Interested in seeing a psychologist? How would you feel if you could only have 10 appointments, with no exceptions?

Since 2006 it has been possible to see a psychologist for up to 18 sessions through Medicare with a GP referral. The Government plans to cut this down to just 10 appointments in a program called the 'Better Access to Mental Health Care' initiative. Federal Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler, says people will be no worse off because they can still see psychiatrists, who for the most part deliver medication. He also claims that if you can prove you have a serious mental illness you can access case-managed programs. But what about the majority of people with depression and anxiety who just need to talk to a psychologist? Is it fair to call this program "better access to mental health care" when psychological services are actually being halved?

Last week the health budget was released, which came just after a recent review of the Better Access initiative. Psychologists had been waiting with keen anticipation to see how the government might improve mental health policy, informed by this recent study. But despite the fact that the review gave a glowing report attesting to the successes of the Better Access initiative, the government's new proposal is to slash the number of allowable sessions for psychological treatment in half. It's time to take action now and tell the Federal Mental Health Minister what you think of this decision!

A few days ago the mental health budget was announced, revealing plans to redirect funding from the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative to the Access to Allied Psychological Services program (ATAPS). I thought it might be useful for everybody to see how the various perspectives of professional groups involved in providing mental health care services compare with one another on this critical issue.

Earlier this month the Federal Mental Health Minister Mark Butler released the long awaited review of the Better Access initiative. This initiative was launched in 2006, allowing general members of the public to access a psychologist under the Medicare scheme. The major success of this initiative is that for the first time in Australia the public has been able to access psychologists when they need one. At the same time though, the system has cleaved the profession of psychology in two based on a false dichotomy.

This is an urgent call to action for all psychologists concerned about Medicare and the implications of the National Registration scheme. I have just received advice that there is an open senate inquiry into the impact of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA), that closes on 14 April 2011 - just a week away. The terms of reference for this senate inquiry directly refer to the impact of the national registration scheme on our profession and the client groups we serve. This is exactly the opportunity we have been waiting for, to inform the decision makers about how this scheme affects psychology as a profession, so I ask all of you to make a submission and do it soon!