AAPi welcomes Senate report on ADHD assessment and support services
7 November 2023
Peak body for all psychologists, the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi), has welcomed the Senate report into the assessment and support services for people with ADHD.
AAPi Chief Services Officer, Amanda Curran, said it was a pivotal report that highlighted the numerous barriers for people with ADHD.
“The report provides a roadmap for systemic and meaningful change for people impacted by ADHD. Now is the time for action, and we urge the Government to accept and action its recommendations,” Ms Curran said.
“We also extend our thanks to the committee for making our organisation feel heard.”
In its submission to the Senate, AAPi advocated for changes so that stimulant medication could be prescribed where appropriate by a client’s treating GP in partnership with a psychologist, who would provide psychometric assessments to confirm or rule out ADHD as the cause of difficulties for a client.
“If adequate Medicare rebates were available to support ADHD assessment to occur with a psychologist, this would significantly reduce access barriers and ensure that medications are prescribed safely and only when necessary,” Ms Curran said.
“Assessment is unaffordable for so many, due to low Medicare rebates and requirements for specialist medical practitioners to refer for assessments and to enable drug prescriptions. This disproportionately affects those in rural and remote regions, First Nations people and those on lower incomes.
“There are significant difficulties accessing support following a diagnosis due to a lack of providers in rural and remote regions, long wait times to see psychologists and other specialist health professionals, and significant affordability issues due to low Medicare rebates for psychologists.
“We continue to plead for an increase in the Medicare rebate for all psychologists to $150, and for the introduction of a rebate for provisional psychologists so that more clients impacted by ADHD can afford treatment.”
About Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi)
AAPi is a not-for-profit peak body for psychologists that aims to preserve the rich diversity of psychological practice in Australia. Formed in 2010 by a group of passionate grassroots psychologists, the AAPi’s primary goal is to address inequality in the profession and represent all psychologists and their clients equally to government and funding bodies. Its primary mission is to lobby for equitable access for the Australian public to professional psychological services such as Medicare Better Access Scheme and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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