View Associated Notes
Category 8 - MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
80152 - Additional Information
Focussed psychological strategies health service provided to a patient as part of a group of 4 to 10 patients by an eligible occupational therapist if:
(a) the patient is referred by a referring practitioner; and
(b) the service is provided in person; and
(c) the service is at least 120 minutes duration
Fee: $47.10 Benefit: 85% = $40.05
(See para AN.0.78, MN.6.3, MN.7.4 of explanatory notes to this Category)
Associated Notes
Category 1 - PROFESSIONAL ATTENDANCES
AN.0.78
Better Access Initiative
Summary
This explanatory note provides an overview of The Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule Initiative (Better Access), which commenced on 1 November 2006. Under this initiative, Medicare benefits are available to patients for selected mental health services provided by general practitioners (GPs), psychiatrists, prescribed medical practitioners (PMPs), psychologists (clinical and registered) and eligible social workers and occupational therapists.
Better Access Initiative Explanatory Notes
All Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) explanatory notes that are associated with the Better Access initiative are listed below:
Explanatory Note | Relevant item numbers |
AN.0.56 - GP Mental Health Treatment Plans and Consultation | 272, 276, 277, 279, 281, 282, 2700, 2701, 2712, 2713, 2715, 2717, 92112, 92113, 92114, 92116, 92117, 92118, 92119, 92120, 92121, 92122, 92123, 92126, 92127, 92132, and 92133. |
MN.6.2 - Provision of Psychological Therapy | 80000, 80005, 80010, 80015, 80020, 80021, 80022, 80023, 80024, 80025, 91166, 91167, 91181, and 91182. |
MN.7.4 - Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies | 283, 285, 286, 287, 2721, 2723, 2725, 2727, 80100, 80105, 80110, 80115, 80120, 80121, 80122, 80123, 80125, 80127, 80128, 80130, 80135, 80140, 80145, 80146, 80147, 80148, 80150, 80152, 80153, 80155, 80160, 80165, 80170, 80171, 80172, 80173, 80174, 80175, 91818, 91819, 91842, 91843, 91820, 91821, 91844, 91845, 91169, 91170, 91183, 91184, 91172, 91173, 91185, 91186, 91175, 91176, 91187 and 91188. |
MN.6.3 - Referral requirements for Better Access Treatment Services | 272, 276, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287, 2700, 2701, 2715, 2717, 2721, 2723, 2725, 2727, 80000, 80005, 80010, 80015, 80020, 80021, 80022, 80023, 80024, 80025, 80100, 80105, 80110, 80115, 80120, 80121, 80122, 80123, 80125, 80127, 80128, 80130, 80135, 80140, 80145, 80146, 80147, 80148, 80150, 80152, 80153, 80155, 80160, 80165, 80170, 80171, 80172, 80173, 80174, 80175, 91167, 91169, 91170, 91172, 91173, 91175, 91176, 91181, 91182,91183, 91184, 91185, 91186, 91187, 91188, 91818, 91819, 91820, 91821, 91842, 91843, , 91844, 91845, 92112, 92113, 92116, 92117, 92118 and 92119. Note: for specialist psychiatrists and paediatricians these services include any of the specialist attendance items 104 through 109 and items 91822, 91823 and 91833. For consultant physician psychiatrists the relevant eligible Medicare services cover any of the consultant psychiatrist items 293 to 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 or 319 through 349; while for consultant physician paediatricians the eligible services are consultant physician attendance items 110 through 133. |
AN.15.1 - Mental Health Case Conferences | 930, 933, 935, 937, 943, 945, 946, 948, 959, 961, 962, 964, 969, 971, 972, 973, 975, 986, 80176, 80177 and 80178. |
MN.7.5 - Family and Carer Participation | 309, 311, 313, 315, 2739, 2741, 2743, 2745, 80002, 80006, 80012, 80016, 80102, 80106, 80112, 80116, 80129, 80131, 80137, 80141, 80154, 80156, 80162, 80166, 91859, 91168, 91171, 91174, 91177, 91194, 91195, 91196, 91197, 91198, 91199, 91200, 91201, 91202, 91203, 91204, 91205, 91861, 91862, 91863, 91864, 91865, 91866, and 91867. |
Services provided under Better Access
Through Better Access, eligible patients can claim a Medicare benefit for up to 10 individual and 10 group mental health treatment services per calendar year. These services consist of:
- psychological therapy provided by eligible clinical psychologists (refer to explanatory note MN.6.2 - Provision of Psychological Therapy); and
- focussed psychological strategies provided by GPs, PMPs and eligible psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers (refer to explanatory note MN.7.4 – Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies).
