My name is Renee. I am a neurodivergent Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with a strong passion for supporting others on their journey towards recovery and wellbeing. My personal experiences and professional background have shaped my approach and deepened my understanding of the complexities faced by individuals and families.

Personal Background

As a mum to neurodivergent adult children, I bring lived experience to my practice. Having been a sole parent for most of my children's childhood, I am familiar with the unique stressors and challenges that sole parenting can present, along with co-parenting.

Education and Professional Experience

I completed my social work degree at Curtin University in 2002. Since then, I have worked full time as a social worker, undertaking a variety of roles that have included providing counselling, support, advocacy, assessments, and report writing.

My career includes fourteen years with the Department for Child Protection. During this time, I spent seven years working within the Domestic Violence Unit alongside the West Australian Police, delivering intervention and support to families experiencing domestic violence.

From 2016, I have been in private practice, continuing my commitment to supporting people with their overall wellbeing. I provide a systemic lens to my practice to ensure all parts of your wellbeing are supported.

Approach and Values

I am passionate about assisting people to recover from challenging life experiences that affect their wellbeing. My practice is shaped by a social work lens, which enables me to understand the impact of broader systems on an individual's social and emotional health. This perspective guides the support I provide throughout the recovery process.

Having personally faced considerable challenges in life, I am aware of the complexities that can arise during difficult times—those moments that may seem impossible to navigate. I approach my work with empathy, respect, and a genuine desire to support every person who seeks assistance.

Standard Fee:

$230 per session – Medicare Rebate $87.30 with a Mental Health Plan (1 hour session)

Health Care Card Holders:

$180 per session – Medicare Rebate $87.30 with a Mental Health Plan (1 hour session)

Couples Counselling (1 hour session)

$250 per session

Family Therapy

$350 per session (1 ½ hour session)

Parenting Support

$250 per session (1 hour session)

DVA Accepted

NDIS

$190 p/h Capacity Building (1 hour session)

Clinical Supervision

$220 per session plus gst (1 hour session)

Phone Consultation

$230 per hour

$115 per ½ hour

$250 per hour  for ‘other’ professional services inclusive of report writing, attendance at meetings (by phone, video, or in-person) with other professionals if required and authorised by you.

$250 per hour for preparation of treatment summaries (not inclusive of mental health plan reviews), and the time spent performing any other service you may request of JUST NOTICE.

Legal Proceedings and Payment Responsibilities

Involvement in Legal Proceedings

If you become involved in legal proceedings that require the participation of JUST NOTICE, it is important to understand the expectations regarding payment for professional time related to legal matters. This applies regardless of whether the request to participate in legal proceedings originates from you or from another party, including situations where subpoenas are issued.

Payment for Professional Time

You will be expected to pay for any professional time spent on legal matters associated with these proceedings. This requirement is in place even if another party initiates the request for participation.

Determining Responsibility for Payment

In some instances, the legal team involved in your case may provide payment for these services. It is your responsibility to communicate with your legal team to clarify who will be responsible for covering these costs.

Evidence of Payment Liability

If your legal team agrees to assume liability for payment, they must provide written evidence to support this. This evidence should be supplied in the form of an email prior to the provision of any support by JUST NOTICE.

The fee is $350 per hour for professional services, when a request is made to provide services in relation to legal matter.

The fee for Medico-Legal report requests is $350 per hour.

CONFIDENTIALITY

In general, the privacy of all communications between a client and their counsellor or psychotherapist is protected by law. Information pertaining to your sessions will only be released to third parties if you provide written consent. Without this explicit consent, your information remains confidential.

EXCEPTIONS

Confidentiality and Release of Information

Legal Exceptions to Confidentiality

There are specific circumstances where confidentiality may be limited by law. In most legal proceedings, you have the right to prevent JUST NOTICE from providing any information about your treatment. However, in some cases, a Magistrate/Judge may issue a subpoena requiring JUST NOTICE to release records or file notes. In such instances, JUST NOTICE must comply with subpoenas and court orders, which may include providing all relevant notes, emails, text messages, appointment dates, and any other clinically relevant material.

If there is a risk that releasing this information could cause psychological, emotional, or physical harm to you, every effort will be made to contest the disclosure with the Magistrate or Lawyer.

