How do I request an assessment?

Visit the “contact and referrals” section of this website for more information. To refer, your GP will write a Referral Letter addressed to “the psychiatrist”, which can then be sent to our email address. Referrals are distributed to all psychiatrists. If no psychiatrists are accepting referrals, this will be stated / updated on our Contact webpage.

Do psychiatrists at your rooms provide ADHD assessments?

Dr Robert Gillies OAM (who sees patients from Evallies rooms) is a qualified child and adolescent psychiatrist with years of experience diagnosing and treating ADHD. However, not all psychiatrists who operate their practices at our rooms offer ADHD assessments and treatment.

When will I hear back after submitting a referral?

Each psychiatrist takes a different amount of time to respond to referrals, but they usually respond within two weeks of receiving a referral.

What happens if my referral is accepted?

You will be contacted by an administrative staff member and offered an initial appointment. You will then be sent paperwork to complete, which should be submitted one week prior to your first appointment. Each psychiatrist takes a unique approach to meeting and treating their clients, and their approach will be outlined and discussed with you when you book your first appointment.

Why was my referral not accepted?

Referrals are accepted, or declined, by the psychiatrists themselves on a case by case basis. The Evallies rooms and our administrators have no influence over that decision making process. Some referrals are within a psychiatrist’s scope of practice, but psychiatrists are unable to assist each and every person, given their specific area of expertise, scope of practice and future availability. If your referral is not accepted, your GP will be informed in a timely manner, who will discuss other options with you.

What is the cost of a psychiatric assessment?

The out-of-pocket cost varies depending on the psychiatrist’s own fees and the specific Medicare rebate available. Appointment fees are set individually by each psychiatrist (i.e. fees are not set by Evallies administrators or the Evallies rooms). Please discuss the fees and rebates available when you are booking your initial consult.

What is the Medicare Safety Net and how does it help me?

The Extended Medicare Safety Net is designed for individuals and families who have high out-of-pocket medical costs, perhaps because they have a chronic disease or a complex condition, such as those treated by many psychiatrists. Once you pay a certain amount in out-of-pocket medical fees during a calendar year, the extended safety net kicks in. After that point, Medicare will begin to pay 80% of the gap (out of pocket expense), in addition to the usual rebate.

Medicare keeps a tally of out-of-pocket costs you have paid and once the threshold is reached, you will receive the higher benefit for the rest of the year. To see the threshold amounts, click this link. It is important that family’s also register as a family (even if family members are listed on the same Medicare card) so that one single threshold tally is applied to all family members as a collective - click here for more information. Concession card holders, pensioners and other eligible individuals have a lower threshold, which may significantly reduce your healthcare costs.

Why do doctors at your rooms require a deposit when I book?

Many patients book appointments and then fail to attend without notice. This means that people like you have to wait longer for medical care. You might be surprised to learn just how many people simply do not show for appointments they book. A deposit signals your commitment and intention to attend your appointment. It is refundable prior to your appointment if you cancel with at least three business days notice, and it is subtracted from the total appointment cost. As such, you should not be disadvantaged by paying a deposit if you plan to attend. We thank you in advance for your commitment to your appointment and your mental health.

Can medical treatment be prescribed at my initial appointment?

No. Psychiatrists will always perform an assessment before recommending treatments. At your first appointment, the doctor will make a comprehensive psychiatric, neurological, developmental, family, social, and medical assessment. An assessment report will then be created with recommendations. Treatment options can then be discussed in detail at a follow-up treatment appointment.

Do doctors at Evallies offer a bulk-billing service?

No, doctors currently using Evallies rooms do not offer bulk-billing; there is a private gap-fee for consultations with all psychiatrists. If you need a bulk-billing service due to financial hardship, please contact the intake team at your local public mental healthcare service or a local psychiatric private hospital near you. Doctors practicing at Evallies rooms strive to offer their clients a boutique psychiatric service that is time intensive and expertly tailored to your unique needs.

Do doctors at your rooms offer telehealth appointments?

Yes. You can attend via telehealth at any time. Because physical assessments cannot be performed when attending via telehealth, you are advised to also make an appointment with your referring GP for a physical health check-up before and during the course of any treatments prescribed during telehealth appointments.

