OUR SERVICES

Information for Medical Professionals

Medicare
DVA

Medicare Programs

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are registered providers with Medicare. An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) is eligible to provide services through the Commonwealth Funded Better Access to Mental Health Care and Chronic Diseases Management (Enhanced Primary Care) programs.

When should I refer to an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?

Patients often approach their GP with concern about negative life circumstances, for example relationship breakdown, life crisis or social isolation. These often point to, or are accompanied by, significant and persistent mental health problems.

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers understand mental disorders, and have particular training, skill and expertise to assess and offer treatment.

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are also experienced in working collaboratively with other health professionals.

How do I refer?

Under government mental health care programs, the first step is for you to formulate a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan for your patient. You are eligible for a rebate fee from Medicare to complete this Plan. Please check with Medicare for the billing item number to activate any referral.

A written referral letter is required for your patient, who can then contact us for an appointment. Alternatively, the referral may be faxed or mailed to Wide Bay Social Work Services and we will contact your patient for an appointment time.

What feedback will I receive?

It is a requirement of these programs that you will be provided with a written report providing information on:

• Assessments carried out
• Treatment provided
• Recommendations for future management

Did you know…

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are recognised under Medicare to provide counselling to patients referred by GPs, paediatricians and psychiatrists.

• There are many social workers in private practice in the community.
• In order to be eligible to offer Medicare rebates, social workers have had to provide evidence of extensive postgraduate training and experience in the field of mental health.

So, if you are looking for a skilled and experienced private practitioner to provide a professional assessment, counselling, and a range of treatment and support options to your patients, you may wish to consider referral to Wide Bay Social Work Services.

All of your patients referred to Wide Bay Social Work Services under eligible programs will have no out of pocket expense to access our services. Wide Bay Social Work Services bulk bills all eligible referrals.

For more information, contact us or or download our brochures.

DVA Programs

In addition to being registered with DVA for Specialised Mental Health Services, our Accredited Mental Health Social Worker is also able to provide general social work services to eligible gold or white card holders.

What can an accredited DVA social worker assist eligible DVA clients with?

The services provided by eligible social workers may include but are not limited to:

• specialised mental health counselling
• general counselling and case management;
• service co-ordination and facilitating access to community services;
• referral and advocacy;
• discharge planning (where it is of such complexity that it is deemed outside the scope of the discharge planner’s role and responsibility);
• education and information;
• vocational and employment counselling or rehabilitation;
• accommodation and placement assistance; and
• family therapy with specific focus on veteran wellbeing.

How do I refer?

DVA Referral Guide for General Social Work and Mental Health Social Work
Referrals To: Mark Whitley, provider # 4990181W

Referrals can come from:
- medical practitioners;
- medical specialists;
- health care providers with a current referral transferring the entitled person to another health care provider of the same speciality; or
- hospital discharge planners.

The referral must be written on either a ‘DVA Request/Referral Form’ (Form D904) or using the letterhead of the referring health care provider. All referrals must include the following information about an entitled person to ensure the provider understands the entitled person’s medical history and to allow the provider to claim payment from DVA:
- name and DVA file number of the entitled person (as shown on the DVA Health Card);
- the treatment entitlement of the person, i.e. Gold Card or White Card (include accepted conditions, if known, for White Card);
- if the entitled person is resident in a Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF), the level of care that they are funded to receive and the date the funding began;
- provider name and number of the referring health care provider;
- date of the referral;
- entitled person’s clinical details (including recent illnesses, injuries and current medication, if applicable); and
- condition(s) to be treated.

What feedback will I receive?

After the initial appointment with the client, Wide Bay Social Work Services will submit to you, with the clients consent, a copy of their Personal Care Plan (PCP).

A PCP will contain:

presenting condition(s);
objective assessment results based on the use of validated outcome measurement and diagnosis of the condition(s);
the planned treatment regimen, including the anticipated type, number and/or frequency of services;
details of any aids and appliances required;
the expected outcomes or results of the treatment regime for the entitled person plus proposed timelines; and
written informed consent of the entitled person.

Where is treatment provided?

Wide Bay Social Work Services has an office in the Bundaberg Business Enterprise Centre. In addition, our services are mobile and can be offered to your clients in their own home, hospital, aged care facility or elsewhere. Please ensure to include this request on your referral.

Any questions?