Despite calls from an alliance of 18 Mental Health and Addictions organizations, the Federal government held to its decision to end an online service that offered help finding free counseling and peer support for the last four years. The Wellness Together Canada website and the PocketWell app launched during the pandemic on April 15, 2020, and in February this year, Health Canada made the announcement they were ending funding for the program. The website and app connected people to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals for virtual care, chat sessions, and phone calls, while also providing information and resources about mental health and substance use. The service ended Wednesday, April 3rd at midnight.
Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy for the Canadian Mental Health Association, says economic insecurity and anxiety about issues like climate change are also driving mental distress and people need free access to help more than ever. “Cost is one of the primary barriers that (people) cite when explaining why they can’t get the care that they need,” she said.
Without private insurance, people must pay out of pocket usually for counseling, psychotherapy, and addiction treatment, and even with insurance, often there is only a limited amount of coverage. That, Kennell said, was where Wellness Together Canada was able to address a need. It was free and available to anyone in Canada who was looking for help.
The office of Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, in an emailed statement to CBC, stated that, while mental health is one of the “shared priorities” in bilateral funding agreements, “provinces and territories are best placed to support the mental health and substance use needs of their communities.” For its part, Saskatchewan is home to the Online Therapy Unit operated out of the University of Regina. Partnered with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Online Therapy Unit provides free online mental health therapy under the leadership of Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos, using programs that were initially developed at Macquarie University in Australia. Consisting of trained therapists who provide internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy to individuals experiencing difficulty with depression, anxiety, and alcohol use as well as other health conditions. The limits imposed by professional licensing, mean that some courses that involve therapist support can only be offered to Saskatchewan residents. However, courses offered as self-directed with support from a guide or coach are available to all Canadian residents, and some therapists are licensed in multiple districts which, therefore allows them to provide treatment to some individuals outside of Saskatchewan.
The Online Therapy Unit website is a safe and secure way for clients and therapists to communicate and access therapy lessons. Information is encrypted and transmitted over a secure HTTP protocol similar to what online banking uses. All messages are sent and stored on a secure server which is also encrypted. Individual’s identifying information on the server is only available to the therapist assigned to work on that case, and the Online Therapy Unit coordinator and supervisor.
Online Therapy offers many advantages besides being free of charge. Some advantages include not needing to schedule an appointment, avoiding visiting an office if transportation or stigma are a concern, having more control over the pace of therapy, accessing the online material from the location of one’s choice at their convenience, printing off the materials, and messaging one’s therapist at any time through a secure system. Some people may feel more comfortable disclosing personal information online than in person and enjoying the benefits of the service provided free of charge.
Founded in 2010, the Online Therapy Unit has received funding from multiple sources including Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Innovative Medicines Canada, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health. Besides providing treatment programs with a primary focus on depression and anxiety, they also conduct research on the reach, adoption, effectiveness, and implementation of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy, and provide training to healthcare professionals and students on how to deliver services online.
The Online Therapy Unit is currently offering the following three programs to residents of Saskatchewan: the Wellbeing Course; the Wellbeing for Post Secondary Students (UniWellbeing); and the Chronic Health Conditions Course. Additionally, they are also offering as a Canada-wide program the Alcohol Change Course.
The Online Therapy Unit is a small team, and the amount of contact clients will have with a therapist or guide varies by program from 10 minutes per week to 20 minutes or longer if there is a significant clinical issue. At times, self-guided programs are offered, and, in this case, clients work independently on course materials with clinicians monitoring client files and only getting in touch if they notice a sudden increase in symptoms. It is a typical recommendation that if a person is currently seeing a mental health professional, they do not also use Online Therapy. However, in certain instances when recommended by one’s therapist as a supplement to existing treatment, when seeing a psychiatrist primarily for medication management, or when on a long waiting list for services, exceptions may be made.
Sometimes the support provided through Online Therapy is not always sufficient for people with certain mental health concerns, for example, Online Therapy would not be a good fit when someone has thoughts about harming themselves or others, or if they have recently harmed themselves or others. If a person is in a life-threatening situation, they should seek out immediate in-person assistance. Also, if someone appears to have delusions or hallucinations, or is currently misusing substances Online Therapy would not be the best option for treatment. For each program, a screening process is set up to see if a person would benefit from Online Therapy. As with any voluntary therapy program, some people may decide that Online Therapy is not for them. Individuals are able to withdraw from the program at any time without any impact on their future healthcare, by just letting the Unit know.
Each course requires perseverance, determination, and courage. Clients are expected to take time to learn about their condition and work on structured strategies to cope. Individuals can expect to spend several hours each week reviewing and working on the Lessons and homework assignments. The homework assignments are required, because just reading about helpful techniques for managing symptoms will not fix the problem, particularly because most people have had their symptoms for many years. The courses are not overnight cures, but they can really help. By following the guidelines, clients can expect to learn the foundations for success and, with consistent practice, gain mastery over their symptoms.
Online Therapy Unit 306-337-3331
www.onlinetherapyuser.ca
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