Other exceptions:

JUST NOTICE is legally obligated to take action to protect others from harm, inclusive of disclosure of information that has taken place during counselling sessions. Examples where this may occur is if a child is at risk, if an elderly person is at risk, if a person with a disability is at risk of being abused or has been abused.

JUST NOTICE is legally bound to report disclosures of sexual abuse of children as practitioners are mandatory reporters of sexual abuse of children. A report will be sent to Department of Communities – Child Protection.

JUST NOTICE will contact next of kin, your GP and/or West Australian Police if a belief has been formed you are at risk of harm to yourself or others. JUST NOTICE will discuss this with you before taking part in supporting you at this vulnerable time.

JUST NOTICE takes part in clinical supervision and case consultation to ensure the very best service is provided to support clients. During Supervision and Consultation clients’ details are not identified. Supervisors and Consultants are also bound by confidentiality. JUST NOTICE may occasionally find it helpful to consult with other professionals about any complexities that arise in treatment planning for you. JUST NOTICE will discuss this with you prior to the consultation.

JUST NOTICE is happy to discuss these issues with you and provide clarification where necessary. However, if you need specific clarification or advice, and where JUST NOTICE is unable to provide, formal legal advice may be needed, as the laws governing confidentiality are quite complex and legal advice is encouraged.

Confidentiality in Couples Counselling

For couples counselling, it is essential that both parties provide their consent before any information can be released. The release of information is not permitted without the explicit consent of all individuals involved in the counselling process. This requirement ensures that the privacy and confidentiality of each party are respected and maintained throughout therapy.

Confidentiality in Clinical Supervision

JUST NOTICE is committed to maintaining strict confidentiality for all clients participating in Clinical Supervision, including circumstances where your employer is responsible for payment of your supervision sessions. Your privacy is respected, and all discussions held during supervision remain confidential.

As part of the support offered, JUST NOTICE can assist you with employment-related issues that may arise. This support may include attending meetings to advocate for your wellbeing in the workplace or providing written reports or letters to support your ongoing health and professional needs. Please note that a fee applies for the preparation of reports and letters and attendance at meetings.

An exception to confidentiality exists if it is determined that you present a risk of harm to others in your workplace, particularly in relation to clients you work with in your professional role. Should such a concern arise, this matter will be openly discussed with you during supervision. Every effort will be made to implement strategies and interventions to help resolve the issue within the supervision process before any further action is taken.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Confidentiality and Support

JUST NOTICE is committed to upholding strict confidentiality for all clients participating in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your privacy is always respected, and all matters discussed during EAP sessions are treated as confidential.

As part of the EAP, JUST NOTICE offers support for employment-related issues that may arise during your professional engagement. This support can include attending workplace meetings to advocate for your wellbeing, as well as preparing written reports or letters to assist with your ongoing health and professional requirements. Please be aware that preparation of reports, letters, and attendance at meetings will incur a fee. If your employer agrees to this support, your employer will be responsible for covering these costs.

There is an exception to this confidentiality: if it is determined that you present a risk of harm to yourself or others in your workplace, including clients you work with in your professional role, this concern will be discussed openly with you during your EAP session. Every effort will be made to implement strategies and interventions to resolve the issue within the EAP process before any further action is taken.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

TELEHEALTH Confidentiality and Communication

As your counsellor/psychotherapist, JUST NOTICE has both a legal and ethical responsibility to make every effort to protect all communications that occur as part of our sessions. However, due to the nature of electronic communication technologies, I cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality.

While JUST NOTICE ensures every measure is implemented to maintain confidentiality by ensuring updated encryption methods, two-factor identification, firewalls, and backup systems to help safeguard your information, there is still a risk that our electronic communications may be compromised, unsecured, or accessed by unauthorised individuals. You are also encouraged to take reasonable steps to help ensure the security of our communications.

The extent of confidentiality and the exceptions to it are outlined on the JUST NOTICE  Informed Consent and Privacy Policy, which is available on the JUST NOTICE website. If you have any questions about the exceptions to confidentiality, please do not hesitate to ask.

TELEHEALTH Emergencies and Technology

Assessing and evaluating threats or emergencies can be more challenging when sessions are conducted online or over the phone, compared to in-person therapy. To address this, please be aware that if you are in harm’s way, present a risk to yourself or others, or if JUST NOTICE forms a belief are unsafe, we have both an ethical and legal obligation to contact emergency services (Police or Ambulance) to conduct a welfare check. This may require JUST NOTICE provide your name, email address, and phone number so that you may be located.

