We are a busy, little service in the heart of inner west Melbourne, Newport. We offer a professional service where, WE ARE WITH YOU, being held, every step of the way.

Engagement with NCPS

At the time of engagement with our service, we will discuss your clinical needs and presentation, preferred clinician and allocate based on clinician availability. We will endeavour to communicate our fees directly with you based on our assessment and these will be confirmed when you receive your NCPS Registration (Online Intake Form).

You will be required to provide any necessary documentation and contact details for our Client Support Team, in advance. Please keep us informed of any new information - Personal Details, Medicare Card, Referral, Financial (Credit Card and Bank Details) so that we can ensure a prompt, streamlined and stress-free process.

Our Fees: Our clinician fees are based on clinicians’ qualifications, experience, skills and expertise. NCPS fees range from $130 - $290 (*not including Psychological Assessments) and depend on the time of your appointment. Evening (After 5:00pm)/Weekend sessions will incur a higher fee.

Recommended Fees:
Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommended fee per session is currently $311 per consultation
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) recommended fee per session is currently $270 per hour, including family or other group work

We are unable to offer fully bulk billed sessions and charge an additional gap payment at our clinic. In extreme circumstances, we may offer reduced fees (hardships) for a number of known clients (per clinician). We also follow up any unpaid accounts so that your clinical needs will not be impacted by any financial issues which may remain outstanding. For those who are having financial hardship, please contact us to consider reduced fees or offer alternative services.

Medicare Rebate: Clinicians who have been approved to receive the Medicare rebate are: Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists, Accredited Mental Health Social Workers, Mental Health Endorsed Occupational Therapists. For Social Workers/Family Therapists: Medicare rebates do not apply, therefore we offer reduced fees. Once our clinicians become Medicare accredited, fees will increase, given additional endorsement and include the additional rebate.

Medicare Rebates: (01 July 2024)

  • Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) $85.20

  • Mental Health Endorsed Occupational Therapist (MHEOT) $85.20

  • Psychologist $96.65

  • Clinical Psycholosist $137.05

Medicare Safety Net: Once you have reached the Medicare Safety net, you will be entitled to 80% of your fee.

NDIS: All our Psychologists and Allied Health Clinicians (Social Workers/Occupational Therapists) are approved by the NDIS program. For those referred under Self Managed Plans the fees will be charged as per the standard clinician fee.

Medicare Accredited Clinicians :

Our clinicians approved under the Medicare program are;

  • Tim Jezard - Director | Principal Psychologist

  • Kristen Fawcett - Director | Acc. Clinical /Mental Health Social Worker/Clinical Family Therapist

  • Ian Connop | Acc. Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW)

  • Jay Dineen | Acc. Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW)

  • Graciela (Grace) Lopez | Psychologist

  • Anthea Barry | Endorsed Mental Health Occupational Therapist

  • Salva Crusca | Acc. Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW)

  • Matt Dellosa | Acc. Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW)

  • Susan Saxe | Acc. Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW)

  • Rudy Gonzalez | Psychologist

Our clinicians awaiting accreditation, at this time are;

  • Roni Sokolic | Social Worker/Family Therapist

  • Tiahn Biundo | Social Worker

  • Jackson Liu | Social Worker

Couple/Relationship & Family Counselling /Therapy:

We have several clinicians who are skilled and experienced in providing Couple/Relationship and Family support/therapeutic sessions (as well as individual sessions). Our clinicians are trained in a diverse range of clinical interventions and have specialist qualifications in these areas:

  • Ian Connop | Family Mediator/Counsellor/ Family Dispute Resolution

  • Roni Sokolic | Social Worker/Family Therapist

  • Salva Crusca | Family Therapist

  • Susan Saxe | Family Counsellor (AOD)

  • Kristen Fawcett | Clinical Family Therapist

Couple and Family Counselling sessions are not endorsed by Medicare; therefore, you are not entitled to a rebate for these sessions and are requied to pay privately. If you have been referred by your GP under a Mental Health Treatment plan, we ask you to utilise this for your own personal, Individual Mental Health sessions.

Referral Pathways

Self Referral: Several referral pathways are available at NCPS. If you are unsure as to which referral is most suited to you, please contact us and we can assist you with understanding and obtaining the most appropriate referral. With a self referral, you are able to refer yourself, your child or a family member (with client consent) to our service.

