SARAH HOWELLS, HOST: Have you ever thought it would be nice to chat to a psychologist, though? You know, things that are going on in your life, maybe you're having a particularly tough time and you could do with that extra support, but you just can't afford it. And that's understandable, right? With things the way they are right now – you don't need me to tell you. Well, Medicare have actually stepped up to help. Yeah, they have just created something new. And Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride, told me that there is just so much like this.
ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: We know that distress is increasing in Australia and right around the world, and we know that early intervention support that's tailored to people's needs sooner makes a really big difference for them and for their recovery.
HOWELLS: We've seen long lines to get into a psychologist. We've seen it be really difficult sometimes to find an appointment. How does this work?
MCBRIDE: What this will mean is free therapy sessions for any Australian over 16. To be able to access Medicare Mental Health Check In, they can call the phone line on 1800-595-212, where following a brief assessment they’ll be connected with a service that is right for them – improving access to mental health practitioners such as counsellors, social workers or psychologists, all free and backed by Medicare.
HOWELLS: Do you need a GP referral for this?
MCBRIDE: What we wanted to do was make sure that this support for people who are in distress with mild to moderate symptoms got support as soon as they could. So you don't need a GP referral. All you need to do is to call 1800-595-212, where you'll then be linked with the service that's most suitable for you and all free under Medicare.
HOWELLS: So how much mental health support can it give someone? I mean, is it a replacement for, say, regular psychology sessions?
MCBRIDE: We've seen across Australia and around the world an increase in distress. We all have life events that cause us pressure, whether it's feeling overwhelmed by work, the loss of a family member, a relationship breakdown. And those pressures kind of through global instability are also being felt by more people. So what we wanted to make sure was that any Australian who needed support could get it at their fingertips and for free. And that's what Medicare Mental Health is designed to do. It's early intervention by trained mental health practitioners to give people the tools they need to be able to work through their personal situations and to make sure that they have that right support when they need it.
HOWELLS: How much staff do you need to keep something like this going?
MCBRIDE: So we have partnered- this is fully funded by the Commonwealth Government and it's in partnership with St Vincent's Health Australia, one of the leading experts not just in Australia but globally in digital mental health and early intervention. They are recruiting up to 150 staff, all experienced mental health practitioners – as I mentioned, social workers counsellors, psychologists – with additional training in low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a particular model of therapy that's being used, one that's evidence-based, evidence-based, effective, and has been used in other parts of the world.
HOWELLS: How many people do you expect will access a service like this?
MCBRIDE: Before the service was live, more than 600 people had already registered for an account. We've had tens of thousands of people visit the website and we expect, when it's fully to scale, that about 150,000 Australians each year will be able to benefit directly through Medicare Mental Health Check In.
HOWELLS: That's so great. What stories are you hearing from people about what kind of difference this could make to them?
MCBRIDE: As a former mental health worker myself who worked in both community pharmacies and a local regional hospital, I saw people in distress end up in crisis simply because they couldn't get this early support they needed. I know the difference that this will make to individuals and families right across the country, including in your part of the world on the Sunshine Coast. So we're getting some really positive feedback so far on people who are now being able to access for the first time free mental health therapy, at a time that suits them in a way that is safe.
HOWELLS: Is there anything else you wanted to mention or let us know about this?
MCBRIDE: I would just encourage all of your listeners to- if they or someone else they know is feeling worried, is having trouble with sleep, is feeling overwhelmed, that support is now available, and it's free. And they can access it simply by calling 1800-595-212 where they'll undergo a brief assessment and then be connected to the support that's right for them. That might be going into the Medicare Mental Health Centre that you have in Birtinya, which we know since we opened it last year has seen more than 10,000 occasions of care. So we want to make sure that every Australian can get the early support they need, whether it's through Medicare Mental Health Check In or walking into a centre in their own community, all for free.
HOWELLS: That is Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride there. Medicare Mental Health Check In is what it's called, and if you'd like to access it, that number again, 1800-595-212.