Evaluation Reports
Capacity & Capability Clinic
The clinic is a multidisciplinary professional practice at MQ Health providing a medico-legal capacity and capability assessment service. This supports the autonomy of individuals faced with complex health, welfare, legal or financial decisions.
Clients may contact the Clinic direct or be referred by their practitioner. We receive referrals from professionals in health and allied health sectors, estate planning lawyers, financial planners, accountants and others.
At an appointment there is an opportunity for the client, as well as any accompanying family members or supporters, to discuss your objectives with both Dr Lonie and Mr Perkins.
Senior practitioners
The Clinic is operated by the law firm Autonomy First Lawyers Pty Ltd A.B.N. 56 638 723 109. Client appointments are with two experienced senior practitioners:
- Dr Jane Lonie (Clinical Neuropsychologist – MSc (ClinNeuro) PhD MAPS FCCN CPsychol AFBPsS)
- Mr Michael Perkins (Trust & Estate Lawyer).
The Clinic’s focus is on a client’s decision making and estate administration capacity aligned with the client’s family, community and business interests. Initial supporting disciplines are:
- Neuropsychology
- Governance, conflict management and dispute resolution
- Estates practice with a focus on estate governance, conservation, administration and succession.
Outcomes
Client outcomes from the Clinic currently comprise:
Resolving requirements for informed consent to a range of decisions including:
- Medical treatment proposals
- Aged care entry
- Homecare requirements and service provider evaluation
- Establishing personal representation for pre and post-death requirements
- Evaluating and resolving complex decisions and family conflict
- Evaluating objectives for wealth conservation, administration and succession
- Centrelink enquiry actions and assistance applications
- Supporting NDIS application and plan reviews.
- Supporting Centrelink DSP applications and reviews
- Supporting hospital referred clinical requirements.
Follow-on work
For any proposed follow-on work after the Medico-legal Service clients are free to consult the Clinic’s practitioners or any other professional of their choice. Follow-on work incurs additional cost.
Make an appointment
What to bring: For an appointment clients are asked to:
1. Bring any documents about which they seek or are being asked to make a decision. Certain types of potentially relevant documents are referenced in a Patient Initial Questionnaire.
2. Bring reading glasses and hearing aids if needed.
3. Bring someone who can help describe the client’s difficulties if the client is experiencing any problem with thinking abilities or memory.
Location, transport and parking:
The Clinic is located at Suite 401, Level 4, 2 Technology Place, Macquarie University.
- Train: The Clinic is conveniently located within walking distance from Macquarie University train station and the North Ryde Bus Interchange at The Macquarie Centre shops.
- Car: The Clinic is 15 minutes by car from Sydney CBD and 30 minutes from Sydney Airport, and easily reached via the M2 Hills Motorway. Parking is available under Macquarie University Hospital and there are limited spaces outside the Hospital.
The Capacity & Capability Clinic provides Autonomy and Capability Medico-legal Evaluation Reports that serve a wide spectrum of needs. Each written Clinic report for a client:
- Documents the assessment process
- Provides a summary of the relevant evidence of ability and capacity collected in the assessment process
- Gives an explanation of the reasons for the decision or advice given
- Explains as appropriate any consequential impacts on the person, their carers and representatives including any constraints or limits of the decision or recommendation as well as any consequential calls for action.
A person seeking capacity assessment can contact the Clinic direct (use the Contact page of this website), or the Clinic can be contacted by someone else who is seeking a capacity assessment for that person. The Clinic also takes referrals from practitioners in medicine and allied heath, legal services and financial sectors.
Clients are free to use any professional or service provider to assist them to implement any proposals or action plan suggested by the Clinic’s report, including the Clinic professionals with whom they consult.
