COVID-19

Felix & Sage Psychology remains open for consultations 

Dear Valued Clients,

Today the Victorian State Premier, Daniel Andrews announced some much needed relaxation of the restrictions we have had in place.  Mr Andrews announced during his press conference today that:

“all allied health professionals currently operating will be able to resume routine face-to-face care.”

While this is a welcome announcement, the roadmap document released today by the State Government was not entirely in alignment with the Premier’s statement.  The roadmap document advises:

“Dental clinics, Mobile dental services to schools and AHPRA registered health workers and specified allied health workers (as per second step): all able to operate with health controls in place and other limited restrictions.

Telehealth services: must be the first option for care delivery and provided where and as appropriate.”

What does this mean for consultations at Felix & Sage Psychology?

The staff at Felix & Sage are committed to providing the best possible care to our clients.  We will assess each consultation on a case-by-case basis as to whether face to face services are the most appropriate mode of consultation. 

We will continue to encourage telehealth as the preferred mode of consultation in line with the State Government roadmap, however should you feel you absolutely require face to face services, please contact us and we will discuss this with your practitioner. 

We also ask for ongoing patience with our administrative team, as they are currently under immense pressure due to a significant increase in phone and email enquiries  they have been experiencing over the last 4-6 weeks.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact us on 03 8813 0590.

As always we hope you stay safe and healthy,

Team Felix & Sage Psychology

Felix & Sage Psychology remains open for consultations 

Dear Valued Clients,

While we have stayed open as long as possible for face-to-face consultations, the Government has announced a directive this afternoon that we are only able to provide face-to-face consultations in very limited circumstances.  As a result, our default mode of consultations for the next six weeks will be telehealth, unless it is deemed as clinically necessary for a face-to-face consultation.

We sincerely apologise for an inconvenience this may cause and we look forward to seeing all our clients back in the clinic as soon as possible!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact us on 03 8813 0590.

As always we hope you stay safe and healthy,

Team Felix & Sage Psychology

Felix & Sage Psychology remains open for consultations 

Dear Valued Clients,

While Felix and Sage Psychology remains open at this time, due to the new restrictions we do have some updates for you below;

• • Telehealth is now our preferred consultation option for the duration of Stage 4 Restrictions.  We are offering videoconference appointments via Zoom, or telephone consultations.  Usual session fees apply for Telehealth appointments.

• • For clients of Shraevani Giri & Suchitra Chari, please note they are only offering Telehealth appointments at this time.

• • If you attend the clinic in person as you are unable to access Telehealth, or your practitioner has determined face-to-face consultations are more appropriate for you, it is now mandatory for your practitioner to wear a face mask and protective eyewear (safety goggles or a face shield) duing your consultation.  This has been determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.  Additionally, you will also be required to wear a face mask for the duration of your consultation.

• • In good news, clients in Melbourne who access our services using a Mental Health Care Plan from their GP are now eligible for an additional 10 Medicare-rebated sessions.  The Federal Government has announced these sessions are available between the 7th of August 2020 and 31st of March 2021.  You require a new referral from your GP after your first 10 sessions have been used in order to access these additional sessions.  Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

If you would like to change any of your appointments from face-to-face to Telehealth, please contact us on 03 8813 0590.  

As always we hope you stay safe and healthy,

Team Felix & Sage Psychology

In light of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and the announcements regarding the new lock-down period and mandatory wearing of face masks when in public, Felix & Sage Psychology have been reviewing how we will operate moving forward.  As such, we have determined some new policies and procedures that must be adhered to by all clients and staff, effective immediately. 

Please familiarise yourself with our new policies and procedures below:  

1.   Please do not attend the clinic for face-to-face sessions if you, or your child have:
   

• • any symptoms of cold or flu, such as a; fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose or shortness of breath
  • travelled overseas within the last month
  • had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days
  • a member of your household awaiting COVID-19 test results
     

1.   To minimise congestion in the waiting area, please do not enter the premises more than 5 minutes prior to your appointment time. 
    
2.   On arrival, please enter the premises using the front door and exit using the door to the carpark at the rear of the premises.  The only exception to using the rear door as an entrance is if you need an accessible (eg. wheelchair friendly) entrance.
    
3.   Please wash your hands in the bathroom or sanitise your hands immediately on arrival.  Hand sanitiser is available in reception and in each consulting room.
    
