The Australian Association of Social Workers is the
delegated assessing authority, on behalf of the federal government, for social
workers interested in providing services through Medicare Australia. The assessment
process is called accreditation as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
(AMHSW).
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for an Allied Health
Professional Medicare Provider Number you may do so under the following
circumstances:
Government-funded programs and initiatives
The following Medicare programs and federal
government initiatives recognise Accredited Mental Health Social Workers as
being eligible to provide a particular service. Some may ask social workers to
meet additional requirements.
As outlined by Department of Health, Accredited Mental Health
Social Workers who have a Medicare provider number may only provide Focussed
Psychological Strategies’ (FPS) services through the Better Access to Mental
Health Care, Chronic Disease Management and Access to Allied Psychological
Services programs.
There are also state and territory based
initiatives, including:
Becoming an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Steps to
applying for accreditation as a Mental Health Social Worker
Frequently
asked questions
Mental health policy and advocacy
Advocacy by the AASW has led to many breakthroughs
for mental health social workers, including the ability to provide services
under Medicare. We advocate for better social policy in this space through
submissions to government and independent inquiries, including national and
state senate inquiries and royal commissions.