A Medicare benefit is also available for a patient to involve another person, such as a family member or carer, in their treatment. Medicare benefits are available to a patient for up to 2 services provided to another person per calendar year. Any services delivered using these MBS items count towards the patient's course of treatment and calendar year allocations under Better Access. For further information on involving another person in a patient’s treatment, refer to explanatory note MN.7.5 – Family and Carer Participation.
There are also MBS items for the provision of mental health case conferencing services to establish and coordinate the management of the care needs of a patient. For further information refer to explanatory note AN.15.1– Mental Health Case Conferences.
Patient eligibility for Better Access services
Better Access services apply to people with an assessed mental disorder. For the purposes of Better Access services, a mental disorder is defined as a significant impairment of an individual's cognitive, affective and/or relational abilities which may require intervention and may be a recognised, medically diagnosable illness or disorder. This definition is informed by the World Health Organisation, 1996, Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental Disorders in Primary Care: ICD-10 Chapter V Primary Care Version. For the purposes of Better Access services, dementia, delirium, tobacco use disorder and mental retardation are not regarded as mental disorders.
Additionally, Better Access MBS treatment items will not attract a Medicare benefit unless the patient has been referred for Better Access services by a referring practitioner. For the purposes of these services, referring practitioner means:
- a medical practitioner who has referred the patient as part of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (refer to explanatory note AN.0.56 – GP Mental Health Treatment Plans and Consultation) or a Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan (refer to explanatory note AN.0.30 - Consultant Psychiatrist – Referred Patient Assessment and Management Plan); or
- a specialist or consultant physician specialising in the practice of their field of psychiatry; or
- a specialist or consultant physician specialising in the practice of their field of paediatrics.
For more information on referral requirements for Better Access services, refer to explanatory note MN.6.3 - Referral requirements for Better Access Treatment Services.
If there is any doubt about a patient's eligibility, Services Australia will be able to confirm whether a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and/or a Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan is in place and claimed; or an eligible psychiatric or paediatric service has been claimed, as well as the number of Better Access services already claimed by the patient during the calendar year.
Allied health providers can call Services Australia on 132 150 to check this information, while unsure patients can seek clarification by calling 132 011.
A patient will not be eligible to receive a Medicare benefit if they have not been appropriately referred and a relevant Medicare service provided to them. If the referring service has not yet been claimed, Services Australia will not be aware of the patient's eligibility. In this case the treating practitioner should, with the patient's permission, contact the referring practitioner to ensure a relevant referring service has been provided to the patient.
Better Access redesign from 1 November 2025
As announced through the 2024-25 Budget, the Australian Government is making changes to the Better Access initiative from 1 November 2025 (subject to the passage of legislation) to respond to the Better Access evaluation, better meet the needs of individuals, and improve equity of access.
As part of this, GP Mental Health Treatment Plan review and mental health consultation MBS items will be removed, and GPs will be able to use general attendance items to review and provide mental health care recognising the time spent with patients to provide quality care. GP Mental Health Treatment Plan MBS items will be retained.
Out-of-pocket expenses and Medicare safety net
Charges in excess of the Medicare benefit for Better Access MBS items are the responsibility of the patient. However, any out-of-pocket costs will count towards the Medicare safety net for that patient. The out-of-pocket costs for mental health services which are not Medicare eligible do not count towards the Medicare safety net.
Publicly funded services
Better Access MBS items do not apply for services that are provided by any other Commonwealth or state funded services or provided to an admitted patient of a hospital. Unless an exemption under subsection 19(2) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 applies for a Medicare benefit to be payable, all requirements of the service must be met, including registration with Services Australia.
Private health insurance
Patients need to decide if they will use Medicare or their private health insurance ancillary cover to pay for these services. Patients cannot use their private health insurance ancillary cover to 'top up' the Medicare benefit paid for the services.
