Information for new patients: Psychiatry

Seeing a psychiatrist can feel like a significant step and people often feel apprehensive before their first appointment. This information is intended to outline what to expect and hopefully make the process a little easier.

What is a psychiatrist and how can they help?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are experts in mental health. They specialise in diagnosing and treating people with mental illness.

Psychiatrists provide assessment of mental health difficulties. They can work with you to develop a shared understanding of your mental health difficulties and the things that contribute. This can help you better understand yourself, your responses to things that happen in life and in relationships.

Psychiatrists can diagnose mental health conditions and develop a management plan with you for treatment and recovery. Psychiatrists aim to develop management plans that are holistic. This means not solely focusing on medication, but considering psychological management, social supports, physical health factors and lifestyle measures.

Psychiatrists can provide ongoing mental health care for you. They can also help other health professionals, such as your GP or psychologist to manage your mental health condition.

The approach:
Dr Jess aims to provide care that is collaborative and person centred. This means a focus on understanding you, including your needs, values and individual circumstances. Dr Jess uses this understanding to make a personalised treatment plan. Her management approach not only involves the making of recommendations but working with you to make informed decisions around treatment.

Please note Dr Jess does not complete ADHD or Autism assessments. Dr Jess does not prescribe stimulant medication or oversee ADHD treatment. Dr Jess can provide opinion and recommendations around ADHD treatment and management as it relates to a patients broader psychiatric care.

The assessment:
The assessment allows for development of a thoughtful understanding of your current mental health difficulties, the experiences that have shaped them, the things that continue to contribute as well as your strengths.

This understanding is used to develop an individualised formulation and management plan.
The assessment is typically completed over two sessions:

•  First appointment consultation – 60 minutes
•  Follow up consultation 1-2 weeks later – 50 minutes
•  Both appointments are ideally booked when scheduling the first appointment

You will be asked to complete at least one questionnaire through the assessment process. This can help to understand symptoms, their severity and in monitoring for changes in symptoms over time. Where possible, please arrive 5-10 minutes early to your assessment appointments to allow time to complete questionnaires.

Dr Jess may ask your consent to speak with a partner, carer or another healthcare provider involved in your care. This can help form a deeper understanding of your difficulties and how they impact on your life.

At the end of the assessment, feedback will be provided to you including any diagnoses made. You will then discuss treatment options and recommendations which will be used to create a personalised management plan.

An assessment letter will be completed by Dr Jess which will be shared with you as well as with your GP and/or other clinicians involved in your care with your consent.

Ongoing care following assessment:
Follow up will be discussed with you at the end of the assessment as a part of management planning. Follow up will depend on your needs, preferences and individual circumstances, but will generally take one of the following paths;

1. No ongoing psychiatric care, with management provided by your GP or GP/allied health professional. Management plan developed through psychiatric assessment is enacted and monitored by the GP.

2. Review of psychiatric treatment and progress every 3 – 6 months with Dr Jess. The majority of mental health care continues to be provided by your GP/allied health professional.

3. Ongoing regular psychiatric care and mental health treatment with Dr Jess. Treatment will be individualised to your needs, but will typically involve weekly to monthly appointments and involve supportive psychotherapy and medication management.

Dr Jess understands things can change over time and there needs to be flexibility in management, which may involve changes to the follow up approach needed.

Fees:
See Clinic fees 
A Medicare rebate is available for appointments with Dr Jess, but consultations do come with an out-of-pocket cost/gap fee which are outlined below.
Please note: Consulting fees are subject to change.

Once a patient has reached the annual extended medicare safety net they will receive higher Medicare rebates (up to 80% of fee). 
Please visit the Services Australia website for more information: 
Services Australia 

Completion of assessment letters and other correspondence to your GP and other treating clinicians is included in your consultation fee.

Phone calls to other health professionals, partners and carers may attract additional fees, which will typically be bulk billed with no out-of-pocket cost for the patient.

We hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your upcoming appointment with Dr Jess. If, after reading through the information, you feel the appointment isn’t quite right for you or you do not wish to proceed, that’s completely okay. Simply reply CANCEL to the SMS or contact the clinic on 6724 3063. If you have any questions, or you’re unsure and need further clarification, please contact the clinic and our team will be happy to help.