Budget 2020: GP plan counsel sessions doubled

All Australians with a mental health plan drawn up by their GP will be able to access up to 20 sessions with a psychologist or counsellor.

The boost to Medicare-funded psychology will cost the government $100.8m

All Australians with a mental health plan drawn up by their GP will be able to access up to 20 sessions with a psychologist or counsellor under a $148m boost to mental health services.

Currently, Medicare funds up to 10 sessions with a psychologist for patients with a mental health plan, but this will double as the widespread mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic becomes increasingly clear.

The boost to Medicare-funded psychology will cost the government $100.8m.

The doubling of funded sessions has been budgeted for the next two years as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

It’s likely, however, that the measure may become a permanent aspect of the mental health system, with the doubling of Medicare-funded psychology sessions having been recommended prior to the pandemic by the Productivity Commission in its draft report on mental health delivered last October.

The commission’s final report has been handed to government but not yet released.

There’s funding in the budget for a new Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Line to be established at a cost of $74m.

There are significant boosts to mental health services in Victoria, too, to assist those struggling with the impact of the second wave of the pandemic.

New mental health clinics will be established in Melbourne and regional Victoria, and $12m has been allocated to a helpline specifically for young people.

Also in Victoria, Monash University is receiving $610,000 for mental health research that aims to reduce long-term risk of adolescent mental health problems.

The government says it recognises the profound impact the COVID-19 pandemic and the summer bushfires have had on the health and wellbeing of Australian, and it’s providing an extra $76m for mental health support of those affected by the bushfire emergency.

The funding includes trauma counselling, extra Medicare-­subsidised counselling sessions, funding for Kids Helpline and Lifeline, and community recovery grants.

The measures add to the $5.7bn  the federal government is spending on mental health this financial year, with suicide prevention a major focus.

An extra $64.1m has been allocated to national suicide prevention trials and expansion of after-care services for those who have self-harmed or attempted suicide. Support for bereaved family members is included in the package.

There are also boosts to the funding of a host of mental health providers. Headspace, which caters to the mental health of young people, has been funded to boost its network of services from 124 to 153 by 2022. That will cost $630.4m, which includes $534.4m for new services. The rest is aimed at enhancing existing services.