Patients and carers
If you’re seeing Avive for the first time, we’ll need a referral from your GP or psychiatrist. Here’s how to get one, and what happens next.
The basics
A referral is a letter from your doctor to another health professional or service, such as a psychiatrist, asking them to help diagnose or treat a health concern. Most referrals are written by a GP.
A referral can be addressed to a particular psychiatrist, or generally to “psychiatrist”. You can choose who you’d like to see, or ask your GP to recommend someone.
Your referral shares information about your health with the people treating you, and your psychiatrist keeps your GP updated on your care. This information is kept private and confidential. If you have concerns about what’s shared, talk to your GP.
Read more on healthdirect: What is a referral?
Before your first appointment
A referral from your GP or psychiatrist tells our team about your health and what support you need, so we can arrange the right care for you.
A current referral also lets you claim Medicare rebates for psychiatrist appointments: without one, Medicare won’t cover any of the cost. GP referrals are valid for 12 months and psychiatrist referrals are valid for 3 months.
Don’t have a referral yet? You can still contact us first. Our team can explain what you need and help you get a referral.
Three steps
1
Talk to your GP about your symptoms and they will be able to assess if Avive Health services are right for you. If so, they will be able to prepare a referral document for you. If you are already seeing a psychiatrist, they can also provide a referral.
2
Your GP or psychiatrist sends the referral to Avive Health, using our doctor referral form or by email to help@avivehealth.com.au. Alternatively, if you have been given the referral, you can upload it as a PDF to our patient enquiry form.
3
Our team will be in touch about the next steps for the service you’ve been referred to.
Who can refer you
Overnight stays
A referral from your GP or psychiatrist. You can start with our short enquiry form before you have one: if you don’t have a referral yet, let us know and we can help.
Day programs
A GP referral is needed before you start a program. Your GP addresses it to Avive at your preferred location:
Psychiatrist appointments
If you’re seeing our clinic or doctors for the first time, a referral from your GP or psychiatrist. A 291 assessment (a one-off assessment and report for your GP) needs a referral from your GP.
Telehealth
A referral from your GP or specialist to see one of our psychiatrists by telehealth, anywhere in Australia. Once you have it, you complete our intake form.
Referring for an ADHD assessment? See GP physical health check.
ADHD assessments with Avive Clinic Online
If you’re being referred for an ADHD assessment, we prefer that your GP also completes our physical health check, ideally at the same appointment as your referral. It gives your psychiatrist your up-to-date physical health information.
A physical health check isn’t needed for other referrals.
Your questions, answered
Have another question? Our team can help you with the next steps.
Yes. Our team can explain the referral and assessment requirements, and help you get a referral.
Yes, for hospital stays and Specialist Suites appointments. Day programs and 291 assessments need a GP referral, and Avive Clinic Online accepts a referral from your GP or specialist.
For Medicare rebates, GP referrals are valid for 12 months and psychiatrist referrals are valid for 3 months. If yours has expired, ask your GP for a new one.
Yes. If it’s their first time with Avive, we’ll need a referral from their GP or psychiatrist. You can still start by filling out our short enquiry form, and if they don’t have a referral yet, let us know and we can help.
Yes. A 291 assessment needs a referral from your GP.
Families and carers
You can start for someone you care about with our family and friend form. If they don’t have a referral yet, let us know and we can help.
GPs and other health professionals
Use our online referral form, or email your referral to help@avivehealth.com.au.
Referrals and enquiries aren’t for emergencies. In an emergency, call 000.