Record keeping and reporting requirements
The Department of Health and Aged Care undertakes regular post payment auditing to ensure that MBS items are claimed appropriately. All practitioners providing Better Access services should ensure they keep adequate and contemporaneous records, including documenting the date, time and people who attended. Only clinical details recorded at the time of attendance count towards the time of the consultation. Other notes or reports added at a later time are not included. For information on what constitutes adequate and contemporaneous records, refer to explanatory note GN.15.39 - Practitioners should maintain adequate and contemporaneous records.
Relevant Legislation
Details about the legislative requirements of the Better Access Initiative MBS items can be found on the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.
Attendance items are set out in three regulatory instruments:
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Allied Health Services) Determination 2024 - Clinical psychologist, psychologist, social worker, and occupational therapist items.
Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2021 – General practitioner, prescribed medical practitioner and psychiatrist items.
Health Insurance (Section 3C General Medical Services – Telehealth and Telephone Attendances) Determination 2021 – telehealth (video) and telephone attendance items – General practitioner, prescribed medical practitioner, clinical psychologist, psychologist, social worker, and occupational therapist items.
Further information
For further information about Medicare Benefits Schedule items, please visit the MBS Online website at www.health.gov.au/mbsonline.
For providers, further information is also available from the Services Australia provider enquiry line on 132 150.
If you are a patient seeking advice about Medicare services, patient benefits, or your Medicare claims, please contact Services Australia on the Medicare General enquiry line on 132 011.
Related Items: 272 276 277 279 281 282 283 285 286 287 309 311 313 315 930 933 935 937 943 945 946 948 959 961 962 964 969 971 972 973 975 986 2700 2701 2712 2713 2715 2717 2721 2723 2725 2727 2739 2741 2743 2745 80000 80002 80005 80006 80010 80012 80015 80016 80020 80021 80022 80023 80024 80025 80100 80102 80105 80106 80110 80112 80115 80116 80120 80121 80122 80123 80125 80127 80128 80129 80130 80131 80135 80137 80140 80141 80145 80146 80147 80148 80150 80152 80153 80154 80155 80156 80160 80162 80165 80166 80170 80171 80172 80173 80174 80175 80176 80177 80178 91166 91167 91168 91169 91170 91171 91172 91173 91174 91175 91176 91177 91181 91182 91183 91184 91185 91186 91187 91188 91194 91195 91196 91197 91198 91199 91200 91201 91202 91203 91204 91205 91818 91819 91820 91821 91842 91843 91844 91845 91859 91861 91862 91863 91864 91865 91866 91867 92112 92113 92114 92116 92117 92118 92119 92120 92121 92122 92123 92126 92127 92132 92133
Category 8 - MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
MN.6.3
Referral Requirements for Better Access Treatment Services
Associated items: 2721, 2723, 2725, 2727, 91818, 91819, 91842, 91843, 283, 285, 286, 287, 91820, 91821, 91844, 91845, 80100, 80105, 80110, 80115, 91169, 91170, 91183, 91184, 80125, 80130, 80135, 80140, 91172, 91173, 91185, 91186, 80150, 80155, 80160, 80165, 91175, 91176, 91187, 91188, 80120, 80122, 80127, 80121, 80123, 80128, 80145, 80147, 80152, 80146, 80148, 80153, 80170, 80172, 80174, 80171, 80173, 80175, 80000, 80010, 80005, 80015, 91166, 91167, 91181, 91182, 80020, 80021, 80022, 80023, 80024, 80025, 80002, 80006, 80012, 80016, 91171, 91199, 91168, 91198
Services requiring referral
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) treatment services under the Better Access initiative (refer to explanatory note AN.0.78 – Better Access Initiative) require an eligible referral for a Medicare benefit to be claimed. Medicare benefits are available for up to 10 individual and 10 group mental health services in a calendar year. These services may consist of:
- psychological therapy services (refer to explanatory note MN.6.2 - Provision of Psychological Therapy) and/or
- focussed psychological strategies (refer to explanatory note MN.7.4 - Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies)
Up to 2 of a patient’s individual mental health services may be used for family and carer participation items per calendar year. For additional information, refer to explanatory note MN.7.5 – Family and Carer Participation.
