Specialists doctors and allied health clinicians at Mind Connections offer:
- Minimal or no waiting times.
- Modern and advanced treatment for treatment-resistant conditions; Ketamine Nasal Spray and rTMS
- User-friendly 24/7 online booking system.
- Patient-friendly downloadable booking applications.
- Improve access via secure Telehealth links across Australia and the world.
- Affordable services.
Make sure you and your family members are registered for the Medicare Safety Net through the Medicare Website or local Medicare office. Collectively when you/your family exceeds the annual threshold set by the government, you all will receive about 80% or more rebate on out-of-pocket expenses
You are welcome to bring a support person or family member to your appointment. Your treating Specialist will typically spend time with you before inviting the accompanied person. It is common for specialists to see the accompanied person separately to obtain collateral information, with your consent.
You can make an appointment in many ways:
- Visit our website and click on “Book Online.” It is available 24 hours/day. Advanced and user-friendly.
- Select your preferred location (Carlingford or Norwest).
- Follow the prompts to book a new patient (1 hour) or follow-up appointment (30 minutes).
- Don’t forget to download Automed application to your mobile. Controlling your future needs is at your fingertips as you can book, cancel, or reschedule future appointments with ease.
- Your GP, another specialist, or a nurse practitioner can fill out the referral form on this website and email it to ONE of our practices:
- Norwest: norwest@mindconnectionsshs.com.au
- Carlingford: carlingford@mindconnectionsshs.com.au
- Our staff will contact you within three working days.
A big YES.
You can always ask your GP to prescribe to you. Failing that, you must book an appointment. The specialist will discuss the necessity, safety, dose adjustments and appropriateness of your medications before re-issuing a prescription.
Specialists at Mind Connections Specialists Health Services habitually write to your GP/Nurse practitioner after your appointment. You can always request prescriptions from your GP or Nurse Practitioner.
Visit this website at your convenience and click on the ‘Book online” button.
We encourage you to download the Automed application to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
Yes.
All new patients must have a valid referral, and that allows you to claim a Medicare rebate. You must have:
- An Australian Medicare/Healthcare card.
- Not having previously seen the referred Specialist within the last 12 months.
Yes.
You need a referral and a care plan to see a psychologist. Conditions may apply.
Your GP can organise a referral with indefinite or 12-month validity.
A Nurse Practitioner referral is limited to 12 months of validity.
A medical Specialist’s referral is limited to three months.
Please note, that your referral will be invalid if you have not seen your treating Specialist within the last 12 months. It is your responsibility to obtain a re-referral before you see the specialist.
A: Yes.
Group therapy is conducted jointly by the Psychiatrist and the Psychologist. Therefore, you need:
- A referral to the Psychiatrist.
- A GP Mental Health Care Plan addressed to the psychologist.
Yes.
But beware that you must pay the full fee, out-of-pocket at the end of the consultation.
YES
ADHD/Autism assessments take 3 – 4 hours (therefore 3 – 4 hours consultation), and you should be prepared to spend time with the Specialist. This may mean three consecutive sessions with the Specialist.
Psychologists and psychiatrists at Mind Connections Specialist Health Services will arrange spouse/parent interviews and questionnaires on your behaviour patterns to establish a diagnosis.
There is no lab test to diagnose ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. When relevant, lab tests are done to exclude other diagnostic possibilities.
However, medication prescriptions cannot be provided based on self-diagnosis.
Symptoms such as inattention, poor concentration or hyperactivity can be due to many reasons and may not be due to underlying ADHD. You must have a diagnostic interview to exclude other disorders such as generalised anxiety, complex trauma, psychotic disorders, alcohol and recreational and illicit substances or simply stressors you are facing at the time.
ADHD diagnosis requires a comprehensive assessment from a trained specialist, either a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
When you come to the screening, bring
- A list of all medications you (or your child) currently take.
- Be prepared to answer questions about family health history, personal health history, environment, school or work performance and behaviour.
- Previous investigations and reports.
The Assessment includes assessing behaviour patterns across different settings of the person with varying demands on behaviour.
Yes for continuity of care. However, telephone consultations are not permitted for the initial appointment.
Initial consultation must be carried out as Tele-videoconference or face-to-face.
When you book the appointment, our practice staff will send you a secure video telehealth link. At the scheduled time the Specialist will commence the Video or face-to-face consultation.
No.
Medicare rebates are only available for consultations for visual and audio links, but not for online chat/messaging.
Yes.
However, Medicare rebates are not available for services received outside Australia. You will need to pay the full fee out-of-pocket in advance.
