Terms and Conditions

Snow Chen is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker registered as a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). She subscribes to the AASW Mental Health Social Work practice standards and codes of ethics.

Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing provides psychotherapy services for adults and youth in Adelaide, South Australia. Outreach service is negotiable and a travel fee will be charged.

Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing does not provide crisis services. If you need urgent assistance between sessions, please contact your GP, Mental Health Triage on 13 14 65, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, or access your local Emergency Department.

In the case of an emergency, please call 000.

New clients can book appointments by email at admin@sunflowermentalhealth.com.au or by calling 0426851396. Full reception services are not available, so if your call is missed, it is probably because Snow is busy with another client. Please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Email or text message is highly recommended as the first contact option. You will receive courtesy SMS appointment reminders, but you remain responsible for remembering your appointments. Please reply to confirm your appointment and attend on time.

Given appointment arrangements, sessions cannot be extended if you are late, and full fees will still apply. Late cancellations and missed appointments are subject to cancellation fees. For ongoing clients, online booking is provided.

Fees are scheduled below the AASW recommended rate of $289 per hour for a standard 50-60 minute session. Additional fees will be charged for weekends and public holidays.

Your out-of-pocket expenses will vary depending on your eligibility for rebates. Extra service requests, such as providing a supporting letter, will be charged according to the current AASW Recommended Fees. Please contact the practice for clarification.

Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing is a private billing practice. The rebate or benefit you receive will depend on the scheme you qualify for, the type of service required, your private health insurance policy, and any Medicare safety net qualifications.

To receive your Medicare rebate, the practice must receive a compliant referral from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician before your first consultation. Your medical professional is responsible for remedying any problems with initial referrals, including referrals that are not Medicare compliant.

You may only claim through one scheme for the same consultation.

Fees are payable in full by cash, credit card, or Eftpos at the time of service. For your convenience, most government rebates and private health claims can be processed on-site at the time of payment.

If you are eligible for Medicare rebates, you can claim Medicare rebates automatically using this practice's online Medicare rebates claiming service. To claim rebates, provide your practitioner with your Medicare card details using the Online Claiming and Payments Authority form, as well as the account where you would like Medicare to direct deposit any rebate.

If you do not wish to provide your bank account details, Medicare can send a cheque to your registered home address. Third-party payees will be invoiced directly.

Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing is a private billing service without government funding. When you make an appointment, the whole appointment time is reserved for you. Please give notice as early as possible. The required notice for cancellation is seven days.

With 48 hours notice, a cancellation fee of $50 per cancellation will be charged. Appointments cancelled with 24 hours notice will be charged at half fee. Appointments cancelled within 24 hours or missed without cancellation will be charged the full fee, payable before your next appointment.

Rebates are not available for cancelled appointments. If a third party is paying for your service, they will usually require you to be responsible for cancellation fees. Cancellation fees also incur GST. With adequate advance notice, where possible, you may be offered an alternative appointment.

If your clinician is unable to attend the appointment, you will be notified by email and your clinician will contact you to reschedule.

Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing is strongly committed to anti-discrimination. It values difference and diversity and does not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, gender identity, sexual preference or orientation, marital or partnership status, religion, race, colour, national origin, disability, heritage, or political belief. The practice stands for human rights and equality.

The privacy of client information is maintained in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPS 2013) and the Practice Standards for Mental Health Social Workers (2014). Effective therapy, assessment, and mediation services necessarily require the collection of personal information.

All clinical records are stored electronically in your client file, which you consent to as a client of this practice. You have a general right to access your records, subject to exceptions that mainly relate to privacy, health, or legal considerations, and can request access to your records.

Requests must be made in writing, after which your request will be discussed with you. If the practice experiences any data breaches, you will be informed as soon as possible.

All information and case notes will be kept confidential unless the client requests and consents to the clinician discussing something with a third party. Where appropriate, a consent form will be used.

The only reasons for breaking confidentiality are if the clinician considers that your life is at risk, another person's life is at risk, or the clinician is liable to civil or criminal court proceedings if information is not disclosed. If possible, this will be discussed beforehand.

Most session notes and private information are stored securely when not in use. Electronic data is stored locally on a personal computer in a password-protected account. Phone contact details are held on a password-protected work phone.

Information you provide to Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing may only be shared with a third party, such as a GP, court, school, or agency, with your expressed consent or awareness. In some instances, including Medicare or WorkCover referrals, your clinician will be contractually obligated to share information about your treatment.

If you consent to the practice providing a supporting letter to a third party, it will usually be required to include personal information relevant to the reporting purpose. The practice cannot be responsible for preserving the confidentiality of any report or communication released to an external party.

Clients aged below 16 years should have their legal guardian's consent to access this service.

The safety and welfare of clients and staff is crucial. Verbal abuse, harassment, or physical aggression towards staff or clients will not be tolerated, and those who engage in such behaviour may be refused further services.

For their own safety, children under 12 years of age cannot be left unsupervised in the waiting room. Please make prior arrangements for their care or supervision during appointments.

When you access Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing, it is entirely at your own risk. Except as expressly provided by law, the practice will in no event be liable for claims, losses, or damages of any kind, including special, indirect, and consequential loss, arising out of or in relation to the use or performance of the Sunflower Mental Health and Wellbeing website.

The practice retains all rights at law as to how it may discharge obligations with regard to any liability that cannot be lawfully excluded under these Terms and Conditions of Use.

In the first instance, it is best to discuss your concerns or feedback with your clinician or email admin@sunflowermentalhealth.com.au.