Firstly, what is a mental health care plan?
A mental health care plan is for adults, young people and children, who are deemed to have a ‘mental health disorder’. Under the mental health care plan mental heath disorders are considered to be a broad range of disorders such as; depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia.
A GP creates a mental health care plan, by completing an assessment with the person, which helps to determine eligibility. If they are deemed to be eligible, a mental health care plan is created and the client is referred to a psychologist, social worker or occupational therapist for support and are entitled to 6-10 sessions with a Medicare Rebate.
What are the potential pros and cons of a mental health care plan for children?
Potential Pros
Children with significant mental health disorders, can be provided with the appropriate mental health care, which may involve a range of service providers, all working towards the goals outlined in the mental health care plan.
Overarching support and mental health management, is all linked through the GP, often the person with a good understanding of the famliy.
Medicare Rebates mean a lower upfront, out of pocket fee for families, for up to a maximum of 10 sessions.
A mental health care plan is attached to a child’s health record for their lifetime, which can be very useful in providing ongoing mental health management, for those with significant mental health disorders.
Potential Cons
Children can inadvertently be labelled with an anxiety disorder, when perhaps they are just experiencing some general worries or mental health ‘issues’, that can potentially be supported in other ways. A mental health care plan may not always be necessary.
There can often be long waiting times, to access psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists, due to the level of mental health care plans currently in the system, which can make accessing immediate support difficult.
A child may require more than 6-10 sessions and in some instances it can be difficult to gain Medicare rebates for ongoing care.
A mental health care plan is attached the child’s health record for their lifetime, which in many can be of benefit however unfortunately in some instances it may have an impact later in life. In particular, for those with an interest in joining services such as; the army or police force, whereby all mental health records and any prior mental health conditions, need to be disclosed and are then considered, as part of the enlisting process.
To access private support (outside of a mental health care plan), it is likely that you will have to pay a higher fee, however some of these services can offer rebates from private health insurers, for those with the appropriate policy and often tend to have shorter waiting times.
In summary, it is important to be aware of some of the potential pros and cons of getting a mental health care plan, as this can help to ensure you are able to make an informed decision, for your child/young person and access the support that best suits your child and family.
It is recommended to have a discussion with your GP and/or other allied health professional, if you have any concerns or questions in relation to mental health care plans, as these conversations are likely to help inform you of the best approach, for your individual child and family.
