Federal Budget: $5000 DVA cap forces veterans to choose between mind and body, warns Clinical Psychologist

In response to the Federal Budget, Clinical Psychologist Shai Hipperson, Principal of Conscious Mind Centre, is available for interview on what the increased Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) psychology fees, and the proposed $5,000 allied health cap, mean for veterans living with PTSD and complex trauma.

Key talking points

"At the new $260 rate, the cap stretches to roughly one psychology appointment every three weeks, around 19 sessions a year with a general psychologist and fewer with a clinical psychologist. There is no evidence-based intervention for PTSD and co-occurring addiction that works at that interval."

"Veterans don't have siloed bodies. The moment a veteran adds a physiotherapist for service-related injuries, psychology sessions drop further. The proposed $5,000 allied health cap will force veterans to choose between their mental and physical health."

"DVA rightly advocates for emerging therapies, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, yoga and golf, but eligibility requires a long-standing relationship with a community psychologist and a minimum of 20 sessions over two years. Once the cap is split between psychology and physical injury care, that threshold becomes harder to reach, not easier. We need an honest conversation about realistic selection criteria for veterans seeking emerging therapies, and what the current system can actually deliver within these new funding constraints."

Available for interview: Shai Hipperson, Clinical Psychologist and Principal, Conscious Mind Centre

Topics: The Federal Budget and DVA funding for veterans' mental health; the $5,000 allied health cap; PTSD, complex trauma and treatment-resistant conditions; the disproportionate impact on Indigenous veterans; access to Medicine-Assisted Therapy and other emerging therapies for veterans.

Availability: Today (Thursday 14 May) and throughout this week. Phone, in-studio and Zoom interviews welcome.

For more information, or to request an interview with Shai Hipperson, please contact Sian Jenkins @ In Good Company sian@ingood.com.au / 0437 189 338

About Shai Hipperson

Shai Hipperson is a proud Ngarigo woman, Clinical Psychologist and Principal of Conscious Mind Centre in Queensland. She specialises in trauma recovery and treatment-resistant mental health conditions, and works at the forefront of Australia's regulated Medicine-Assisted Therapy landscape. Her clinical approach is informed by lived experience, including her own recovery from PTSD following a serious car accident.