GP Referral :

  • Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) Family & Carer Participation 6 sessions, GP Review, and additional 4 sessions = 10 sessions in total 2 sessions under a GP MHTP
    Pregnancy Support Counselling     3 sessions for those who are or have been pregnant

  • Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders 4 Assessment sessions and 10 Treatment Services

  • Chronic Disease Management 5 sessions for those with chronic conditions

  • Eating Disorder Referral 40 sessions (Psychiatrist Review prior to 20th session)
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI)     5 sessions

Psychiatrist & Paediatrician Referral: We accept referrals from Psychiatrists and Paediatricians. If you have other clinicians or other services involved in your care, please let us know so that together, we can coordinate the best treatment for you.

Private Health: If you wish to seek financial support via your private health provider, we request that you pay privately and seek reimbursement. Many private health organisations have differing policies and will only fund accredited Medicare clinicians. Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are able to seek reimbursement from the following Private health insurance funds such as; BUPA, HCF, Teachers Health Fund, Uni Health Insurance, St Lukes and Nurses and Midwives Health provide access to clinical services provided by Accredited Mental Health Social Workers.

Third Party Referrals: NCPS has collaborative working relationships with the following organisations:

  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Self & Plan Managed

  • Workcover - GP Referral under new guidelines

  • Transport Accident Commission (TAC)

  • BUPA Open Arms (Veterans and their families)

  • Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)

  • Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT)

  • Family Reconciliation Mediation Program (FRMP)

  • Employment Assistance Program (Private)

  • Private Health Insurance (please see your individual provider for more details) or our website

  • Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)

  • Non Government Organisations GenWest | Orange Door| OzChild | Anglicare | Other

Third Party Fees: are in line with individual organisation recommendations. NCPS works collaboratively alongside our Third Party Referrers to ensure ongoing clinical support and sustainable services. We charge an additional gap payment for most Third Party organisations, which include; TAC, Workcover and NDIS (Self Managed). NDIS Plan Managed sessions are paid at the recommended fee. Some clinicians may charge additional fees for Plan Managed clients.

Our service will endeavour to provide you with information, courtesy reminders and update you about the Medicare, NDIS and other Third Party Organisations as best we can. It is also your responsibility to keep in mind your ongoing treatment and clinical support in line with funding provisions.

Payments

PAYMENTS: Automatic Payments (Credit Card): Private, Medicare (including Medicare Rebates), NDIS Self Funded, Workcover (*gap payment) will be processed automatically at the end of each day. Please ensure that you have funds available in your acccount for payment processing. Credit Card details are provided to the service as a requirement of your registration with NCPS.

Alternative payment options include: Bank Transfer: If you prefer to pay via Bank Transfer/BPAY, you will be required to pay for your appointment prior to session (or on the day of service) to avoid double payments.

NCPS BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS: Newport Counselling & Psychology Service

BSB: 083 004 Acc No: 92 013 0852

Receipt of Payment: You will receive a receipt for successful payments and Medicare rebate processing.
Unsuccessful Payments: For unsuccessful payments (e.g. Insufficient funds, bank not accepting payment, other), we will follow up with you to resolve any outstanding issues.

Third Party Payments: NDIS Plan Managed, TAC, Workcover. FRMP, VOCAT, other will be sent directly to the organisation for payment.
Medicare Rebate: Once payment has been processed the Medicare rebate will also be processed via Halaxy and will be paid into the bank account that you have registered with Medicare.

HALAXY: NCPS utilises the Halaxy program which is protected by bank-grade security and encryption, which means records, notes and other information are protected to the same level used in banks. All information is stored in securely protected data centres.

Halaxy Patient Portal: Upon registration with our service, your Clinician or a member of our Client Support Team can invite you to the portal which will enable you to book/reschedule/cancel sessions and have access to your invoices for your records. If you have not yet been invited to the portal, please let us know.

Cancellations

We value our clinicians and clients time, therefore, we encourage you to maintain your attendance at appointments for your ongoing support, treatment and connection to your clinician. We understand that sometimes, life may get in the way and you may not be able to attend your scheduled appointment. If you are unable to attend your booked sessions, please let us know as soon as possible, so that we can offer these to someone else in need.

Reminder: To reduce the risk of late notice cancellations, we will send you a courtesy text message reminder via our Halaxy (two- way reminder) Service Messaging System NCPS SMS: 0448 817 949 four days prior to your appointment. Please save this number as you can utilise this to contact our service for any administration issues.
Confirmation: We request that you confirm your attendance by replying “F” for Face to face, “P” for Phone, “V” for Video or “N” for Non-attendance. If you do not respond to this message, we will assume that you will be attending the booked session. You can message our service right up until the time your session to notify us regarding confirmation of your situation.

