Psychologists unable to take on new clients in regional Vic

A dad has begged a psychologist to see his teen daughter, writing to her diary in her own blood, as some services are forced to close their books across country Victoria.

Waiting times for psychologists in regional Victoria have blown out, with many having closed their books to new clients.

A Ballarat father has begged for someone to help his 13-year-old daughter, found writing to her diary in her own blood, as wait times to see psychologists balloons across regional Victoria.

Some counsellors have been forced to close their books altogether, while others are unable to take on new clients until next year, as Covid exposes an already struggling sector.

They say additional resources are needed on the ground but the solution is not as simple as employing more psychologists.

Regional governance bodies for workforce, service and capital planning for mental health and wellbeing services must be established.

But incentives to attract mental health workers to regional and rural areas is also paramount.

The Victorian Government announced a $22 million package to support mental health services across the state on Tuesday.

Eight community pop-up services will be set up in regional Victoria to open at the end of September.

Those services will provide specialist care for high-risk cases and help with early intervention treatment for children and young people experiencing mild and moderate mental health concerns.

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman said people in rural and regional areas weren’t getting enough mental health support.

“It’s important that all people, no matter where they are, can access timely, affordable and appropriate support for their mental health and wellbeing,” she said.

It comes as psychologists are forced to turn away new clients with low to medium mental health problems who they fear will fall through the cracks of an already overwhelmed system.

One father who spoke to Ballarat clinical psychologist Alex Montgomery begged him to see his daughter after she was found writing self-harm notes in her diary in her own blood.

The Victorian Government does not allow face-to-face appointments during lockdown but she still faces up to a three month wait before she can get an appointment.

“She was writing awful stuff (about self-harm) in her diary with her own blood, and he can‘t get her seen by anybody in person (during Covid lockdown),” he said.

“Waiting times are just blowing out, and many can‘t access help until next year.”

Psychologists across regional Victoria have been forced to stop taking on new clients. Photo Shari Allen / The Observer

South West Healthcare Executive Director Mental Health Services Richard Campion said there had been a 12.6 per cent increase in referrals to the adult and primary mental health teams and 11.3 per cent increase in child and adolescent referrals since the pandemic started.

He said the Covid pandemic had occurred against a backdrop of reduced access to mental health services and increased difficulties to face-to-face support and care.

“Due to the type of intervention that we provide, wait times are often led by the level of need and type of presentation with priority being given to those in most need,” Mr Campion said.

“All incoming referrals receive clinical triage and subsequent services and interventions are provided in accordance with the indications and outcomes of our triage processes.”

The Victorian Government this year said all 65 recommendations from the Royal Commission into Mental Health System would be adopted.

It has already announced $700 million will be invested into regional Victoria which includes new hubs for Benalla, Greater Geelong and Latrobe Valley.

Warrnambool clinical psychologist Susan Hook said the situation in south-west Victoria was grim.

“Many of my colleagues and I have all closed our books, except if there’s a dire emergency,” she said.

“I think that’s fairly common too. We’re having to refer people back to GPs and GPs are saying they just don’t know who to refer to at the moment.

“It’s just terrible.”

Eitan Daniel says he has never seen such high demand for mental health services.

Eitan Daniel of Sound Psychology in Ballarat said he had never seen such high demand for mental health services.

“We are fully booked for the foreseeable future,” Mr Daniel said.

“We will not be taking any new patients until next year. We can‘t keep up with the rising tide of people reaching out for help.

“It‘s gone haywire; after the last lockdown, the uptake of psychological services has increased.”

Ms Hook, an Australian Psychological Society south-west branch committee member, said the high demand for mental health services began before Covid but the pandemic had “absolutely confirmed it”.

Ms Hook said the Federal Government’s change to allow patients to claim 20 sessions instead of 10 under a mental health plan was a positive move but it did not alleviate the problem.

“It means that I can see the same clients for twice as many sessions but there’s only one of me,” she said.

She said there needed to be more government support for people presenting with low or moderate-level mental health problems.

“Other than the mental health care plan, it’s reasonably difficult to get support for somebody through mental health services. They tend to cater more for people who have higher-end mental health issues like psychosis.”

Ballarat Modern Medicine Psychologist Maria Marshall said it was not taking any new patients until Easter next year at the earliest.

And every lockdown increased the number of calls they get.

“We have had a massive demand for psychology services under Covid,” Mrs Marshall said.

“The government has provided more funding for services, but we just don‘t have enough boots on the ground to handle the enquiries.”

Wait times are in some cases blowing out until next year as mental health services struggle to keep up with demand.

Psychotherapist Barabara Grace, who provides couples counselling for patients in Ballarat and Geelong, agreed lockdowns had brought the services to a standstill.

“Couples prefer to come into the office, and this is not possible during a hard lockdown,” she said.

“Our waiting time when we are out of lockdown is around 2-3 months.”

The situation is not as dire in Shepparton, in the state’s north, with new clients facing a six week wait.

But psychologist Rodney Steer said he had about 50 people on his books.

“Each of those people are getting seen at different times,” he said.

“The introduction of more sessions through Medicare’s mental health plans has meant some people are staying on for longer.

“It’s critical for people to know that psychologists are still able to make time for emergency appointments.

“Everyone has been impacted by the pandemic and there is now a greater focus on mental health.”

Phillip Island registered psychologist Jason Crestani said the wait times at his full-time private practice were 2-3 weeks.

He also said there had been an expansion to the mental health services available locally, with more government funding allocated to organisations such as Headspace.

Bendigo mother Alannah McGregor lost her 16-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son to suicide a month apart, almost 20 years ago.

Bendigo Community Awareness officer Haylee Kennedy with the Youth Crisis Card poster. Picture: Bendigo Community Health Services

The suicide-prevention advocate said she founded the Central Victorian Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN) to honour their memory.

Ms McGregor said the pandemic had provided new innovations to allow those experiencing suicidal thoughts or concerned loved ones to access crisis support immediately.

She said Googling ‘suicide help’ produced so many results, it could be difficult to navigate for those in crisis.

SPAN has released a new poster that uses a QR code to link them to phone numbers of crisis hotlines.

Ms McGregor said these hotlines and other mental health services had been under serious strain during the pandemic.

She said Central Victorian hospitals were seeing more people, particularly young Victorians, presenting in the emergency department for self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety and depression.

“I think they’re fatigued — not knowing what will happen in the future ... it’s all taking its toll,” Ms McGregor said.

“It’s good to hear people are reaching out for help.

“(But) it’s difficult to get an appointment.

“Psychiatrists are closing their books... Headspace is doing its best.”

Ms McGregor said the hotlines linked in the SPAN poster were critical, but more needed to be done to help people before they reached crisis point.

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman said it was important digital solutions and telehealth continue to be invested in.

“Let’s use technology — and integrate it with face-to-face services — to help bridge this divide,” she said.