Payment is due same day of the session. Either by direct debit or through online Halaxy system.

• Pregnancy Support Counselling

  GP referral required. This referral includes 3 sessions. Medicare rebate is $72.55

  Gap fee payment is $147.45
  
  Women are eligible for this rebate if you are currently pregnant or who have been pregnant within the past 12 months (including birth and loss).

• Mental Health Care Plan

  GP referral required.

  A Mental Health Care Plan under the Better Access Scheme, gives you 6-10 sessions with a referral from your GP.

  Medicare rebate is $87.25

  Gap fee payment is $132.75

• Send referral to hello@shaunapeckham.com

Offering counselling support to individuals utilising the Victim Services NSW Scheme.

Please send an EOI email to hello@shaunapeckham.com with VS#.

Please be aware that as an Approved Counsellor through the Victims Services (VS) program, I am required to notify VS when counselling sessions begin (including first booked appointment), provide a final report which includes details of the sessions and from time to time provide progress reports; if requested. My notes from our sessions may also be subpoenaed by the court.

Payment for sessions will be paid by VS. You as the client are not responsible for paying any fees.

Cancellations: 24 hours notice for rescheduling or cancelling appointments must be made. After two missed appointments, if not enough notice is provided, counselling will not continue with Shauna Peckham and treatment will be terminated.

Sessions provided by Shauna Peckham will be deducted from your approved allocated counselling hours. Report writing (for Certificate’s of Injury and Final reports) time will be deducted from your approved counselling hours.

24 hours notice is required for cancellations or changes to a scheduled appointment, otherwise 50% of the session fee will be charged.

I reserve a few sliding scale therapy spots at a time, for clients who are unable to afford to pay the regular rate for therapy. Sliding scale is offered at a reduced rate: $130.

Please read below policies regarding consent, privacy and confidentiality. You’re signature will be required prior to our first appointment.

CONSENT TO TREATMENT:

Engage in counselling services with Shauna Peckham (Social Worker) who adheres to AASW Code of Ethics 2020 and AASW Practice Standards 2023.

Shauna Peckham will utilize all previous trainings deemed relevant to support your therapeutic goals. This includes but is not  limited to EMDR, CBT, ACT, DBT, EFT, DBT, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.

Please note that Shauna Peckham does not diagnosis mental health disorders.

Shauna Peckham has a limitation to her scope of practice and when required, if the mental health presentation deems to be out of her scope, Shauna Peckham will need to refer out to another service and terminate treatment.

Counselling sessions are for a duration of 50 minutes and will occur through a secure online platform through Halaxy Telehealth.

For private paying clients, payment of $220 will be paid in full on the same day of appointment through Halaxy (auto processing) or  by direct deposit.

Shauna Peckham is not available for crisis support by phone or email. If you find yourself to be in crisis, please contact 000 or other support lines such as:
Lifeline 13 11 14
DV connect 1800 737 732
Acute Care Team (Gold Coast) 5667 2000.

Counselling/Therapy takes place within the container of a therapeutic relationship that evolves and strengthens overtime. If there are ruptures, concerns, or needs within the therapeutic relationship, I encourage you to share feedback with me to give the therapeutic relationship an opportunity to repair and counselling to continue.

Ending counselling: As life happens and plans to continue with counselling may change, I request that you share your change in plans/ intention with counselling with me.

You can withdraw or change consent at any time.

COMMUNICATION/EMAIL:

Shauna Peckham offers email communication as a method of contact between yourself and Shauna Peckham. Email is used to provide appointment bookings, confirmations, appointment reminders, cancellations and to send invoices.

Communication may also be received through a secure platform called Halaxy for appointment bookings, reminders, and invoices.

Email is convenient and efficient, however communicating by email also encompasses risks that should also be considered. Email is not recognized as a secure form of communication. Risks of transmitting your information by email include by are not limited to the following:
The privacy and security of email communication cannot be guaranteed. Email is easier to falsify than phone, fax or mail. It is impossible to verify the true identity of the sender or to ensure that only the recipient can read the email once it has been sent.  Email can introduce viruses into a computer system and potentially damage or disrupt the computer. Email can be forwarded, intercepted, circulated, stored, or even changed without the knowledge or permission of the sender or recipient. Email senders can easily misaddress an email, resulting it being sent to unintended and unknown recipients and email creates a permanent record. Even after the sender and recipient have deleted their copies of the email, back up copies may exist on a computer or in cyberspace.

Shauna Peckham will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of email information sent and received. However, because of the risks outlined above, we cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of email communication.
Shauna Peckham only checks and responds to emails within set business hours. Please be aware that Shauna does not offer crisis support and if an urgent email is sent, it may not be viewed and responded to within a set period of time. Therefore, email should not be used for emergencies or other time sensitive matters.

COLLECTION AND USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Shauna Peckham will need to collect some personal information such as your name, address, telephone number, health history, social situation and emergency contact details.

Shauna Peckham will take detailed notes of our sessions together. These notes will be kept private and confidential (with a few exceptions) following the Australian Privacy Principles and the AASW guidelines and stored securely for 7 years (and then destroyed).  Shauna Peckham uses the secure platform called Halaxy.

Personal information provided and gathered through working together will be used in the following ways:

o   To understand your needs, concerns, and situation to offer support and form treatment

o   To refer you to another appropriate service if required

o   To discuss treatment and corresponds with other health professionals involved in your care, example your GP.

o   For record keeping, administrative and billing purposes

o   To respond to duty of care requirements

o   Deidentified information may also be shared with Shauna’s clinical supervisor to review treatment plan and effectiveness of treatment.

·      You can inquire about privacy or confidentiality at any time.

Accessing personal records:

·      You can request a copy of information collected about you by following the Freedom of Information Act.

·      To access personal records, please make a request in writing by email to Shauna Peckham at hello@shaunapeckham.com

·      Please note that access may also be refused. If this request has been refused a notice will be provided in writing via email as to reasons for refusal.

DUTY OF CARE/ LIMITS TO CONFIDENTIALITY:

Shauna Peckham adheres to AASW Code of Ethics 2020 and Practice Standards 2023, therefore the information you share with Shauna Peckham remains confidential. This means that your information will not be disclosed to anyone without your consent,  with the exception of specific situations outlined below:

Your information may be released without your consent in the following situations:

1. Harm to self or others
If there is reason to believe that you are in danger of harming yourself or others in a way that may be life-threatening, Shauna Peckham is ethically obliged to take action to ensure your and/or the safety of others. This may include contacting the police, ambulance, seeking hospitalization, contacting your emergency contact or family member or close other, notifying those at risk or any combination of these actions.

2. Abuse / Neglect /Sexual Assault of Minors (under 18)
If there are reasonable grounds to suspect abuse (physical, sexual, emotional or psychological) of a child under the age of 18 years old, Shauna Peckham is ethically and legally obliged to make a report to the police or Child Safety. If there is a disclosure of previous sexual abuse to a minor, Shauna Peckham is legally and lawfully obliged to make a report to the Queensland Police.

3. Court Ordered
If Shauna Peckham’s records are subpoenaed by the court of law. Shauna Peckham cannot refuse and must provide all records required.