Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis, along with other dignitaries, announce funding to expand Counselling Alberta, June 9, 2022. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

$6.75 Million Over Two Years

Counselling Alberta expands province-wide, focusing on rural virtual counselling

Jun 10, 2022 | 9:32 AM

More Albertans will be able to access counselling services thanks to a new investment from the provincial government.

The Government of Alberta has announced $6.75 million over two years for the Calgary Counselling Centre, which is opening a new “Counselling Alberta” division for a province-wide expansion.

CEO of the Calgary Counselling Centre Robbie Babins-Wagner says they will be able to provide virtual mental health counselling services in all parts of Alberta and will partner with local organizations to provide “affordable” in-person counselling.

“Counselling Alberta will ensure that all Albertans have access to high-quality affordable and accessible counselling services no matter where they live,” says Babins-Wagner. “We already provide high-quality services to thousands of Albertans and we look forward to serving every Albertan who requires more support to improve their mental health.”

Babins-Wagner adds that they use a “sliding fee scale” to determine how much each client would have to pay based on their income and other factors.

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“Our bottom line is, we don’t deny anybody service based on their ability to pay. Anybody who calls for counselling will get counselling,” says Babins-Wagner.

Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis says they chose the Calgary Counselling Centre for this investment because they have a long track record of helping Albertans improve their mental health with little-to-no wait lists.

He adds that the expansion will put a heavy focus on virtual mental health services in rural communities.

“Not everyone needs the support of a counsellor to improve their mental health but for many Albertans, it can be a tremendous asset in their pursuit of wellness,” says Ellis. “We have heard from many rural communities that we need to do things better and we need to provide more access to affordable counselling options.”

More information on the services Counselling Alberta provides can be found at CalgaryCounselling.com