How to Refer a Patient
Contact
Health professionals, GPs and partner hospitals can visit our Access Services page to refer clients, find referral template options and access further information.
Requirements for Referral
In order to access our service, GFA requires the completion of a Gidget Foundation Australia online GP Initial Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan. Before completing your referral, please review our eligibility criteria below to ensure we are the most suitable service for your patient.
As we are a multidisciplinary mental health team, by addressing your referral to ’The GFA Clinician’ (rather than a specific health professional or discipline) you will reduce barriers for your patient in accessing care.
General Practitioners:
- If you are a GP referring a patient to our service for the first time under Better Access, please complete the online GP Initial Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, available from the Access Services page and submit via HealthLink (EDI: gidgetfa) or Fax (02 9460 1551)
- If you are a GP providing a re-referral for additional sessions, subsequent to those within your initial referral under their existing Mental Health Treatment Plan, please complete the online GP Subsequent Referral, available from the Access Services page.
Non-GP Health Professionals
- If you are a Third-Party Referrer providing a referral for your client to access our services, please complete the online Collaborative Care Request*, available from the Access Services page.
*This referral is not sufficient for clients to receive our Better Access service; a GP Initial Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan will still be required.
What to expect
After the Referral and Mental Health Care Plan have been completed
On receipt of the GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, your patient will receive a request to complete a ‘Client Information Form’. Please advise your patient that they are welcome to contact 1300GIDGET if they need assistance in completing it. We are always happy to help.
Once all paperwork is received, your patient will go through to intake. Occasionally we may reach out to the referrer or client for more details. All patients will be contacted for next steps.
If anything changes for your patient during this interim period and you need to contact us on their behalf, please call 1300GIDGET and request to speak with the Clinical Intake Team.
Waitlist Process
When there is availability with a Clinician, at the preferred location, the next client on the waitlist will be contacted and we will proceed to book them into the GFA Clinician diary for psychological counselling.
Please provide your patient with our central booking number: 1300 GIDGET so that they can contact us on submission of their referral.
Patient Eligibility Criteria
GFA services are provided to people throughout the perinatal period: from conception up until their baby is 12 months old. GFA offers support to those experiencing or at risk of developing perinatal depression, anxiety or perinatal related stress disorders. Support is also provided to those people and their partners who have experienced birth trauma or pregnancy related loss, including stillbirth, miscarriage or termination. The entire Gidget team provides care that is safe, effective and evidence informed within the parameters of the resources available to us. As a result, we are unable to accept referrals for people in crisis including those with:
- Current or enduring psychotic illness;
- Current serious suicidal, homicidal or infanticidal ideation;
- Current serious substance abuse that requires medical intervention;
- Current child protection and/or family violence or issues requiring Department of Communities and Justice involvement.
If we receive a referral that includes any of the above, Gidget Foundation Australia will notify the person’s GP so they can refer to a more suitable service.
If you have any questions about who we can support, please contact us on 1300 GIDGET.
Please download our WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT fact sheet for your patients.
Medicare FAQs
What Changed?
The MBS item numbers for MHTP reviews and ongoing mental health consultations have been removed. GPs should now review the patient, consider the psychologist's report, and provide a new referral for additional sessions. GPs now bill using standard time-tiered general attendance items (e.g. Item 23 or Item 36) based on consultation length, rather than the previous dedicated MHTP review items.
To provide Better Access services, the treating provider requires a valid referral and confirmation of an eligible mental disorder and treatment plan. The referral letter itself authorises the services.
What did not change?
The Mental Health Treatment Plan remains valid — patients do not need a new MHTP to access further sessions. The standard pathway is unchanged: create the MHTP, send an initial referral, conduct a GP review consultation, then issue a new referral for additional sessions.
What are the MyMedicare and Better Access Eligibility changes?
From 1 November 2025, Medicare benefits for Better Access services are only payable when the patient sees a GP at their MyMedicare-registered practice, or their usual medical practitioner. A patient must have been seen in-person once within the last 12months.
Patients may see a separate GP for their mental health care, provided that GP qualifies as their "usual medical practitioner” for their mental health care. This means they have provided, or are expected to provide, the majority of the patient's mental health care over a 12-month period.
Note that this change does not apply to referrals from psychiatrists or paediatricians, or to Psychiatrist Assessment and Management Plans.
Was there any changes to the session limits?
No changes. Better Access continues to provide 6 initial sessions and up to 4 additional sessions following a GP review, with a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year.
Are there any changes to group program referrals?
No changes. Our group programs sit outside the Better Access pathway and patients can self-refer directly.
