Phoenix Australia Responder Assist Clinic

Drawing on the lived-experience of emergency workers, as well as our world-class research, Responder Assist has opened a trauma clinic to support emergency worker mental health. The service is funded by the Victorian Government and operated by Phoenix Australia – the experts in trauma-related mental health. The clinic is completely independent and confidential, providing emergency workers with access to clinicians that have specialised expertise in working with emergency services personnel.

If you’re an emergency worker who has been exposed to a traumatic event and you’d like a chat, go ahead and contact our intake team on:

Contact Us
1800 329 191
9-5 Mon-Fri (excluding holidays)

For a confidential conversation about your mental health. You can also leave your details here and a member of our intake team will get back to you.

Why use the Responder Assist clinic?

You can be assured that we’re a safe space for you to explore your mental health. Hear from the team, including intake clinician Belinda Pacella, as well as psychologist, Fairlie Morgan and others on what you can expect when you contact the clinic.

What can I expect when I call up?

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If you call the service during our operating hours (9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday, excluding holidays) you can expect the phone to be answered by one of our intake team – a qualified mental health practitioner with specific experience and expertise in the emergency sector. Similarly, if you have left your details online or on our messaging service, you can expect a qualified mental health practitioner to call you.

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The intake worker will guide you through an assessment process to understand more about you and your unique situation. The details that you provide during this process will help us to determine the next steps. This will include confirming your eligibility to use the service.

You may be assessed as being a candidate for referral to our specialist network of clinicians. If this is the case, the assessor will identify a suitable specialist clinician and connect you with an appointment with this clinician. Specialist clinicians are experienced in working with the emergency services sector and are trained in evidence-based responder-specific mental health treatments and interventions.

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You may be assessed as being a candidate for referral to a private clinician, a further specialist area (e.g., sleep specialist) or even back to your agency’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider. The intake worker will discuss these options with you at the time of your call, including associated funding implications.

The specialist clinician that is allocated to you will work to understand your needs in detail and develop an evidence-based treatment plan that is unique to you.

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What can I do while I’m waiting for my appointment?

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While your specialist clinician will be instrumental in helping with your recovery, there are many things that you can actually do to help yourself. This may be while you are waiting for your appointment, or you could even try some of these before you contact us.
Self-care is a great way to support yourself and your mental health. It is a simple but effective way of maintaining and promoting a general sense of well-being.

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Self-care will look different for different people but can be as simple as managing your sleep, undertaking some form of exercise each day, maintaining a healthy diet or spending time with those you love. Other activities include meditation, listening to music, gratitude journaling and learning something new.
Making time to spend with people you love is another form of self-care. Staying connected is an important part of the recovery process.

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Remember, it is important to choose self-care activities that fit with your lifestyle and that have a positive impact on your wellbeing
Bear in mind that a self-care strategy can be effective in helping maintain your wellbeing, but it is not a substitute for evidence-based mental health treatment. For more information on treatments, contact our assessment hotline on: 1800 329 191 during office hours.

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And remember to be compassionate with yourself. It’s okay not to be okay and it is quite normal to feel like sometimes we are coping better than at other times. Sometimes we need extra support or to recharge, and that is okay.

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What does it cost to access the Responder Assist clinic?

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There is no charge to contact the Responder Assist clinic and undergo an assessment. Every person has a unique history and will present with unique requirements. Once we know about the case, we will be able to offer more details on fee arrangements, including possible funding sources. You may incur out-of-pocket fees if you progress with treatment.

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Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and agency support

Your agency and/or agency Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider may be able to offer free mental health services. This may be a good option for your unique situation, especially if funding is concern.

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Mental Health Treatment Plan

Your GP or doctor can provide you with a mental health treatment plan which ensures that Medicare will reimburse a portion (subject to change) of the fee for each treatment session. If your sessions are charged at a higher rate, your agency may pay the fee gap on your behalf. Alternatively, you can fund the fee gap out-of-pocket.

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WorkCover

With a WorkCover claim, your treatment will be fully funded by WorkCover. To find out more about lodging a claim, see here or contact the clinic and talk to an intake worker. By submitting a WorkCover claim, you will receive 13 weeks of treatment under their “Provisional Acceptance” clause, which means your treatment can be funded, even if your claim ends up being rejected.

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Leave your details

If you would like someone from the Responder Assist clinic intake team to get in touch with you, please leave your details below. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Please note that the clinic is not a crisis service – for urgent help, please contact Lifeline on: 13 11 14. If you have a non-intake related enquiry, please contact us here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a WorkCover claim to access treatment through Responder Assist?

No. A WorkCover claim is encouraged to ensure that gap-free treatment is funded throughout your treatment under Responder Assist. However, this is not the only way to fund your care. Medicare referrals with a current and valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP can also be used to help co-fund your treatment. However, it should be noted that there is a limit to the rebated sessions (10 per calendar year) and that there is a gap per session charged which will be charged to you by your treating clinician. Finally, you can also elect to pay for the full cost of your treatment as an out-of-pocket expense.

Can I see a psychiatrist as part of Responder Assist?

Yes. If you or your treating clinician think that seeing a psychiatrist would be of service, the intake team can help you to arrange a referral.

How long will it take for me to be allocated to a clinician after intake?

The Responder Assist team aim to allocate you for treatment as soon as possible. In periods of high demand for the service, there may be a short delay to the start of your treatment. The intake clinician will be able to advise you as to whether there is a wait time at the time of your initial assessment. If there is a wait, you will be placed on a waitlist until a suitable specialist clinician becomes available.

Is my intake call confidential?

Yes. Your intake call is completely confidential and will not be reported to your emergency services employer, EAP, or other associated party. However, please note that there are duty of care and legislative requirements for the intake team to liaise with your GP, other treaters, or mental health crisis services if they assess that you need immediate support.

What’s the difference between psychology and psychiatry?

The main difference between the two is that a psychiatrist has trained as a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. A psychologist is not a medical doctor and can’t prescribe medication.

Who is eligible to use the Responder Assist clinical services?

Current, working and retired emergency workers (including volunteers), who are based in Victoria. We are currently operating in a trial capacity, and services are open to emergency workers from both Victoria Police and SES Victoria. In time, clinical services will also expand to include emergency services workers from other eligible emergency services agencies.

To find out when your emergency services organization becomes eligible, sign up for updates here.

Will I need to complete questionnaires to access Responder Assist services?

Yes. In order to ensure the highest clinical standards we ask all members to complete regular questionnaires. The responses on the questionnaires will be seen by your treating clinician to optimise your treatment and will also be de-identified and collated in order to evaluate our service. By agreeing to have anonymised data collected as part of your engagement with Responder Assist you will be making an invaluable contribution to emergency worker mental health and helping us to deliver best-practice, evidence-based care to the emergency worker community.

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About

Responder Assist is funded by the Victorian Government to aid emergency services workers in improving their mental health and recovering from trauma. Responder Assist runs a clinical intake and advice service that is open to all Victorian emergency services workers, including those that have retired from service. We also offer training in the latest evidence-based treatments and provide expert advice to mental health practitioners who work with emergency services personnel.

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