Eligible Referral Services
For the purposes of Better Access treatment services (refer to explanatory notes MN.6.2 -Provision of Psychological Therapy and MN.7.4 - Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies), a Medicare benefit will not be payable unless:
- a referral has been made by a GP or medical practitioner who is managing the patient under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (refer to explanatory note AN.0.56 – GP Mental Health Treatment Plans and Consultation);
- a referral has been made by a medical practitioner (including a general practitioner, but not a specialist or consultant physician) who is managing the patient under a referred Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan (refer to explanatory note AN.0.30 - Consultant Psychiatrist - Referred Patient Assessment and Management Plan); or
- a referral has been made by a psychiatrist or paediatrician from an eligible psychiatric or paediatric service.
Referrals from psychiatrists and paediatricians must be made from eligible Medicare services. For specialist psychiatrists and paediatricians these services include any of the specialist attendance items 104 through 109 and items 91822, 91823 and 91833. For consultant physician psychiatrists the relevant eligible Medicare services cover any of the consultant psychiatrist items 293 to 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318 or 319 through 349; while for consultant physician paediatricians the eligible services are consultant physician attendance items 110 through 133.
Course of Treatment and Specifying the Number of Sessions in a Referral
Under the Better Access Initiative, a patient may be referred for up to 10 individual and 10 group mental health services within a calendar year. The referring practitioner can decide how many mental health services a patient will receive in a course of treatment, within the maximum session limit for the course of treatment. The maximum session limit for each course of treatment is set out below:
- Initial course of treatment - a maximum of 6 sessions.
- Subsequent course of treatment - a maximum of 6 sessions up to the patient's cap of 10 sessions per calendar year (for example, if the patient received 6 sessions in their initial course of treatment, they could only receive 4 sessions in a subsequent course of treatment provided within the same calendar year).
On completion of the initial course of treatment, the treating practitioner or allied health professional providing the service must provide a written report to the referring GP or medical practitioner, which includes information on:
- assessments carried out on the patient;
- treatment provided; and
- recommendations on future management of the patient's disorder.
This report will aid the referring practitioner in determining whether another course of treatment is appropriate for the management of the patient’s mental disorder.
If, in their referral, the referring practitioner:
- Does not specify the number of sessions
- Specifies a number of sessions above the maximum allowed for the course of treatment
- Specifies a number of sessions above the maximum allowed for the calendar year (including any sessions the patient has already received that year)
Then the treating practitioner or allied health professional can use their clinical judgment to provide services under the referral, noting the patient cannot receive more than:
- the maximum number of sessions allowed for that particular course of treatment (as set out above); and
- the maximum number of sessions allowed in a calendar year.
The treating practitioner or allied health professional must still provide a report at the end of a course of treatment in line with standard practice for these services. The referring medical practitioner should therefore consider the treating practitioner or allied health professional’s report on the services provided to the patient, and the need for further treatment.
Referral Requirements
Referring practitioners are not required to use a specific form to refer patients for these services. However, a referral for mental health services should be in writing (signed and dated by the referring practitioner) and include:
- the patient's name, date of birth and address;
- the patient's symptoms or diagnosis and a statement on whether a mental health treatment plan has been prepared;
- a list of any current medications;
- the number of sessions the patient is being referred for; and
- a statement about whether the patient has a mental health treatment plan or a psychiatrist assessment and management plan.
A referral should include all the above details, to assist with any auditing undertaken by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Where appropriate, and with the patient's agreement, the GP can also attach a copy of the mental health treatment plan to the referral.
Use of Referrals across Different Calendar Years
If a patient has not used all their psychological therapy services and/or focussed psychological strategies services covered by a referral within the calendar year, it is not necessary to obtain a new referral for the "unused" services. However, any "unused" services received from 1 January in the following year under that referral will count as part of the total services for which the patient is eligible in that calendar year.
When a patient has used all of their referred services, they will need to obtain a new referral from their referring practitioner if they are eligible for further services.
