eCharity Australia – Counselling & Mental Health Program (Year 1)
Program Goal
Deliver national mental health services to people in hardship, trauma, and crisis, ensuring:
- Coverage in all major cities and regional/remote areas.
- Funding for psychological/psychiatric assessments (Centrelink DSP, Carer Payments, Veteran Affairs).
- Sustainable operations with risk buffers to guarantee the charity survives Year 1.
Program Structure
A) Local Psychologist Teams – Major Cities
- 8 major cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin
- Staffing per city (inflated for safety):
- 4 psychologists (not 3) × 8 cities = 32 psychologists
- 2 clinical coordinators per city = 16 coordinators
- 2 admin/support staff per city = 16 admin
- Ensures coverage even with turnover, leave, or unexpected demand spikes.
B) Remote Counselling Network
- Fully funded for national coverage in regional and remote areas
- Contracts enough psychologists to handle 5,000 remote sessions/year, double the initial estimated demand
C) Assessments & Reports Fund
- Fund 3,500–4,000 assessments (psychological/psychiatric) at $1,000 each
- Covers DSP, Veteran, NDIS, and other government support claims
D) Emergency & Crisis Fund
- Increase to $1M, covers urgent interventions, medications, transport, and unexpected high-risk cases
Year 1 Budget – Inflated & Risk-Adjusted
| Item | Cost Estimate (AUD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Local psychologists (32 FTE) | $4,800,000 | $150k/year per psychologist |
| Clinical coordinators/admin (32 FTE) | $2,240,000 | $70k/year per coordinator/admin |
| Remote counselling network | $1,500,000 | 5,000 sessions contracted |
| Assessments & reports | $4,000,000 | 3,500–4,000 assessments at ~$1,000 each |
| Technology & telehealth platform | $500,000 | Secure client records & telehealth system |
| Clinic rent & utilities (8 cities, small offices) | $1,000,000 | $125k per city/year |
| Emergency/crisis fund | $1,000,000 | Flexible fund for urgent needs |
| Training, supervision, compliance, insurance | $600,000 | QA, legal compliance, risk management |
Total Year 1 Budget: $15.64M – $16M
This includes:
- 40–50% inflation for safety buffer
- Extra staffing in every city
- Larger emergency/crisis fund
- Overcapacity in remote counselling
Year 1 Impact Targets – National
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Clients receiving counselling | 8,000–10,000 |
| Assessments funded | 3,500–4,000 |
| Clients accessing DSP/Veteran payments | 2,000–2,500 |
| Crisis interventions provided | 1,000+ |
| Local clinic sessions | 32,000+ (32 psychologists × 1,000 sessions/year) |
Funding Pitch – Year 1
- Total Target Funding: $16M+ for Year 1
- Rationale:
- Ensures coverage even with demand spikes, staff turnover, or regional emergencies
- Funds robust remote and local presence
- Covers assessments for all eligible clients without waiting
- Includes sufficient emergency/crisis fund for unpredictable cases
Donor Contribution:
- $100 → 1 counselling session
- $1,000 → 1 psychological/psychiatric assessment
- $10,000 → fund 100 counselling sessions nationally
- $250,000 → fund 1 local clinic psychologist team in a city for a year
- $1,000,000 → fund the emergency/crisis response nationwide