Little HeadQuarters provides counselling services for people who are currently pregnant or have been pregnant within the past 12 months.

To be eliigible for a Medicare rebate, you will need a referral from you GP.

The following information is an excerpt from the Austalian Government Department of Health Fact Sheet, regarding the Medicare benefits for non-directive pregnancy counselling.

​The full Fact Sheet can be found here.

summary

• Rebates are available for up to three (3) non-directive pregnancy support counselling services per patient, per pregnancy.
• A person who is currently pregnant or who has been pregnant in the preceding 12 months may access the services.
• Services can address all pregnancy-related issues for which non-directive counselling is appropriate.
• Services are provided by eligible GPs, and allied health professionals (such as psychologists) on referral from a GP.

what is non-directive pregnancy counselling?

This is a form of counselling based on the understanding that, in many situations, people can resolve their own problems without being provided with a solution by the counsellor. The service involves the counsellor undertaking a safe, confidential process that helps the patient explore concerns they have about a pregnancy. This includes providing unbiased, evidence-based information about all options and services available to the patient, where requested. The service can address all pregnancy-related issues for which non-directive counselling is appropriate. An eligible person’s partner may attend counselling sessions, however, only one fee (for the patient) applies to each service.

who can provide these services?

Services can be provided by a medical practitioner (including a GP, but not including a specialist or consultant physician) –hereafter referred to as a GP. The GP must be registered with Medicare Australia as having completed non-directive pregnancy counselling training. Private psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses may also provide services on referral from a GP, where the practitioners are registered with Medicare Australia as meeting the eligibility criteria and having completed appropriate non-directive pregnancy counselling training.

referral process

Any GP may refer patients to eligible psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses for services, via a signed and dated letter or note. GPs do not need to have completed non-directive pregnancy counselling training to make referrals. Patients may be referred to more than one allied health professional (eg, where the patient does not wish to continue receiving services from the provider they were referred to in the first instance). A new referral is required for each pregnancy or where the patient wishes to be referred to a different provider.