If you have concerns about your mental health, it’s a good idea to talk to someone. Our Doctors are here to have a private and non-judgmental conversation about how you can get the support you need.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) is a structured plan that outlines the treatment and support a person with mental health issues can receive. Your mental health treatment plan will be developed and agreed to by you in collaboration with your doctor and will include the goals, treatment options and support services available.
The MHTP is part of the Australian government’s mental health initiative, which aims to provide accessible and effective mental health care to individuals.
A mental health treatment plan is your first step to accessing mental health treatment
Mental health treatment plans are for people with a mental illness who are under the care of multiple healthcare professionals. Your doctor will work with you to map out a treatment plan that explains what services you need, and when, as well as your goals for each service and any additional treatment options suitable for you.
Additionally, your plan may include strategies for managing crisis situations or preventing relapses. There may also be instances where your doctor contributes to a care plan arranged by someone else – for example, when you are returning home from spending time in hospital.
One of the primary reasons for obtaining a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) is to access Medicare benefits for psychology sessions. With a valid plan, you can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions with eligible mental health professionals, reducing the cost of treatment. You will need a valid Medicare card to be assessed for a MHTP, and to receive a MHTP that is eligible for Medicare rebates.
A MHTP isn’t just a piece of paper – it’s an actual plan for your mental health treatment, helping you work toward improved wellbeing and recovery. If you are seeing multiple healthcare providers for your mental health, the plan helps coordinate care among them. This ensures that all professionals involved are working together to provide you with the most effective support.
Ongoing support from your care team
Delivering continuous care to an individual living with a mental health condition often involves various supports. These may include General Practitioners (GPs), psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers or other care providers. They all play a role in your healthcare team, working together to ensure you receive the highest quality of care. You also play an important role in this team and should be actively involved in the development of your Mental Health Treatment plan (MHTP). Everyone’s needs are different, so your personalised treatment plan puts down in writing the support you can expect and ensures that everyone on your team is clear about their responsibilities.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) covers a range of mental health services and treatments for individuals with diagnosed mental health conditions. This could include things like psychology, psychiatry, counselling, group therapy or individual therapy, support groups, self-help strategies, lifestyle changes or medication.
Book a video consultation with a Doctor
A Doctor is your first point of contact for help with mental health issues.
You can schedule an appointment to speak with a Doctor about a Mental Health Care Treatment Plan. Your consultation will proceed over video so make sure you’ve got a suitable device with video and audio capabilities.
You’ll need to read over a list of statements and pick a number (0-3) which indicates how much the statement applied to you over the past week i.e. ‘not at all’ though to ‘all the time’. You don’t need to spend too much time on each question, there are no right or wrong answers.
Your doctor will assess and, if they deem it appropriate, work with you to set goals, and develop a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). There is a possibility that a MHTP is not created, it is not a guaranteed outcome. Your doctor may consider other treatment options as more appropriate for you.
A rebated Mental Health Treatment Plan can only be issued to patients with a valid Medicare card at the discretion of the treating Doctor. If you are not issued a plan, the Doctor will give you their reasons for not doing so and suggest alternatives for your care.
If you believe this is not the best outcome for your care, ensure you have a conversation with your doctor about why you believe a rebated Mental Health Treatment Plan would meet your needs.
If your doctor believes medication should form part of your treatment plan, they may prescribe medication. Alternatively, they may provide a referral to a psychiatrist, and the psychiatrist may prescribe medication.
Your doctor/s may suggest multiple options for your treatment; however, medication does not always form part of a mental health treatment plan.
It is important that your care plan is reviewed regularly. Once you have completed your first 6 sessions with a mental health professional, you will need to come back for review with our doctors. If appropriate, your doctor will then refer you for another 4 sessions (out of a total of 10 allowed per calendar year on a plan).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Mental Health Treatment Plan last?
There are a few parts to this:
The plan itself
Many patients will not require a new GP Mental Health Treatment Plan after their initial plan has been prepared.
You may receive a new plan if your doctor believes it is clinically required.
Your allowance of Medicare rebated mental health sessions
Separately, the sessions that you receive under your Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) are valid until the referred number of sessions have been completed, rather than a specified time period.
Eligible people can receive up to 10 sessions in a calendar year (1 January to 31 December).
During your treatment, your healthcare provider will conduct regular reviews to assess your progress and adjust your treatment plan if needed. These reviews help ensure that you are receiving the most appropriate care.
Your MHTP is initially for a maximum of six sessions. Your referring doctor will assess your progress after the first six sessions and determine whether further sessions are needed, then potentially refer you for a further four sessions to complete your allowance of ten sessions.
After reaching the maximum of 10 allowable sessions for the calendar year, you will not be eligible for further Medicare rebates for treatment until the new calendar year. However, any unused sessions can be used in the next calendar year.
For example:
You had a bulk-bill consult with a GP for your mental health, were issued a MHTP, and have been referred to a mental health professional.
You completed your first 6 sessions with that mental health professional and received a Medicare rebate for these sessions.
After going back to your GP for a bulk-bill review, they believed it was in your best interest to refer you for another 4 sessions with your mental health professional. You’ve completed 3 of those appointments and received Medicare rebates.
At this point, you’ve used 9 out of 10 sessions on your plan by 31 Dec, which leaves you with 1 session left to be rebated for the year.
The number of sessions allowed resets on 1 Jan,
So, you can still use the last session on your referral on 1 Jan. If your doctor considers that further psychology sessions are needed, the number of available Medicare rebated sessions is now 9 (for a total 10 for the calendar year).
You can book an assessment for a Mental Health Treatment Plan online. Rebates apply for Medicare card holders.
How much does a mental health care plan cost?
Patients with a valid Medicare card can access our Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) assessment for a $120 upfront fee, with rebates of up to $100.20 (which means you’ll pay from $19.80 out of pocket after your rebates have been applied).
We will lodge the claim for your consult immediately after your video consultation, however your actual out-of-pocket costs may depend on the outcome of your appointment, and your eligibility as assessed by Medicare. Medicare rebates on this service range from $100.20 rebate ($19.80 out of pocket) where a MHTP is provided and $78.95 rebate ($41.05 out of pocket) where a MHTP is not provided, or where you are consulting with a Doctor to review an existing MHTP.
If you don’t have a Medicare card, you can book a private fee appointment and speak with one of our mental health trained Doctors about your mental health concerns at any time. See the pricing table on our mental health page here.
There may be additional costs for things associated with your appointment, like medication, or treatments with any specialists or mental health professionals to which you are referred.
Who is eligible for a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
A qualified healthcare provider, such as a GP, must assess your eligibility for a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). This assessment includes evaluating your mental health condition, treatment needs, and goals. You will need a valid Medicare card to be assessed for a MHTP, and to receive a MHTP that is eligible for rebates.
If you don’t have a Medicare card, you will not be eligible for a rebated assessment or a Medicare subsidised MHTP.
If you are eligible for Medicare but do not have a Medicare card, you can apply for one through the Department of Human Services. Eligibility criteria for Medicare include being an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen living in Australia. Once you have a Medicare card, you can proceed with requesting a MHTP.
While a Medicare card is typically the primary means of accessing government-funded mental health services in Australia, it’s important to consider other avenues to receive the support and care you may need.
You can book a private fee appointment and speak with one of our mental health trained Doctors about your mental health concerns at any time. They can still consult with you about a general plan for your safety and wellbeing, that doesn’t include rebated sessions.
If ongoing costs are an issue, they may be able to guide you on low-cost or free mental health services provided by community organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or public mental health clinics.
If you’re in crisis or feeling unsafe, please call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.