Newsletter
February 2012
Welcome to our eNewsletter
February finds us gearing up for the usual increased demand for services which coincides with the new school year commencing. Fortunately we are well staffed and can offer appointment times within a couple of days of referral.
We are very encouraged by the government's decision to reinstate the exceptional circumstances provision for the Better Access scheme for 2012. There has been much time and effort put in at a practice level to provide research on treatment outcomes and to lobby the relevant stakeholders in support of this successful initiative.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website.
Sue - Practice Manager
Geelong Advertiser Business Excellence Awards
This year we are pleased to announce that the practice has become a sponsor of the Business Excellence Awards. Our association with the awards began in 2003 when we were awarded the Commercial Services award. This was followed with two further awards in this category in 2005 and 2007. Chris Mackey and Associates was inducted into the Geelong Business Excellence Awards Hall of Fame in 2009. We are proud to support these awards which provide a very worthwhile process for reviewing and developing individual businesses. This year one of our free talks will be Using Positive Psychology for Business Success on June 14th which will refer to some strategies we have used within our organization to help us thrive as a business.
Free Public Talk Series for 2012
Chris completed his seventh year of free lectures to the general public in 2011. The dates and topics for the 2012 series are now listed on the Free Public Talks of this website. The most popular talk of 2011, Complex Trauma and Dissociation, will be repeated by public demand in a daytime timeslot. The first talk for the year will be in May and is titled Positive Psychology - From Individual to City-wide Interventions. This talk will highlight a range of areas in which Positive Psychology principles can be applied including health, education, business and local government.
Please email our admin team on admin@chrismackey.com.au if you would like to be placed on our email reminder list.
Medicare Better Access Update
- Temporary reinstatement of Exceptional Circumstances sessions
In a press release on February 1st the President of the Australian Psychological Society, Lyn Littlefield announced the following:
"I am delighted to report that the Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler, has advised today that the additional six sessions of Better Access treatment under exceptional circumstances will be reinstated for a transitional period from 1 March 2012 to 31 December 2012. The standard number of rebatable sessions under Better Access will remain at 10 (6+4 sessions), but eligible clients can receive up to 16 sessions during the transitional period where ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply. Clients will be eligible for an additional six sessions under exceptional circumstances from 1 March 2012 until 31 December 2012.
This decision is a direct reflection of the strong and persistent APS advocacy efforts since the cuts were announced in last year’s Federal Budget. It is also recognition of the influence of individual members who have worked so diligently in representing the interests of their clients who were so significantly disadvantaged by these changes. The APS will continue to press for the reinstatement of sessions announced today to be made permanent."
Taking A Step Forward Group
We are currently taking expressions of interest for a new Taking A Step Forward group which has been a very successful group run by Chris Mackey for the last ten years. This group is the only one of its type in Geelong and is directed towards individuals experiencing challenges associated with patterns of social anxiety and avoidance.
This is a group which runs for 10 sessions, inititally weekly reducing to monthly follow-ups. Time and day of the group will be finalised when group participants are chosen.
Practice Sculpture
Our practice sculpture by local artist Leonie Amerena is situated at the 42 Villamanta Street building. This work incorporates traditional symbolic images which refer to such themes as cycles of life, unity of opposites, balance, harmony and growth. From a psychological perspective, it reflects themes of awareness, acceptance and integrating different aspects of our personality to help us be more whole. The sculpture has been designed to indicate that even though we offer services that focus on a psychological dimension, we remain aware of a spiritual or transpersonal dimension to life, beyond the material, which is important to our sense of meaning in life, growth and wellbeing.