Workcover, VOCAT, TAC or Employee assistance programs will vary depending on the circumstances and need to be discussed at the time you commence a therapeutic relationship with us. There is no limit to sessions funded privately.

What do you do with my health information?
Avanti Psychology works within the APS Code of Ethics and the Victorian Health Records Act (2001) to manage the information we obtain about you as part of our service.

When a client comes to see us for the first time, a file is created that holds all the information such as referrals, notes from other practitioners that we ask for or receive from you, your contact details, Medicare number and any other information we require as part of our initial assessment and therapy planning. In addition, notes are kept after each session and we regularly correspond with anyone who may have referred you such as your General Practitioner.

All information we hold about you is only for the purposes of assisting us in providing a service to you. Files are kept in locked filing cabinets in secure premises at all times. We will routinely destroy (shred) files after a period of 7 years from the date that services ceased.

All files are the property of Avanti Psychology. However, you have every right to access your health information. If you wish to see your notes or other information we have recorded on your behalf, please ask.

Is the service confidential?
All the information you provide to us is kept in the strictest of confidence, and will not be disseminated to any other party unless you have provided your written permission and this accompanies a clear written request. There are however limits to confidentiality. If your records are subpoenaed by a court we are required by law to provide them. We would also consider breaching confidentially in instances where we were concerned that you were at risk of harming yourself or others. In any instance where we felt we needed to breach confidence, we would normally discuss this with you.

Do you have a cancellation policy?
We recognise that circumstances can occur that prevent someone from attending an appointment. However, it is also important for our clients to note that when you make an appointment, that time is reserved exclusively for you. Cancellations at short notice (less than 24 hours) or failure to attend without any notice impacts the psychologist directly and means that someone else who may have been able to access that session probably can’t due to the short notice provided. We therefore reserve the right to charge a fee of $60.00 for appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice or missed without any notice.

Does your clinic bulk bill?
Generally speaking, no. While we did bulk bill widely in the past, unfortunately the amount of rebate provided to us by Medicare for bulk billing has not been increased in over three years, despite costs for everything else going up. For that reason, our clinic will only bulk bill under exceptional circumstances.

What if I need to seek support between appointments?
Avanti Psychology is committed to all clients and we endeavour to find a balance between client needs for flexible appointment times with practicalities of our home lives. We are not, however, able to provide an emergency or after hours service to clients.

In the event of an emergency: please call 000.

24 hr Psychiatric Services – 1300 363 788