When someone experiences depression,
anxiety or other mental health problems they can feel very alone. Often they feel
that no one understands what they are going through and often they don’t even
understand themselves.
Hand
Up support groups
can be helpful, offering a supportive environment, where people
experiencing similar difficulties can meet, talk about their experiences and feel
understood and accepted.
Attending a support group can aid recovery and complement professional treatment, however, a support group should not take the place of professional treatment. In Hand Up support groups, we actively encourage participants to seek out and continue professional treatment, with their GPs, psychologists or other health professionals, as well.
Fortunately, professional treatment is now more affordable and accessible. The following fact sheets and web pages may help you access professional treatment, in Townsville.
GP Mental Health Care Plan fact sheet
Useful information on how to get help for depression, anxiety or other mental health problems by developing a mental health care plan with your GP.
A mental health care plan is a plan to improve your mental health over time, with the help of your GP. This involves having a mental health assessment, working out what help you need, setting goals and choosing an appropriate treatment.
A mental health care plan can save you money, because once you decide to develop a mental health care plan, Medicare usually refunds the full cost of mental health consultations with GPs and some GPs bulk bill.
Download GP Mental Health Care Plan fact sheet
Better access to psychologists through the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) fact sheet
Useful information on how to access a registered psychologist, under the GP Mental Health Care Plan (outlined above).
Under this plan you can get up to 12 visits with a registered psychologist in any one year, where Medicare refunds most of the psychologists fee.
Often you only have to pay a small gap fee and some psychologist bulk bill, but some psychologists do have a larger gap fee, so you may need to shop around.
Download the Australian Psychological Society fact sheet
Townsville Providers registered for Better Access to Mental Health
This is web page at the Townsville General Practice Network (tgpn) website, which lists Townsville psychologists and other allied health professionals registered with Medicare.
It has information and phone numbers for these professionals, but most importantly it gives an indication of the size of the gap fee (as mentioned above).
Visit Better Access to Mental Health web page
Community Mental Health Services
Community Mental Health Services offer support to people with mental health issues, providing outpatient clinics and psychology services.
Community Mental Health Services are provided free of charge.