Brisbane MIND
Brisbane MIND
Brisbane MIND is an Access To Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and managed by the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local. Brisbane MIND complements the Better Access Initiative (under Medicare), by supporting individuals for whom the out-of-pocket cost of mental health care would be prohibitive.
Brisbane MIND aims to improve access to quality primary mental health care services by supporting referrals to contracted allied health professionals for individuals who might otherwise be disadvantaged in accessing services.
Brisbane MIND covers the cost of most services, with individuals making a $15 contribution per session. Individuals are eligible for up to 12 sessions with an allied health professional in a calendar year. More sessions are available in exceptional circumstances.
General Practitioners
Any General Practitioner (GP) practicing with the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local catchment can be registered with Brisbane MIND and can refer patients for funded psychological services under the program.
Registration with Brisbane MIND simply requires a visit from our Brisbane MIND Coordinator to conduct a Brisbane MIND induction session. This 30-minute session provides an overview of the program, explains the referral process, and provides the necessary templates to support a referral. (Templates for referral to Brisbane MIND have been developed for Medical Director and Best Practice, and are also available in MSWord and PDF).
Allied Health Professionals
Brisbane MIND ensures that all contracted allied health professionals meet rigorous eligibility criteria. The list of contracted Brisbane MIND allied health professionals is available from our portal and is searchable via a number of criteria to ensure a good patient-allied health professional match.
Eligibility for Brisbane MIND
To be eligible for services under Brisbane MIND, an individual must be diagnosed as having a mental illness by a GP or other medical practitioner. In acknowledgement of the additional barriers that some individuals face in accessing quality mental health services, we have two Brisbane MIND Referral Categories.
Brisbane MIND General Referral – Eligibility Criteria
- Health care card holder
- Pension card holder
- Young person (12 – 25 years)
- Person experiencing a drug and alcohol issue
- Person from a culturally and linguistically diverse background (Please ensure the patient has a qualified interpreter to assist with sessions. A family member or friend is not always appropriate).
Individuals referred via a Brisbane MIND General Referral can expect to pay $15 per session as contribution to their treatment. The Metro North Brisbane Medical Local will pay the remainder of the cost.
Brisbane MIND Priority Referral – Eligibility Criteria
- Person experiencing perinatal depression and/or anxiety
- Person who is homeless or is at risk of homelessness
- Person impacted by extreme climatic events (e.g. Brisbane flood)
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- Child (up to 11 years)
- Person at risk of suicide
- Person with a severe mental illness (who will benefit from brief intervention)
Individuals referred via a Brisbane MIND Priority Referral receive free treatment. There is no out-of-pocket expense for these individuals. The Metro North Brisbane Medical Local covers the entire cost of treatment.
GPs and Psycologists interested in participating in Brisbane MIND must contact our Coordinator in the first instance.