The Australian Greens have prioritised psychology in their election policy platform through a range of election promises that will better support Australians seeking psychological care.
The Greens’ plan for ‘free and unlimited mental health care’ was announced today by Greens Leader Adam Bandt, health spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John and Greens candidate Sonya Semmens.
The Greens’ election promises include:
- Lifting the 10-session cap on psychology sessions through Medicare
- An increase to the Medicare rebate to $150
- Free psychology sessions through 1000 local healthcare clinics across Australia
- Access for provisional psychologists to provide services through Medicare
- 1000 new ‘peer workers’ to join the mental health workforce.
The APS has responded to these announcements with cautious optimism.
We are pleased mental health has been recognised as an ongoing and increasing priority for Australians and see this commitment to investment in psychology services as evidence of the Greens’ confidence in the psychology profession.
The Greens’ commitment to removing the cap on psychology sessions under Medicare broadly aligns with our calls for patients to have access to 20 or more sessions.
The increase to the client rebate is welcome, we await further detail on this measure but broadly see it as a positive investment in mental health.
We have also welcomed the Greens’ emphasis on the importance of human-to-human therapy rather than digital only services.
Inclusion of provisional psychologists in the Medicare scheme is a positive step, but we note the need to ensure robust support and supervision from psychologists and we have welcomed the opportunity to work with the Greens to develop the appropriate support program for them.
Finally, with regard to introducing 1000 peer workers to the workforce, we have noted an expanded peer workforce may be of assistance but those roles must be very well defined.
The APS does not support the peer workforce entering the Better Access program, but we do welcome discussions about ways to extend the mental health workforce and enhance the community’s access to care.
Our well established and evidence-based position is that we need more psychologists in Australia, and we will continue advocating for more investment to address the psychology workforce shortfall.
There is no substitute for quality care delivered by professionally trained and registered psychologists.
We look forward to working with the Greens to articulate the scope of practice for a peer workforce and developing an establishing a program that will ensure this workforce is supported, trained and supervised appropriately.
In the lead up to the next Federal Election, the APS calls on all political parties to commit to:
- Providing Australians with the psychology services they need, by substantially increasing Medicare-subsidised sessions, and particularly for people at-risk of or experiencing complex mental health issues
- Increasing the patient rebate Removal of the need for a GP referral for up to the initial three sessions
- Removal of need for a GP review of the mental health treatment plan until treatment is complete
- Remove out-of-pocket expenses for 14 to 25-year-old Australians through a new Medicare Safety Net threshold of $0 applying to these services, and
- Scale up investment in more psychology postgraduate university places.