Mental Health Care Plan in Peregian Beach
Your mental health is every bit as important as your physical health. You’d seek treatment if you had a physical illness or injury and you should feel just as able to get professional help if you’re dealing with a mental health issue.
A mental health care plan is prepared by your GP and enables you to access Medicare funding to get professional help for a diagnosed mental health problem.
Your Mental Health
Your mental health affects your thoughts, feelings, behaviour and relationships. There are many different types of mental illness. Some mental health difficulties resolve with treatment; others may last a long time, though treatment may help to improve the symptoms.
Living with a mental illness can feel isolating but there are actually many other people in the same boat. Nearly half of all Australians experience a mental illness at some point in their life, most commonly:
Anxiety (this affects 1 in 4 Australians at some point in their life)
A mental health problem can affect your daily life, your relationships and your opportunities. Mental health problems can also increase your risk of physical illnesses.
What Should I Do if I’m Struggling With A Mental Health Problem?
If you think you may be suffering from a mental health problem, the first step is to see your GP.
Our doctors here at Peregian Family Medical Centre will listen to you as you talk about your concerns. It might be hard to talk at first but there’s often great relief in letting it out and having a discussion.
Your doctor will ask you questions about your concerns and try to formulate a likely diagnosis, if any. They may also ask you to fill out forms to objectively rate your distress. One form is called a K10 which is a simple checklist used to measure your psychological distress in the past four weeks.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may diagnose a mental health disorder like anxiety or depression and talk to you about treatment options. Your doctor may also suggest developing a mental health care plan for you (this may need to be done at a follow-up appointment).
What is a Mental Health Care Plan?
A mental health care plan is a support plan that your GP writes for you if you’re going through mental health issues. It states your diagnosis, outlines your treatment plan and goals, and enables you to access Medicare rebates for services such as Psychology or Counseling to improve your mental wellbeing.
The mental health care plan is part of the Better Access initiative for people with a diagnosed mental disorder. It aims to give you better access to help from mental health experts and GPs to help you manage your symptoms and improve your mental health.
Once you’ve got a mental health care plan, you can get Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual appointments or group sessions with a psychologist, occupational therapist or social worker. After your first six sessions, you’ll see your GP again to review your plan before you can attend your final four sessions.
Your plan lasts for one year but can be renewed by your GP. Your plan may also outline other strategies or medications to improve and maintain your mental health.
How Peregian Family Medical Centre May Be Able to Help You
If you’re struggling with your mental health, please come and see us. Our caring, understanding doctors have many years of experience in helping patients just like you.
Everyone’s mental health fluctuates. Sometimes it’s in response to stressful events such as unemployment, changing jobs, living with a chronic illness or adjusting to life with a new baby (postnatal depression). Sometimes there’s no obvious cause but you know you’re anxious, sad or stressed.
Your mental health is complex and delicate. With the right treatment, many people do get better. For some, that means their symptoms have completely gone while for others it means that their symptoms are now manageable because they have the right treatment, knowledge and support.
You can book your appointment online or call Peregian Family Medical Centre on 07 5471 2100. We’ll listen to you carefully, reach a diagnosis and, if necessary, prepare you a mental health care plan that gives you the support you need to get better.
