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By Alessia Proietti

Mental health supports

Roughly 60 individuals access Counselling Alberta in two months

Aug 6, 2022 | 12:02 PM

Roughly 60 individuals across the province have already contacted Counselling Alberta for virtual mental health services in under two months, according to Executive Director Dr. Robbie Babins-Wagner.

Babins-Wagner, alongside Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis, provided an update recently on the $6.75 million funding announcement made on June 9 by the Government of Alberta. The funding was earmarked for the Calgary Counselling Centre to open a new “Counselling Alberta” division for a province-wide expansion of virtual mental health services, particularly focusing on rural communities.

The program is aimed to provide affordable and accessible support to all Albertans without a waitlist, covering a number of concerns from addiction to couples relations and more.

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

“I think it’s so important that people in rural Alberta are aware of the mental health support coverage,” said Minister Ellis. “I don’t know another jurisdiction in Canada or another jurisdiction in the United States that is running this comprehensive service to all four corners of this province. COVID was very challenging on everyone but we’re responding.”

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Babins-Wagner says all 60 participants thus far are from outside the Calgary zone and that the service has received a number of referrals from across the province, but did not confirm how many were from central Alberta.

She says the demand for virtual mental health services at the Calgary Centre increased by 20 per cent since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, having seen 28,000 individuals and provided 103,000 counselling sessions.

While case dependent, she says patients receiving virtual sessions have been shown to visit an average of seven times.

Although some have raised concerns over the efficacy of virtual mental health services over in-person care, Babins-Wagner claims the opposite.

“The outcomes of virtual counselling are equal to, if not better, than in-person service. People love the flexibility, they love the accessibility. At least in our region, people are saying, ‘I don’t have to travel to the office, I don’t have to pay for childcare, I don’t have to pay for parking or bus fare,’” she said.

However, for those who do prefer in-person services, she states they are currently determining select locations across Alberta to provide additional counselling at an affordable price.

Counselling Alberta is open from Monday to Saturday, and evenings between Tuesday to Thursday, taking registrations by phone and online. Babins-Wagner says those who call before noon will be assigned to a counselor for early afternoon. Those who call in the afternoon will be assigned by the following morning. She also says two virtual spots are reserved at 4 p.m. each day for patients who are deemed urgent.

Patients fill in a questionnaire each session, available in 24 languages, to assess their needs and keep track of progress.

Working with 2-1-1, Alberta’s helpline for community and social services, she says if Counselling Alberta cannot provide the necessary help, they will direct the patient to someone who can.

Services are provided in 17 languages either by phone or video chat using Microsoft Teams.

Babins-Wagner confirmed they are working on creating a call line for Counselling Alberta separate from the Calgary Centre.