No.
We are a cashless practice. We issue digital invoices to minimise our carbon footprint.
Fees vary depending on the speciality and the time duration, and your treating practitioner sets the fee. When you book the appointment, you will be informed about the fee based on your requirements.
All consultations incur an out-of-pocket fee, and you must pay in full after the consultation.
Please check with your health fund. With a valid referral, your health insurance may cover expenses partially or fully.
Cancellation policies dictate that you must:
- Notify us, preferably via e-mail, at least two business days before your appointment and there is no cancellation fee. (Please note, it is not an excuse if our telephones are busy and you cannot leave a message.)
- Cancellations within two business days incur a 50% consultation fee.
- No-shows or same-day cancellations incur the full consultation fee.
Behalf of you, staff at Mind Connections Specialist Health Services will lodge your claim with Medicare, and you will get the rebate debited to your nominated bank account.
Yes.
Psychiatry reports for NDIS/Centrelink, fitness for work assessment, 3rd party insurer’s medicolegal purposes are not covered by Medicare. Therefore reports require an upfront payment, and the fees are not calculated per hour.
Not for outpatient medical specialist visits.
Some private health funds may cover psychologist/allied health consultations. Please check with your health fund.
the biological basis suggests that under-active regions of the brain responsible for regulating emotions have a significant role in the aetiology of Depression. By stimulating the prefrontal cortex with rTMS, the positive mood circuits within the limbic system, the brain’s emotional centre, are activated and this promotes recovery from depressive disorder and other psychiatric conditions.
Repeatedly stimulating the nerve cells helps the frontal areas of the brain (responsible for thinking and impulse control) to regulate the deeper, emotional areas of the brain. This has an anti-depressant effect.
Patients who do not respond to more than two antidepressants or suffer from side effects of medication are the ideal candidates for rTMS. rTMS has proven efficacy for treatment-resistant depression.
Many other conditions treated with rTMS include OCD, PTSD, substance abuse disorders and many other conditions.
Yes.
You need a referral to the Psychiatrist.
Yes.
Your treating Psychiatrist will assess your eligibility during the consultation.
rTMS is generally well-tolerated. Some patients report mild scalp discomfort or headaches (relieved with Panadol) and facial muscle tingling or twitching (temporary) during or after the treatment. These side effects usually resolve quickly.
You may need to miss a few hours of work per session. Duration depends on travel and appointment timings. We provide Medical certificates if needed.
Costs are kept to a minimum and generally Medicare covers almost 80% of the treatment.
If you are eligible for treatment, 3rd party insurers, DVA, and work cover fund the rTMS therapy.
The results vary from patient to patient. Most patients may experience complete remission after 35 sessions. Some may require maintenance therapy sessions.
Maintenance rTMS therapy is an effective and safe treatment for preventing depressive relapse/recurrence.
Your treating Psychiatrist will guide you regarding the maintenance of rTMS therapy. Although it may vary from person to person, a commonly used protocol is once a week for the first six months and once biweekly for the second six months.
Your personality becomes well-adjusted to face day-to-day challenges.
When experiencing positive emotions, individuals often revert to their typical personality traits. Generally, when patients are content with their emotional state, they tend to function better overall.
rTMS does not cause memory impairment. Patients’ ability to think improves simultaneously with improved role functioning.
Mind Connections Specialist Health Services provides priority services to defence personnel. It is customary to organise appointments within a week of receiving the referral.
Please bring the psychiatric report request issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).
If you are still in active service, your appointment needs to be approved by BUPA, Defence Mental Health. Please consult with your Defence GP to obtain a referral.
Typically, assessments require two consultations, each lasting an hour. Additional sessions may be necessary for complex cases.
Specialists will complete the paperwork within 2–4 weeks. The psychiatrist will provide a comprehensive assessment and arrive at a diagnosis for you and then calculate the permanency of impairment based on defence guidelines.
These reports are uploaded to the DVA portal or BUPA portal almost on the same day.
Once the report is uploaded, your case manager will guide you through the claim process.
Military personnel often experience higher rates of PTSD, Anxiety disorders, Mood disorders, Adjustment disorders, Alcohol and substance use disorders, relationship issues and other conditions related to military service. Each evaluation is customised to the defence personnel’s unique circumstances.
You can attend your consultation via a secure video telehealth link. Our staff will organise the link when you schedule your appointment.
Yes, ongoing treatment is available.
Our specialists provide multidisciplinary, multimodal care both in person and via secure video telehealth.
Yes.
We offer specialised programs and group therapy workshops to support veterans in managing PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.