4.   Temperature checks will be conducted on all clients and staff on arrival.
    
5.   Physical Distancing of 1.5 metres should always be maintained.
    
6.   From Thursday the 23^rd of July 2020, please wear a face mask or face shield when attending the clinic.  While it is not mandatory until the 23^rd of July, we encourage you to wear a mask to your appointment prior to this date if possible.
    
7.   Please do not bring any additional support/family members to your appointments as they will not be permitted to enter the premises unless they are required in the consultation (or you have a minor you are unable to leave alone, in which case please do not bring siblings).

What precautions are we taking?

Our team is taking appropriate precautions to minimise the possibility of spreading the virus by;

• frequently sanitising surfaces such as door handles, reception counter, eftpos machine, water cooler and bathrooms as frequently as possibly throughout the day
   
• we have replaced all reusable cups and mugs with disposable cups
   
• we have removed all magazines, books and toys from the reception area
   
• we have removed several chairs from the reception area
   
• we have requested all practitioners start and end sessions on time, to avoid congestion in the reception area

We understand this is a challenging time for many of our clients, and we want to assure you that we are still open and here to support you as best we can.

If you are not comfortable attending the clinic in-person, we are continuing to offer telehealth appointments via Zoom (or telephone where videoconferencing is not possible).
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at reception@felixandsage.com or on 03 8813 0590.

As you would be aware, our community has growing concerns around COVID-19 and the team at Felix & Sage Psychology are keen to support you in maintaining your focus on your mental health, whilst also ensuring the mental and physical health of our team, clients and community.

As such, we are asking all clinicians, staff and clients to follow the guidelines and recommendations set by the Department of Health and self-exclude if you have been to any of the countries with exclusion periods or have been in contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. We also ask that you not attend the practice in person when you are unwell and experiencing a fever (temperature over 37.5 degrees) or acute respiratory infection (eg. Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat), regardless of whether you think this may be COVID-19 or a cold or flu.

For those of you who will continue to attend your sessions in person, we ask that you ensure you are practicing excellent hygiene such as hand washing and containment of bodily fluids as this continues to be the best defence against the spread of cold, flus and COVID-19.

The Felix & Sage Psychology Team acknowledge this difficult time for many people Australia-wide, and as such we are committed to continuing to provide affordable and accessible psychological services to the community wherever possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, or need to access mental health services and are experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, please feel free to contact us to discuss options on 03 8813 0590 or via
email at reception@felixandsage.com

MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY FOR TELEHEALTH (COVID-19)

The Government has recently announced some new Medicare items for Telehealth Psychology Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  These Medicare Items allow the usual Medicare rebate for Telehealth consultations until the 30th of September 2020.

WHAT PRECAUTIONS ARE WE TAKING?

Our team is taking appropriate precautions to minimise the possibility of spreading the virus by;

• frequently sanitising surfaces such as door handles, reception counter, eftpos machine, water cooler and bathrooms as frequently as possibly throughout the day

• replacing reusable cups and mugs with disposable cups

• removing all magazines, books and toys from the reception area

• installing a hand sanitiser dispenser in the reception area for clients and staff

We have also temporarily reduced our cancellation/reschedule notice period until further notice, from 48 hours to 24 hours’ notice for cases of illness.  We would, however, appreciate you contacting us as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment so clients who are on our waiting list have an opportunity to be seen.

TELEHEALTH & COVID-19

WHAT IF I’M ISOLATED But Well Enough to Have My Session?

If you need to cancel your appointment due to isolation, you will be offered Zoom (online video sessions) or telephone options as an alternative to cancelling. Our admin team can step you through connecting to Zoom if you’re uncertain. All you need is a stable internet connection and a smartphone with videocall ability or a computer with webcam and microphone, then it’s as simple as clicking a link in an email!

WHAT IF MY CLINICIAN IS ISOLATED But Well Enough to Run My Session?

Several of our clinicians are offering sessions via telephone or Zoom. If your clinician is isolated, but well enough to conduct sessions, you will be offered a telephone or Zoom consultation.

HOW ARE ZOOM/PHONE SESSIONS CHARGED?

Sessions fees cover the time spent with your clinician; therefore, fees do apply for Zoom/telephone sessions. Check with your private health insurer to see if you can access a rebate under these circumstances. If your session is funded by your employer or another third party such as NDIS, TAC or Workcover; your normal arrangements should apply.

For more information about our Telehealth services, click here, or contact our admin team on 03 8813 0590.