It is not necessary to have a new GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and/or psychiatrist assessment and management plan prepared each calendar year in order to access a new referral(s) for group therapy services and/or focussed psychological strategies services. Patients continue to be eligible for benefits for psychological therapy services and/or focussed psychological strategies services while they are being managed under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan and/or a psychiatrist assessment and management plan as long as the need for eligible services continues to be recommended in their plan.
Receipt of referral
The practitioner or allied health professional providing the relevant treatment service (refer to explanatory notes MN.6.2 – Provision of Psychological Therapy and MN.7.4 – Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies) must be in receipt of the referral at the first consultation. The allied health provider must also retain the referral for a period of 2 years (24 months) from the date the service was rendered. For more information on record keeping and reporting requirements, refer to explanatory note AN.0.78 – Better Access Initiative.
Further information
For further information on the Better Access Initiative, refer to explanatory note AN.0.78 – Better Access Initiative.
For further information about Medicare Benefits Schedule items, please visit the MBS online website at www.health.gov.au/mbsonline.
Further information is available for providers from the Services Australia provider enquiry line on 132 150.
If you are a patient seeking advice about Medicare services, patient benefits, or your Medicare claims, please contact Services Australia on the Medicare General enquiry line on 132 011.
Related Items: 283 285 286 287 2721 2723 2725 2727 80000 80002 80005 80006 80010 80012 80015 80016 80020 80021 80022 80023 80024 80025 80100 80105 80110 80115 80120 80121 80122 80123 80125 80127 80128 80130 80135 80140 80145 80146 80147 80148 80150 80152 80153 80160 80165 80170 80171 80172 80173 80174 80175 91166 91167 91168 91169 91170 91171 91172 91173 91175 91176 91181 91182 91183 91184 91185 91186 91187 91188 91198 91199 91818 91819 91820 91821 91842 91843 91844 91845
Category 8 - MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
MN.7.4
Provision of Focussed Psychological Strategies
Associated Items: 283, 285, 286, 287, 2721, 2723, 2725, 2727, 80100, 80105, 80110, 80115, 80120, 80121, 80122, 80123, 80125, 80127, 80128, 80130, 80135, 80140, 80145, 80146, 80147, 80148, 80150, 80152, 80153, 80155, 80160, 80165, 80170, 80171, 80172, 80173, 80174, 80175, 91818, 91819, 91842, 91843, 91820, 91821, 91844, 91845, 91169, 91170, 91183, 91184, 91172, 91173, 91185, 91186, 91175, 91176, 91187 , 91188
Services attracting Medicare benefits
There are 58 Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for the provision of focussed psychological strategy services to eligible patients by an eligible general practitioner (GP), prescribed medical practitioner (PMP), psychologist, occupational therapist, or social worker. These consist of:
Individual focussed psychological strategies:
GP services:
- face-to-face items: 2721, 2723, 2725 and 2727
- telehealth items: 91818, 91819, 91842 and 91843
Prescribed medical practitioner services:
- face-to-face items: 283, 285, 286 and 287
- telehealth items: 91820, 91821, 91844 and 91845
Psychologist services:
- face-to-face items: 80100, 80105, 80110 and 80115
- telehealth items: 91169, 91170, 91183 and 91184
Occupational therapist services:
- face-to-face items: 80125, 80130, 80135 and 80140
- telehealth items: 91172, 91173, 91185 and 91186
Social worker services:
- face-to-face items: 80150, 80155, 80160 and 80165
- telehealth items: 91175, 91176, 91187, and 91188
Group focussed psychological strategies:
Psychologist services:
- face-to-face items: 80120, 80122 and 80127
- telehealth items: 80121, 80123 and 80128
Occupational therapist services:
- face-to-face items: 80145, 80147, 80152
- telehealth items: 80146, 80148, 80153
Social worker services:
- face-to-face items: 80170, 80172, 80174
- telehealth items: 80171, 80173, 80175
To provide these services, health practitioners must meet the provider eligibility requirements set out below and be registered with Services Australia.
To receive these services, patients must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in explanatory note AN.0.78 – Better Access Initiative.
For Group focussed psychological strategies services provided via Telehealth, additional restrictions apply. Please see the Group focussed psychological strategies services - Telehealth Requirements section below for further information.
Service length and type
Services provided by eligible health professionals under these items must be within the specified time period within the item descriptor.