Expressions of interest
Expressions of interest for the February 2025 program are currently open. To express your interest in the February 2025 program, click HERE to submit your resume and cover letter.
We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Cost of PNDA in Australia Report
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a client need to access the services of GFA?
In order to access our service, GFA requires the completion of a Gidget Foundation Australia online GP Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan.
If you are a GP referring a patient to our service for the first time under Better Access, please complete the online GP Initial Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan.
If you are a GP providing a re-referral for additional sessions, subsequent to those within your initial referral under their existing Mental Health Treatment Plan, please complete the online GP Re-Referral Form.
If you are a Third-Party Referrer providing a request for your client to access our services, please complete the online Collaborative Care Request*.
*This referral is not sufficient for clients to receive our Better Access service; a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan will still be required.
What are the patient eligibility requirements?
Services are available to birthing and non-birthing parents throughout the perinatal period, from pre-conception through to 12 months postpartum, who have a diagnosis or are at risk of developing a perinatal mood and/or anxiety and/or stress related condition (such as PNDA), as well as experiencing birth trauma or pregnancy related loss (including stillbirth, miscarriage or termination), or experiencing difficulties with conception. Support is available for both first-time parents, and those who are welcoming another child.
The entire Gidget team provides care that is safe, effective and evidence informed within the parameters of the resources available to us. As a result, we are unable to accept referrals for people in crisis including those with:
- Current or enduring psychotic illness;
- Current serious suicidal, homicidal or infanticidal ideation;
- Current serious substance abuse that requires medical intervention;
- Current child protection and/or family violence or issues requiring Department of Communities and Justice involvement.
If we receive a referral that includes any of the above, Gidget Foundation Australia will notify the person’s GP so they can refer to a more suitable service.
Who should I address my referrals and MHTPs to?
Please address referrals to Gidget Foundation Australia or "Dear Clinician" unless you have a specific reason to request a particular clinician type.All Gidget Foundation Australia clinicians hold additional mental health training and experience, and include Clinical Psychologists, Registered Psychologists, Mental Health Accredited Social Workers, and Mental Health Accredited OTs. Using a non-specific addressee allows greater flexibility in client placement, reducing barriers to care and enabling faster access to our services.
Do we accept a chronic disease Management plan (CDM)?
Gidget Foundation Australia does not accept CDM plans. As a perinatal mental health service, we operate under the Better Access framework — CDM plans are intended for psychological care related to chronic physical conditions and are not applicable to our client group.
What can my patient expect once the Referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan have been completed?
On receipt of the GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, your patient will receive a request to complete a ‘Client Information Form’. Please advise your patient that they are welcome to contact 1300GIDGET if they need assistance in completing it. We are always happy to help.
Once all paperwork is received, your patient will go through to intake. Occasionally we may reach out to the referrer or client for more details. All patients will be contacted for next steps.
If anything changes for your patient during this interim period and you need to contact us on their behalf, please call 1300GIDGET and request to speak with the Clinical Intake Team
What is the waitlist process?
When there is availability with a Clinician, at the preferred location, the next client on the waitlist will be contacted and we will proceed to book them into the GFA Clinician diary for psychological counselling.
What are the National Perinatal Mental Health Guidelines?
The National Perinatal Mental Health Guidelines were reviewed and updated in 2023. The scope of the National Guideline includes the assessment of the high prevalence disorders and the treatment and management of these, together with severe mental illnesses in primary care settings. New additions to the 2023 Guideline include screening and psychosocial assessment for fathers and non-birthing partners and the management of psychological birth trauma.
Disorders covered in the Guideline include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Puerperal Psychosis
- Schizophrenia (new)
- Borderline Personality Disorder (new)
How to screen and assess for PNDA?
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a commonly used screening questionnaire in the perinatal period with a standard scoring guide.
GFA supports those experiencing mild to moderate perinatal depression and anxiety. If your patient answers 1 or more on Q10 relating to self-harm and this is current or they have an EDPS score of higher than 14, we ask for careful consideration as to whether they require a more acute service. We encourage you to contact our Program Clinician on 1300 851 758 to discuss the individual needs of your patient and their suitability for our service. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale 21 items (DASS 21) is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. A scoring guide is also available.
GFA supports those experiencing mild to moderate perinatal depression and anxiety. If your patient’s score on the DASS 21 is ‘severe’ (as defined in the scoring guide), we ask for careful consideration as to whether they should be referred to a more acute service. We encourage you to contact our Program Clinician on 1300 851 758 to discuss the individual needs of your patient and their suitability for our service.