A step-by-step guide
Your clinician thinks you may benefit from seeing a psychiatrist from the Regional Victoria Trauma Psychiatry Clinic, run by Phoenix Australia and supported by Latrobe Health Services.
To see a psychiatrist through this clinic, you need a referral from your GP. This is to help ensure:
Your first appointments are for comprehensive assessment and treatment planning (1–3 appointments, conducted via telehealth).
You’ll understand the role trauma may be playing in your mental health, learn about research-backed strategies and treatments that may help. You’ll also receive a detailed, personalised care plan.
After your assessment, what happens depends on your individual situation.
For most people, the clinic prepares a detailed 12-month management plan for your GP or existing clinicians to carry out. For some, the clinic may initiate treatment for up to 6 months, where possible and appropriate.
One thing worth knowing upfront:
Because this is a small specialist clinic focused on broadening access to trauma care, it can’t provide indefinite ongoing care or medico-legal reports. Its role is to give you clarity through assessment, and to set you and your existing care team up with a solid plan.
When you book, let the reception team know it’s to discuss a referral for a mental health assessment. This helps them allocate enough time so you’re not rushed through an important conversation.
You can mention that it’s for the First Responder Assessment & Treatment Initiation part of the clinic and that you’re eligible through Responder Assist. This gives your GP the context they need to refer you to the right place.
They can either:
This is a good option if they’re unfamiliar with the clinic or want to confirm anything before referring you.
If you haven’t heard anything after a week or two, it’s worth a quick follow-up. Referrals can occasionally slip through the cracks. Once it’s in, the clinic will be in touch with you directly about next steps and appointment scheduling.
Waiting for an appointment can be tough, especially if you’re already finding things difficult. You can reach out to your GP, your support worker or a trusted contact for support. You don’t need to wait until your first appointment to ask for help.
The Responder Assist Clinic & the Regional Victoria Trauma Psychiatry Clinic are not crisis services. However, help is available 24/7.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health. Unlike a psychologist or counsellor, a psychiatrist can:
All appointments at the clinic are currently conducted via telehealth (phone or video), rather than in person. This is part of how the clinic makes specialist trauma psychiatry accessible to people across regional and rural Victoria. You’ll just need a private space and a phone or device with internet access for your appointments.
Not necessarily. The clinic focuses on assessment and treatment planning (1–3 appointments), then either hands a detailed management plan to your GP or existing clinicians or, where appropriate, provides initial treatment for up to 6 months. It’s not set up to provide indefinite ongoing care.
Around 70% of Victorians will experience a potentially traumatic event at some point in their life. For people in first responder roles, that exposure is often higher and more frequent.
The effects of trauma don’t always look like what you’d expect. Sometimes it shows up clearly as PTSD, depression or anxiety, but often it’s more subtle: irritability, trouble sleeping, drinking more than usual or friction in relationships. Because these signs can be mistaken for something else, misdiagnosis is common and it can delay you from getting the right help.
A specialist trauma psychiatry assessment can help you get a plan that’s built around trauma specifically, not a generic one.
The clinic’s own appointments are bulk-billed to Medicare, DVA, or WorkCover, so there’s no out-of-pocket cost once you’re being seen there.
The GP appointment to get the referral is separate, though. Whether that visit is bulk-billed depends on your own GP or practice, so it’s worth checking with them directly if cost is a concern.
The clinic is currently open to people eligible for Responder Assist. This includes people who are currently working, volunteering or who have previously worked within:
You must be based in Victoria to access the service. If you’re unsure, your GP or support worker can confirm this for you, or you can check with the clinic directly.
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