Yes! We now provide counselling through Carer Gateway. Access is only available via a Carer Gateway referral, with a maximum of 6 sessions per referral. To get started, contact Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 or follow this link to learn more. 

The Hub provides wellbeing and psychological support to Young Carers, aged 4-25 years old, living in Victoria. A Young Carer is a person who provides unpaid care for a family member affected by disability, chronic or mental illness, substance use or conditions related to ageing.

The YCWH is a separate fee-for-service entity powered by Little Dreamers – Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation. 

• Psychology, Art Therapy, and Play Therapy: Out-of-pocket cost of $40 per appointment (Medicare rebates available for some services).
• Cognitive Assessments: Cost of $250 per appointment. (Multiple appointments may be required for a full assessment and are not Medicare-claimable).

Payment is required on the day of your appointment.

Please note: If you’re a Young Carer experiencing financial difficulties in your household, and you feel that the fees listed will be a barrier to your accessing our mental health services, please reach out to our team.

The Young Carer Wellbeing Hub delivers art therapy which is a funded service through the NDIS. If you are a Young Carer on an NDIS Plan which is Self Managed or Plan Managed, you can request to have the cost of art therapy sessions covered by the Plan.

When you register at the Hub, you can give us the name and details of your NDIS provider. We will send your invoices directly to them for payment. It’s best to check your plan or ask your Planner or Support Coordinator to make sure that art therapy is included. 

We charge $156.16 for individual art therapy sessions funded through the NDIS. These sessions can be delivered either in person at our St Kilda Hub or online through telehealth. 

We understand that life happens! If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide at least 48 hours’ notice.

Cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur a fee of 50% of the full session cost (For psychology clients with a Mental Health Treatment Plan, the cancellation fee is 50% of the full session fee before any Medicare rebate is applied).

You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions with a registered psychologist. To receive this rebate, your psychiatrist, GP or paediatrician will be required to complete a Mental Health Treatment Plan for you. Please provide us with a copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan before your first appointment. 

If you require any more information about obtaining a Mental Health Treatment Plan or getting the right referral, contact our team on info@ycwh.org.au .

Please note that Cognitive Assessments are currently not covered by Medicare rebates.

You do not need a referral to see a psychologist, but in order to receive a Medicare rebate you will need a referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.

You can contact the Hub to get more info about how to access this.

While the Hub falls under the Little Dreamers umbrella, it operates as a separate entity and all Young Carers who want to access services provided by the Hub will need to register their interest as a new client. If individuals accessing Little Dreamers are interested in engaging with the Hub, a cross-referral can be sent through from the Little Dreamers team. In this case, the YCWH team will reach out to the Young Carer to assess if they are able to support them. Similarly, clinicians at the Hub may suggest that Young Carers access Little Dreamers programs for additional support, and a similar cross-referral between organisations may be submitted.

It’s important to us at the Hub that we respect your privacy and confidentiality. All of your personal information will be stored in a secure database called Zanda and is kept confidential. Read more about our Privacy Policy here. 

At this point in time, the Hub is available to Young Carers based in Victoria only. If you’re a Young Carer living in QLD or the South Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains regions in NSW, Little Dreamers offers a dedicated Counselling program designed to provide emotional support and help you navigate your caring role. To find out more, send an email to one of our friendly counsellors at referrals@littledreamers.org.au

The Hub is a cashless service so you can pay for your session using a bank card in person or online for telehealth appointments.