If a session is interrupted for any reason, such as a technological failure, and you are experiencing an emergency, do not attempt to call JUST NOTICE back. Instead, please call 000 or go to your nearest emergency room. If there is no emergency, please reconnect via phone or the Zoom link provided. Should a technological issue prevent us from resuming the session, we will reschedule the remaining time for a mutually suitable date and time.

Fees, Rebates, and Payment Options

Medicare provides a rebate if you have a mental health plan from GP. The rebate is $87.30 and JUST NOTICE will process the rebate for you once your session has finished and payment has been made. You will receive the Medicare rebate the following day at 9am. The rebate will go to your account you have linked to your Medicare account with MyGOV.

If you already have a mental health plan addressed to another practitioner, you do not need to return to your GP to change the practitioner’s name, as these plans are transferrable.

Your mental health plan can be uploaded when you complete the registration form that will be sent to you via email or can be found at www.justnotice.com.au under the contact icon at the top of the home page of the website.

Via the website you can make your initial appointment via that contact icon at the top of the JUST NOTICE website. This option is only available for new clients and clients returning who do not have an appointment scheduled.

Current clients who have an appointment time scheduled can SMS or email to change their appointment time and day. Appointments that are changed within 24 hours of the arranged scheduled time and day will incur a cancellation fee. This is inclusive of illness.

PRIVATE HEALTH

Private health insurers including BUPA, HCF, Medibank Private, Nurses and Midwives Health, Teachers Health, and Uni Health offer rebates for counselling sessions at Just Notice. Managed care providers such as My Aged Care (HCP), Mable, and the NDIS will also pay for services and can be invoiced accordingly.

Payment options include credit card, direct deposit, NDIS invoicing, DVA, and Medicare. You are solely responsible for the entire session fee, which is payable upfront. Sessions will not proceed if payment is outstanding. Please refer to our website for the terms and conditions regarding cancellations, rescheduling, and refunds.

Other Professional Fees

The fee schedule for all services is clearly outlined on the JUST NOTICE website under the FAQ drop down link.

 Additional professional services may include report writing, attending meetings (by phone, video, or in person) with other professionals as required and authorised by you, preparation of treatment summaries, and time spent performing any other service you may request.

If you are involved in legal proceedings that require JUST NOTICE to participate, you will be responsible for any professional time JUST NOTICE spends on your legal matter. This if the request is made by another party, including subpoenas. The fee for professional services related to legal matters is $350 per hour. There is also a report writing fee of $350 for medico-legal requests.

Record Keeping

Video and phone sessions will not be electronically recorded unless both parties have provided written consent. I will maintain a written or electronic record of our session in accordance with my established policies.

JUST NOTICE is required to keep records for seven (7) years for all clients.

Exceptions to Record Keeping:

Records must be kept for children until they reach 18 years of age.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander records must be kept permanently.

You can make a request for a copy of your records. Fees to access a copy of your records are set out under FEES on the JUST NOTICE website.

Overview of Accredited Mental Health Social Workers (AMHSWs)

Professional Standards and Regulation

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers (AMHSWs) are mental health professionals who have undergone extensive education and training. They adhere to some of the highest standards of professional regulation in Australia, ensuring their practice meets rigorous requirements for safety and effectiveness.

Role in Mental Health Care

AMHSWs are one of the select groups of allied health professionals authorised to deliver private mental health services under the Commonwealth Medicare initiative. This eligibility enables them to support individuals with diagnosable mental health conditions, as well as those considered ‘at risk’ of developing such conditions.

Workforce Presence

Within the mental health sector, AMHSWs represent the second largest provider group, following only the combined numbers of Clinical Psychologists and Registered Psychologists.

Practice Approach

AMHSWs’ practice is informed by an understanding of how life experiences shape individuals and influence their overall wellbeing. Their support is grounded in a holistic perspective, addressing a person’s unique circumstances in a comprehensive and empathetic manner.

Commitment to Quality and Professional Development

At Just Notice, AMHSWs participate in ongoing peer supervision with other professionals both in the South West and across Australia. They engage in regular training, case consultations, and supervision sessions to maintain and enhance the standard of care and service they provide, adapting to the continually evolving landscape of mental health care.