Late Notice Cancellation: If you are unable to attend and cancel your appt with < 48 hours notice, the full (100%) session fee will apply. We will endeavour to fill your session with someone in need and if this can be done, no fee will apply. However, as you can appreciate, this is not always possible.
Non-Attendance: If you do not attend your scheduled session and you have not made any attempts to let us know, you will be charged the full session fee, as your clinician was expecting to see you. We will endeavour to contact you at the time of the appointment and follow up accordingly. Cancellation/Non-Attendance fees are not eligible for the Medicare rebate.

Illness: For illness, where you are still able to attend the session, we recommend having a telehealth (phone/video) session or moving to a Parent/Carers Session to avoid having to pay a late notice/cancellation fee.
Exceptional Circumstances: Urgent late notice cancelled sessions e.g. hospital admission/other emergency situation, we encourage you (and/or a carer/emergency contact to let us know of your absence. We will endeavour to offer you a new appointment time, as soon as available.

Frequent Non-Attendance/Cancellation: If you regularly cancel your sessions with our service, priority will be given to those who are reliable and committed to attending sessions.

Keeping Connected

Client Support Team (CST): Our administration team are pleased to speak to you during business hours from Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm on 9603 0313. We can also respond to text messages and emails during these times.
After-Hours Contact: If you need to contact us after hours (out of usual business hours 9:00am -5:00pm) e.g running late for an appointment or need to change details at late notice, we recommend that you use our Halaxy SMS System for brief messages. For any non urgent communication, please contact us via email.

SMS Communication: We utilise the Halaxy SMS system for general communication only as it is accessed by your clinician and the Client Support Team, therefore, please keep the message brief and avoid any confidential information. For any confidential information, this may be sent via email to your individual clinician. Clinicians may choose to respond to emails in their own time.

Clinical Support: We recommend that you seek clinical and supportive treatment as often as you like, based on your personal, clinical and financial position. Our clinicians will discuss your treatment needs as you move through the therapeutic process. We will do our best to ensure that your treatment aligns with the funding options available, however, It is also your responsibility to track the number of sessions attended based on your referral and clinical plans. For any specific clinical support, please email your clinician directly. Keeping in mind that clinicians may choose to respond to you during their working hours.

Additional Work: At NCPS, we may charge for additional services such as extended sessions, report/letter writing, liaising with other providers and/or phone consultations (exceeding 15 minutes), billed at the clinical hourly rate in 15-minute increments. This will be discussed with you upon initial request and ongoing clinical treatment provision. We are committed to informing you of any fees in advance and providing high-quality care that meets your needs.

Waiting Times: At NCPS, we do not hold a waiting list and aim to offer appointments within a one to two week period. However, some of our clinicians are not taking new referrals (or specific clinical interventions). To support us with allocations, please ensure that you provide up to date clinical information so that we can allocate according to clinical needs, suitability and timely service provision.

On Hold: If you would like your treatment to remain on hold (with no future bookings), we will keep your treatment open. We will close your treatment with us, if we have not heard from you in over six months.

Transfer: We are happy to transfer you to another member of our team if this may suit you better (depending on clinical needs and availability).

Closure: If you no longer wish continue with our service, please let your clinician and/or the Client Support Team know. We are happy to let your GP know and discharge you from our service. Keeping in mind, that you are always welcome back at any time.
Keeping in Touch: We will routinely keep in touch with you via our NCPS newsletters and client surveys. This is a great way for us to let you know how our service is travelling and how we can best support you.

Group Programs

If you are keen to attend our Group Programs, please contact us for more information and see your GP for a referral to attend 10 group sessions per calendar year. Groups are generally held towards the end of the year to support people under their MHTPlan.

Disability Access

Wheelchair Access We have a fold access ramp (featuring portable lightweight design and carry handle) to enable great access to our service for use with most wheelchairs, scooters, walkers etc. It includes a raised side edges for added safety and non slip designed surface as per the Australian recommended standards.

Please contact us if you wish to discuss this further and to alert our Client Support Team and/or your clinician (prior to your arrival) at your scheduled appointment, so that we can ensure the ramp is ready for you upon your arrival.

Supervision, Consulting and Training

We provide Clinical Supervision Consulting and Training to individuals, groups and organisations. Our fees range from $130 - $250+, depending on the type of service provided. Please contact us via email to discuss your needs.