FAQs

How can I join a VirtualClinic Program?

First, read all the information on this website. You can apply for a Program that is currently accepting applications via the “Apply” button on the top right hand corner of the page. If the Program you are interested in is not accepting applications at the moment, you can register your interest via the “Contact Us” button. We will then place you on a waiting list, and email you as soon as applications open to invite you to apply.

Can I register my interest for more than one program?

Yes. You may register your interest for more than one program via the “Contact Us” tab, above. We will place you on the waiting list for those programs, and email you when applications open. However, please note that different programs may open applications on different dates, and that you can only participate in one program at a time. So whilst you may be interested in doing more than one program, we encourage you to have a think about which program will benefit you the most (or which problem affects you the most), then apply for the program of your first choice when applications open. You are welcome to apply to participate in another VirtualClinic Program afterwards (when you are not enrolled in a Program).

When applications open, can I apply for more than one Program?

You can only apply to participate in one Program at a time. If you are unsure which program to apply for, we encourage you to have a think about which program will benefit you the most (or which problem affects you the most), then apply for the program of your first choice. After you have applied for a Program and have met our criteria, we will phone you for a short interview to further determine your suitability.

What does the application process involve?

Once applications open, we will email people on our waiting lists to apply for the Programs at our website. We will ask you to fill in some online questionnaires, and if you meet our study criteria, we will give you a call for a short telephone interview. Then, before you are accepted into a Program, we will ask you to return an informed consent form to us.

How do I access the VirtualClinic Programs?

All Programs are accessed via the Internet. This means that once you are accepted into a Program, you can login to the Program anytime, anywhere in Australia!

How can I get the most out of a VirtualClinic Program?

From research, we know that the more time you spend on a Program, the more you are going to improve. We expect that over the 8 – 10 weeks you will spend at least 4 hours per week working on the Lessons and homework assignments. The homework assignments are compulsory, because just reading about helpful techniques for managing symptoms won’t fix the problem. For example, if you wanted to lose weight you wouldn’t just read a book about weight loss, you’d also change your exercise habits and change what and how much you ate. The same applies to the VirtualClinic programs, particularly because most people have had their symptoms for many years.

Similarly, it is important to have realistic expectations about what you will achieve from a Program. For example, if you wanted to lose weight, you wouldn’t expect that you would lose 15kilos in a week. You would probably take weeks or even months to achieve your goal through good exercise and eating habits, depending on the severity of your symptoms. Again, this is the same with our Programs. It will take patience and effort to take control over your symptoms. And, as with weight loss, it is important that you keep on practicing the techniques even after the program has finished.

Each program involves perseverance, determination, and courage to start making changes! But, we will try our best to support you through the Program. We want you to succeed and get better control over your symptoms!

I don’t live in Australia, can I apply?

No. Unfortunately we can only treat people living in Australia due to professional and ethical issues. If you intend to return to Australia in the near future, please leave us a message via the “Contact Us” button, so we can place you on our waiting list.

Although we cannot treat you directly, we encourage you to talk to your local doctor or health professional about your treatment options. You can also visit our other website, http://www.crufad.com/selfhelp, which provides good information about self-help.

I’m under 18, can I apply?

No. At the moment we are still developing our Programs and evaluating who will benefit from them. Because our Programs are targeted for adults, we do not know if they are suitable for people under 18. Therefore, due to professional and ethical reasons we cannot accept people under 18 into our Programs.

We suggest that you talk to your GP or a health professional about your symptoms. Your GP can conduct an assessment for you, and recommend appropriate treatment.

Are there any costs involved?

No! All our Programs are part of a research project to develop better online treatment for mental health, so there are no costs involved.

I know someone who I think is suitable for the VirtualClinic Programs, what can I do?

You can tell them about VirtualClinic and our Programs, invite them to visit our website and read more about the Programs themselves. And, if they are interested, encourage them to register their interest or apply for a Program.

The VirtualClinic Programs are not suitable for me, how can I get help?

Talk to your GP or another health professional about your symptoms. They can conduct an assessment for you and recommend appropriate treatment. You can also use the following website to find a psychologist who may help:www.psychology.org.au/FindaPsychologist/Default.aspx

We also recommend the following websites for good information about common mental health problems:
www.crufad.com/selfhelp
www.beyondblue.org

What are the technical requirements for using VirtualClinic?

In order to use the VirtualClinic website you will need the following software (please read all steps carefully and complete necessary updates/downloads):

Internet Connection
VirtualClinic is a web application that aims to provide people with a reliable and rich clinical experience. A stable and relatively quick Internet connection will provide the best user experience. Please note that VirtualClinic may not work reliably on very low speed or erratic Internet connections.

Web Browser
We have tested VirtualClinic in Firefox (get Firefox), Safari (get Safari) and Internet Explorer Versions 7 and 8. There are known problems with using Internet Explorer Version 6, and we encourage everyone using Version 6 to upgrade to Version 7 (click here) or higher (click to see IE options). We cannot guarantee support for other browsers.

Javascript enabled
If you want to use our system but don't know how to set your browser to be JavaScript enabled, please click here and follow the instructions for your browser setting.

Flash Plugin installed in your browser
To check whether you have the Flash Plugin installed please click here. If your Firefox browser does not have the correct Flash Plugin, please click here to download that Plugin. For Internet Explorer Plugins please click here.

A program that can open PDF documents (such as Adobe Reader).
Click here to download the latest free version of Adobe Reader (formerly called Acrobat Reader).

Display and sound
Your monitor should run a minimum resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, recommended are 1024 x 768 pixels. Speakers or headphones are required for Video Playback for some courses.

Pop-up blocker
If your Pop-up blocker is switched on, please turn it off for VirtualClinic when prompted by your browser.

Cookies enabled
To see how to enable cookies in your browser click here.

Why can't I start a program now?

Within the next 18 months we hope to offer self-guided programs that people can start at any time. However, first we need to create and then test each program carefully to determine who it works for and who it doesn't. That way, we can professionally and ethically make recommendations when people apply about the suitability of each program.