It is expected that professional attendances at places other than consulting rooms would be provided where treatment in other environments is necessary to achieve therapeutic outcomes.
A range of acceptable strategies has been approved for use by allied mental health professionals utilising the focussed psychological strategies items.
These are:
- psycho-education
- cognitive-behavioural therapy that involves cognitive or behavioural interventions
- relaxation strategies
- skills training
- interpersonal therapy
- eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing; and
- narrative therapy (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
Number of services per year
Medicare benefits are available for up to 10 individual and 10 group mental health services in a calendar year. The services may consist of:
- psychological therapy services delivered by clinical psychologists (refer to explanatory note MN.6.2 - Provision of Psychological Therapy); and/or
- focussed psychological strategies services delivered by eligible GPs, PMPs, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists
Course of treatment and reporting back to the referring medical practitioner
Eligible patients must be referred for focussed psychological strategies services by a GP or medical practitioner who is managing the patient under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, under a referred Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plan, or on referral from an eligible psychiatrist or paediatrician. For additional information on Better Access referral requirements, refer to explanatory note MN.6.3 - Referral Requirements for Better Access Treatment Services.
The treating practitioner or allied health professional providing the service must be in receipt of the referral at the first mental health consultation. The treating practitioner or allied health professional must also retain the referral for 2 years (24 months) from the date the service was rendered.
The referring practitioner can decide how many sessions the patient will receive in a course of treatment, within the maximum session limit for the course of treatment. The maximum session limit for each course of treatment is set out below:
- Initial course of treatment - a maximum of 6 sessions.
- Subsequent course of treatment - a maximum of 6 sessions up to the patient's cap of 10 sessions per calendar year (for example, if the patient received 6 sessions in their initial course of treatment, they could only receive 4 sessions in a subsequent course of treatment provided within the same calendar year).
On completion of the initial course of treatment, treating practitioner or allied health professional providing the service must provide a written report to the referring GP or medical practitioner, which includes information on:
- assessments carried out on the patient;
- treatment provided; and
- recommendations on future management of the patient's disorder.
A written report must also be provided to the referring GP or medical practitioner at the completion of any subsequent course(s) of treatment provided to the patient.
Group focussed psychological strategies services
In addition to individual focussed psychological strategies services, eligible patients may also claim up to 10 separate group focussed psychological strategies service MBS items within a calendar year for group therapy services provided by eligible health professionals. Group focussed psychological strategy services can be claimed for groups of 4 to 10 patients. However, the health professional providing the service can claim these MBS items if 4 patients were due to attend and one patient is unable to attend, regardless of the reason.
Group focussed psychological strategies services - Telehealth Requirements
Group therapy may only be delivered via telehealth in certain circumstances. To be eligible for group therapy services via telehealth, the patient must be located in a Modified Monash Model area 4-7 at the time of the consultation, and at least 15 kilometres apart by road from the allied health professional delivering the session. The patient or allied health professional is not permitted to travel to an area outside the minimum 15 kilometres distance in order to claim a telehealth consultation item.
More information about the Modified Monash Model, including a search tool to identify the classification of a specific location, is available at:
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/rural-health-workforce/classifications/mmm
Record Keeping
Treating practitioners and allied health professionals providing focussed psychological strategies services must keep contemporaneous notes of the consultation including documenting the date, time and people who attended. Only clinical details recorded at the time of attendance count towards the time of the consultation. Other notes or reports added at a later time are not included. For information on what constitutes adequate and contemporaneous records, refer to explanatory note GN.15.39 - Practitioners should maintain adequate and contemporaneous records.
Professional eligibility to provide focussed psychological strategy services
Under the Better Access Initiative, focussed psychological strategy services may only be provided by an eligible general practitioner, prescribed medical practitioner, psychologist, occupational therapist, or social worker. The eligibility requirements for each profession are set out below.
A person is an eligible general practitioner or prescribed medical practitioner in relation to the provision of focussed psychological strategies if the person:
- is entered in the register maintained by the Chief Executive Medicare under section 33 of the Human Services (Medicare) Regulations 2017;
- is identified in the register as a medical practitioner who can provide focussed psychological strategies services; and
- meets the relevant training and skills requirements, as determined by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration.
