At Ability Assessment & Learning, we offer a suite of standardised and tailored assessment options to meet your needs. Our team of qualified health professionals are mobile throughout Queensland including Greater Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. These services are available by outreach (e.g., at home, at school) or at our office in Herston. Some assessments can also be conducted online via telehealth, where appropriate.
We also conduct regular outreach projects to other regions across Australia including Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth and North Queensland. Outreach services are currently managed on a referral basis where we complete the intake process with these referrals and then confirm dates to visit the region based on mutual availability. This allows us to offer our waitlist priority bookings before we open the remaining appointment times to the general public, if available. If you're seeking services in one of these regions, we recommend contacting us about upcoming dates (if booked) or otherwise request an Intake to register a place for future outreach projects. We aim to complete outreach projects 3-4 times per year depending on referral demand.
If you are seeking information on behalf of a third party service provider, please be aware that we also offer on-demand outreach projects. For example, a rural school or community organisation may have a cluster of assessment needs. Ability has previously supported various third parties in this way and conducted psychological assessments in regions where local services are not readily available or an external provider is otherwise required (e.g., independent schools, employment service providers, not-for-profit organisations and similar). Please contact us for more information.
At Ability, we offer a range of psychological assessments including but not limited to:
Our service offering can vary across regions and referral pathways. Please reach out for a confidential discussion around your support needs. We aim to offer minimal waiting periods for assessment services.
Available for children through to adults. This process typically involves:
Available for children through to adults. This process typically involves:
Given the variability of these referrals, participation in our Intake process will assist in clarifying your assessment needs and the suitability of our services. Where appropriate, we will progress a referral to assessment. This process typically involves:
Available for children through to adults. This process is separated into two parts to reduce associated costs and to ascertain the suitability for further testing. This typically involves:
Diagnostic testing typically arises where recommended by another health professional (e.g., GP) or other relevant party (e.g., teacher). Other times, an individual may seek diagnostic clarification on their own accord. Given the variability of psychiatric symptoms and related concerns, the nature of and suitability for testing can vary and our Intake process will assist in clarifying your assessment needs. Diagnostic testing is available for children through to adults, depending on the nature of the assessment query. This process typically involves:
There are many reasons why a company or organisation may engage a psychology service for a project. We provide both on-site and off-site employee assistance services and can supplement these services with other valuable training, supervision and support if required.
For example, an employer may engage psychological services to support the wellbeing of their workplace and support important humanistic factors such as resilience, stress-management, tenure and job satisfaction. Similarly, employers may engage service to meet other requirements such as the assessment and identification of psychosocial hazards to minimise or otherwise eliminate psychosocial risks as reasonably practicable in accordance with industry regulations.
At other times, organisations can require other types of services for a time-limited period to address a specific goal. For example, collating evidence for the NCCD for student cohort in order to access required funding.
Given the variability of these referrals, participation in our Intake process will assist in clarifying your assessment needs and the suitability of our services for your organisation and to develop a suitable service model.
Depending on the nature and scope of your assessment concern and referral pathway, funding avenues may vary. Privately funded assessments are available to all suitable referrals. However it is often the case that an individual may wish to utilise a funding scheme or referral pathway to access assessment services. The following information is only general in nature for information-sharing purposes. As different schemes and referral pathways can vary considerably and/or change, this information should not be relied upon and the relevant body and/or relevant legislation should be referred to, as applicable.
Access under an NDIS Plan: The NDIS is not designed to fund supports more appropriately funded or provided by the health system. Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of health conditions are not covered by the NDIS. However some mutual components may be, where applicable. For example, where an NDIS goal pertains to building a better understanding of an individual's social, behavioural, functional and/or executive function to inform their NDIS participation. Where an assessment enquiry falls under NDIS priorities and/or objectives, the assessment or components of engagement may be covered by your plan. For example, Ability regularly conducts cognitive and functional assessments fully funded under an individual's NDIS Plan to inform planning activities and support recommendations. However given the nature of the assessment/s, these findings may also be relevant and helpful when considered in other contexts, such as participation in allied health services, learning and education. Please defer to your NDIS Plan for more information. In the event you require further information, a member of our team can provide further information on the nature and scope of the clinical services available.
Access under Private Health Insurance: Unfortunately you cannot use your private health insurance ancillary cover to top up the Medicare rebates for clinical services. This is because Medicare stipulates that an individual must decide if they will use Medicare or their private health insurance ancillary cover to pay for psychological services they receive. Psychology is a service that can be included in the extras cover of Private Health Insurance (unlike psychiatry, which is usually covered under hospital cover). There are likely to be annual limits that apply. To find out more, please consult the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or your Private Health Insurer.
Limitations of Medicare: Unfortunately Medicare does not cover assessment services as a Mental Health Care Plan pertains to focused psychological therapies. In the same way, Medicare prohibits the use of funding towards NDIS services, where treatment for 'disability' without psychopathology is specifically precluded (per AAPI advice). NDIS services preclude the use of funding for supports more appropriately funded by the health system (i.e., treatment) and in the same way, Medicare precludes the use of funding for services that are more appropriately funded by the NDIS (e.g., capacity building and disability-related support). Finally, unlike the NDIS which can cover a full session fee, Medicare will only cover $96.65 (as at July, 2024) of the session fee under an eligible Mental Health Care Plan for up to 10 sessions where there the remaining gap fee is payable by the individual. Unfortunately we are unable to offer bulk-billed services and do recommend liaison with your General Practitioner for further advice and referral to a suitable service provider, if required.
Other Government Initiative - 'Helping Children with Autism': Under the government funded Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) initiative, Medicare rebates are available for assessment and treatment services for children and young people (<12 years) with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Assessment and treatment can be provided by a number of eligible allied health professionals under this initiative. Under this initiative, some assessment and treatment sessions may be refunded where referred be a Paediatrician (or other eligible referrer) and provided by a psychologist and other allied health professionals. This rebate is available to assist the referring practitioner with diagnosis, or to contribute to a child’s treatment and management plan. Please note that the usual session fee will apply for each session, where a gap fee is payable by the individual after the rebate is applied. For more information, visit: https://autismqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Medicare-V3.1.pdf
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |
Please note that the following are applicable to assessment services only. Please see the "Referrals & Forms" tab above for all referral forms, service overviews and other relevant documents, if required.
Copyright © 2024 Ability Psychology Services - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by The Ability Health Group
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.