Clients wishing to access the service should do so via the online contact form on our website or by phoning us on 02 9300 8019. Clients contacting the ISA for mental health supports will undergo an initial screening to capture personal data such as contact details etc. and to have a discussion around their circumstances, expectations, and the process involved. The following evaluation form (DASS 21) will be completed at this time. This will help your practitioner understand a lot about how you are feeling and will serve to inform your consultation.
If a Client wishes to proceed, they will be directed to the SOLAS tab on the ISA website where they will get further background information on the service. Here they will be able to access the password protected Client Portal. They will then be required to ‘acknowledge and sign’ the ISA Legal disclaimer. They will also have access to this Client Information Sheet which describes the process and mutual responsibilities, which they are required to ‘sign’ as being read and understood.
The client will be contacted by ISA to discuss their preferred Practitioner(s) from the Directory of Practitioners (See below). ISA staff will then contact the practitioner(s) to confirm that they have the capacity to accept the client. If so, the ISA will advise the client to book an initial appointment with that practitioner.
The first 2 consultations with your practitioner are fully subsidised by SOLAS and no payment is required. After that, we ask clients to contact us to ensure that the sessions have been beneficial and to discern how best to approach subsequent support. In order to assist as many people as possible, we are asking that clients, who are in a position to do so, commit to a 50% co-payment for subsequent sessions. This will be taken by the ISA in advance of each session (by way of a Stripe payment app). The ISA will then notify both the client and practitioner of authorisation to proceed with the next session. Typically this process is undertaken in two session increments. DASS21 evaluations are required to be completed with the practitioner at session 2, 6 and 10 if appropriate.
Clients who are not in a position to contribute or are experiencing financial hardship may be able to access fully subsidised rates but will be asked to undergo a financial assessment to establish need.
A progress review will be undertaken by the client and practitioner after 6 sessions to establish continued need which is consistent with the Medicare Mental health plan. Further support recommendations by the practitioner will be discussed on an individual client basis.
Any late cancellations (within 24 hours of a scheduled appointment) will require full payment by the participant to ensure we make the most of the limited resources available.
In order to evaluate the impact of the service, we ask all clients to complete a Client Satisfaction Survey which can be found in the portal, and return it to the ISA upon completion. This information allows us to improve the service and to demonstrate benefits to potential funding bodies to allow the continuation of the service.
Please complete the below to acknowledge that you have read and understood the client information.