A person is an eligible allied health professional in relation to the provision of a focussed psychological strategies health service if the person meets one of the following requirements:
- the person holds general registration in the health profession of psychology with the Psychology Board of Australia; or
- the person is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and accredited by AASW as meeting the accreditation criteria set out in the document published by AASW titled ‘AASW Accredited Mental Health Social Worker Application Criteria’ as in force on 1 July 2022; or
- the person:
- holds registration in the health profession of occupational therapy with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia; and
- is accredited by Occupational Therapy Australia as meeting the criteria for mental health endorsement as set out in the document published by Occupational Therapy Australia titled ‘Occupational Therapy Australia Mental Health Endorsement Criteria’ as in force on 1 March 2023.
Continuing professional development for occupational therapists and social workers providing focussed psychological strategies services
In addition to meeting the relevant professional eligibility requirements, occupational therapists and social workers are required to have completed 10 one-hour units of focussed psychological strategies continuing professional development per year to provide focussed psychological strategy services. A year for the purposes of these items is from 1 July to 30 June annually. Part-time allied health providers are required to complete 10 units of focussed psychological strategies related continual professional development, the same as full-time allied health providers.
Continual professional development units must relate to the delivery of focussed psychological strategies in any of the following areas:
a. psycho-education;
b. cognitive-behavioural therapy including;
- behavioural interventions;
- behaviour modification;
- exposure techniques;
- activity scheduling;
c. cognitive interventions including:
- cognitive therapy;
d. relaxation strategies including;
- progressive muscle relaxation;
- controlled breathing;
e. skills training including;
- problem solving skills and training;
- anger management;
- social skills training;
- communication training;
- stress management;
- parent management training;
f. interpersonal therapy;
g. eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing;
h. narrative therapy (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people);
i. clinical skills to undertake a full assessment of a patient in order to form a diagnosis and commence treatment planning.
Acceptable continual development activities where the content is related to focussed psychological strategies can include formal postgraduate education, workshops, seminars, lectures, journal reading, writing papers, receipt of supervision and peer consultation, and online training. There is flexibility in the continual professional activities that can be undertaken to meet individual professional needs and their practice/client base and client needs. For example, activities could also include assessment and treatment of specific disorders and client types such as youth, or different modalities and delivery such as working with groups.
A person required to complete focussed psychological strategies continuing professional development must keep written records of completion of focussed psychological strategies continuing professional development for a period of 2 years from the end of the continuing professional year to which the focussed psychological strategies continuing professional development relates.
Occupational Therapists and Social Workers who register to provide focussed psychological strategies during the continual professional development year (1 July – 30 June), are obligated to undertake continual professional development on a pro-rata basis. The amount of continual professional development units will be calculated from the 1st of the month immediately succeeding the month they obtained initial registration.
Registering with the Services Australia
Advice about registering with the Services Australia to provide Better Access services is available from the Services Australia provider enquiry line on 132 150.
Further information
For further information on the Better Access Initiative, refer to explanatory note AN.0.78 – Better Access Initiative.
For further information about Medicare Benefits Schedule items, please visit the MBS online website at www.health.gov.au/mbsonline.
Further information is available for providers from the Services Australia provider enquiry line on 132 150.
If you are a patient seeking advice about Medicare services, patient benefits, or your Medicare claims, please contact Services Australia on the Medicare General enquiry line on 132 011.
Related Items: 283 285 286 287 2721 2723 2725 2727 80100 80105 80110 80115 80120 80121 80122 80123 80125 80127 80128 80130 80135 80140 80145 80146 80147 80148 80150 80152 80153 80155 80160 80165 80170 80171 80172 80173 80174 80175 91169 91170 91172 91173 91175 91176 91183 91184 91185 91186 91187 91188 91818 91819 91820 91821 91842 91843 91844 91845
Legend
- Assist - Addition/Deletion of (Assist.)
- Amend - Amended Description
- Anaes - Anaesthetic Values Amended
- Emsn - EMSN Change
- Fee - Fee Amended
- Renum - Item Number Change (renumbered)
- New - New Item
- NewMin - New Item (previous Ministerial Determination)
- Qfe - QFE Change