What if I have previously been diagnosed with ADHD?

The clinicians practicing from our rooms cannot attest to the validity and reliability of a psychiatric or psychological assessment that was undertaken elsewhere. As such, ADHD assessments from our rooms may repeat aspects of your prior assessment. Whenever a doctor or surgeon provides a medical opinion, their opinion must be based on their own clinical findings and assessment. Therefore, a psychiatrist cannot guarantee the suitability or safety of a treatment without first reaching their own diagnostic conclusion, and also assessing your broader mental and physical health. This is the duty of care that is owed to you. However, past clinical records provided during an assessment will always be taken into account.

I use cannabis / marijuana or other recreational drugs (and/or, I am prescribed CBD/THC by a doctor) - is now the right time to be seeking an ADHD diagnosis and ADHD treatment?

Thank you for being open about your cannabis and/or other recreational drug use. It is essential to disclose such use, given the serious risk of complications arising as a result of cannabis (or other recreational drug use). There are also legal penalties, in Victoria, for psychiatrists who treat ADHD in drug dependent persons.

Recreational drug use or alcohol misuse complicates the initial ADHD assessment, rendering the assessment inaccurate. Furthermore, cannabis, prescribed THC, and other recreational drug use during a course of ADHD treatment may cause life threatening complications, including suicidal thoughts, mania or psychosis (i.e. hallucinations, delusions, and/or extreme personality changes). There are also cardiovascular health risks when THC is taken with ADHD treatment. Even in people without a history of psychosis, mania, or cardiovascular disease, these complications can arise. For more information, here is a factsheet published by the Yale School of Medicine that highlights the association between cannabis and psychosis. The same is true for many other illicit substances when combined with ADHD treatments.

Some people feel that their substance use relates to undiagnosed ADHD symptoms. If this is the case, it is essential that you seek an opinion and support from an Addiction specialist. There are no Addiction specialists currently working from the Evallies rooms. Given current legislative guidelines in Victoria as well as the clinical safety concerns listed above, doctors practicing at Evallies rooms are not currently offering ADHD diagnosis or treatment to people using THC/cannabis (or any illicit substances, or illegally acquired prescription medications). Please discuss this matter further with your GP, who can help you access addiction services in your local area, to avoid disappointment when seeking ADHD care from a doctor practicing from our rooms.

Do psychiatrists at your rooms accept referrals from outside Victoria?

No. Given Australian state-based legislation governing the prescription of some psychiatric treatments, our clinicians are unable to assist you if you live in a state with different laws and regulations.

If my GP requests a 291 Assessment or Ongoing Care, does this guarantee I will receive these services?

No. Medicare specifies that a psychiatrist can only provide an MBS 291 Assessment if it is appropriate to do so. GPs are not trained or qualified to treat complex mental health conditions or to prescribe psychotropic medications that are risky or unconventional. If your mental healthcare needs are discovered to be complex, your care may not be delegated to your GP, even if they asked for this to occur. A request for a 291 Assessment simply gives the psychiatrist the referring GP’s permission to delegate care after the initial assessment, if deemed safe and appropriate to do so. Similarly, a GP request for ongoing care does not guarantee the psychiatrist will be in a position to do so, especially if a psychiatric condition is discovered that was not mentioned in the initial referral (e.g. significant drug use and addiction issues), that is outside the scope of practice of a psychiatrist. To avoid disappointment, please ensure that you book a “long consult” with your GP prior to seeking a referral to a psychiatrist, so that the referral letter contains all relevant information for your request to be triaged.

Is your administrative services business a medical clinic and/or a healthcare provider?

No. Evallies is an administrative services business that provides medical facilities, practice management solutions and administrative support to independent mental healthcare clinicians. Practitioners do not run a business in conjunction with Evallies or provide a service to Evallies; rather, practitioners are independent medical experts who utilise the services of Evallies to assist them in running their own independent businesses. Practitioners are the sole healthcare providers, and therefore Evallies is not to be considered a healthcare provider or healthcare clinic. Evallies does not provide a healthcare service to the community or have patients. Any services described and/or advertised throughout this website are those of the independent businesses and individual practitioners that run their healthcare services from an Evallies room.