Scope of Practice
Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are qualified to:
- Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments
- Diagnose mental health conditions
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests
- Prescribe appropriate medications
- Where required, psychiatrist referral is arranged for existing clients to support shared care.
- Provide counselling and psychotherapy
- Develop and oversee integrated treatment plans
- Treatment for addiction can also be provided, with appointments available in person, by phone or via telehealth.
They work collaboratively with GPs, psychiatrists and other health professionals to ensure safe, coordinated, and evidence-based care.
Education and Clinical Pathway
Becoming an Authorised Mental Health Nurse Practitioner requires extensive education and supervised clinical experience, including:
- Accredited Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or Health Science
- Supervised graduate clinical practice
- Postgraduate qualification in Mental Health (Graduate Diploma level)
- 5–10 years of clinical mental health experience prior to entering a Nurse Practitioner program
- Completion of 5,000 hours of advanced clinical practice under medical supervision
- Accredited Master’s Degree – Nurse Practitioner (including pharmacology and prescribing)
- Submission of a comprehensive clinical portfolio to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
- Ongoing collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners
- Annual professional development to maintain registration
All Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and must meet strict national standards for practice, safety and continuing education.
Meet Our Mental Health Nurse Practitioners
Coralie Holding
Nurse Practitioner – Mental Health – AOD and Practice Owner
Coralie has over 40 years of experience across senior clinical and managerial roles in both public and private mental health services. She completed an MBA followed by a Master of Nurse Practitioner and founded Clear Thinking Mental Health Group in 2013 to provide comprehensive multidisciplinary mental health treatment and support across all age groups.
Coralie provides both biological treatments and psychological therapies. She is a certified Opiate Replacement Therapy prescriber and a registered NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner.
She has extensive experience managing complex mental health conditions, including psychotic illnesses, and high-prevalence disorders such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders, self-harm and suicidal behaviours, and substance misuse and addiction. Treatment is evidence-based and may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, Interpersonal Therapy, Strengths-Based Therapy, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Coralie also provides support for acute and persistent mental health conditions and offers secondary consultation to services within the Ballarat region.
Services are available through Medicare, and she is a registered NDIS provider.
New clients are welcome to enquire about joining the waitlist
Jason Hamilton
Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
With over 20 years of mental health nursing experience and endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner since 2013, Jason has worked across a range of clinical settings in metropolitan, rural, and regional Victoria and New South Wales. He holds a Bachelor of Nursing, a Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Mental Health) from Monash University, a Master of Nursing (Mental Health) from Monash University, and a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) from Flinders University.
Jason has extensive experience supporting individuals experiencing psychosis, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. His approach is client-centred, evidence-based, and strengths-focused, with an emphasis on practical therapeutic interventions.
Jason works with adult and young adult clients and provides services funded through the NDIS, Medicare, and Victims of Crime (VOC).
New clients are welcome to enquire about joining the waitlist