Do you have a fine that you’re unable to pay off while attending counselling?

We know that attending counselling can already put a strain on finances, let alone a fine that you’ve suddenly received. We can help sponsor you so you can ‘work off’ that fine by attending your regular counselling sessions.

How we can sponsor you

We are accredited to sponsor you if your receiving of the fine is related to mental health reasons. We are approved to sponsor you for mental health counselling with one of our counsellors or psychology sessions under a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

How does it work?

Applying for a WDP

1. Work out if you’re eligible for a WDP here. Please note that we’ll only be able to sponsor you if the reason for receiving the fine is due to needing support with mental health (see application section). If it is for another reason, you can find a suitable sponsor here. If you’re unsure, we’re happy to have a chat anyway!

2. Reach out to us on admin@theicebergfoundation.org or 03 8374 7777 to let us know that you have a fine you’d like to work off under this scheme.

3. We’ll have a chat to you about your circumstances and if you’re eligible as per the WDP eligibility, we’ll apply for you on your behalf

4. We’ll need to work with you on your application process for a WDP.
   In most circumstances they’ll require some sort of documentary evidence, such as:

   • a health record,

   • a letter on an official letterhead or treatment plan confirming diagnoses,

   • a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP),

   • a Centrelink income statement or letter that confirms that you’re receiving a disability pension,
     or a Medicare claims history which clearly displays the treatment and the treating practitioner (for example, a session with psychologist).

Once your WDP gets approved

We’ll let you know once your WDP has been approved and we’ll help you in organising your next few sessions. Your fine is then converted to penalty units and worked off. It’s important to know that you’ll still need to pay for your services with your clinician as per their usual rate; you’ll just be working off your fine at the same time.

• 1 penalty unit is currently equal to $209.10

• A 1 hour counselling session with an accredited counsellor is equivalent to working off 0.3 penalty units

• Working with one of our psychologists for a month is equivalent to working off 6.6 penalty units. This just needs to be in accordance with the plan you have set up with your clinician. Depending on the plan, you may be attending weekly or fortnightly.

For example:

You receive a fine for $518.20. This is equivalent to 2 penalty units. You can either work off this fine by seeing our counsellors for 7 sessions or, work with one of our psychologists for a month, weekly or fortnightly (depending on your agreed plan with your psychologist) under a MHCP.

We will log and report your sessions on the portal for you as you attend. While this WDP is in place, Fines Victoria will not enforce any action against you regarding your fine.