Choosing Therapy Website Provides Resource to Patients, FPs
Platform that allows patients to assess and access mental health treatment providers came about as a result of family practitioner feedback.
When it comes to mental health and addictions treatment, there is a problem with the ‘missing middle’ of care; those whose conditions are not sufficient to warrant a referral into the Vancouver Coastal Health system, but too severe to be left to simple self-help.
This was among the findings of an extensive consultative process undertaken by the Vancouver Division, with collaboration from several partners. In response, Choosing Therapy has been launched, a website that aims to help Family Practitioners support their patients to determine the best available therapy options for their individual circumstances. The website will also serve as a one-stop resource for FPs themselves, providing information about the similarities and differences amongst therapy options.
We wanted to take this opportunity to share with you an overview of the website and how it came to be.
Practitioner-Centric Research is Basis for White Paper
Prior to the pandemic, research began that was aimed at uncovering opportunities to improve mental health and addictions care.
Vancouver Division routinely seeks to offer support to family practitioners, which is why it was important to place their concerns at the centre of this consultative process. To this end town halls and focus groups were held that gave FPs a platform to provide their valuable feedback.
Division member and FP feedback resulted in the creation of a strategy white paper that has driven several mental health projects and initiatives over the past several years. Among these is the Choosing Therapy website, which was developed in collaboration with a range of relevant partners and stakeholders, including Healthlink, BC 211, BC Association of Registered Clinical Counsellors, BC Psychologists Association, BC Association of Social Workers, Crisis Line BC, and CMHA.
Study Finds ‘Missing Middle’ Stuck in a Mental Health Service Gap
Among the findings highlighted by the report is a troubling lack of clarity for those who find themselves stuck in a service gap, dubbed ‘the missing middle’. There is a substantial number of patients who do not fit the mandate of VCH services and therefore cannot be given such referrals. Nor can their situations be adequately addressed by ‘taking a walk’ or enacting other simple self-help measures.
Patients Unsure Where to Turn
Serving as counsellor is beyond the scope of many family practitioners. Those who do often find that billing codes quickly run out. While information on navigating the system is provided to practitioners, it can be difficult to consolidate and pass along to patients.
Options do exist for these patients, but there has been no clear pathway for them to identify and access these services. Even those who are given relevant information by their FPs may be overwhelmed and unable to retain and act upon it.
In this vacuum it can be tempting for patients to turn to ‘Dr. Google’, a rabbit hole that can often leave them more confused, frightened, and bewildered than before.
Clearly, action had to be taken in response, for the benefit of both the patients and the overworked FPs.
Choosing Therapy a Valuable Resource
Choosing Therapy is that response. FPs are now able to point their patients to a centralized hub that serves as a resource for navigating the system and accessing the appropriate mental health and addiction treatment.
Among the challenges addressed by the website is the confusion that exists surrounding different types of mental health service providers. Patients are often unclear about what differentiates psychologists, clinical counsellors, social workers, and psychiatrists. Helping them understand those types of professionals and determine which suits them best is perhaps the website’s most important function. Crucially, this is done in plain language.
Links are also provided to people in these roles, searchable by category. These listings provide useful information on each service provider, including language, gender, credentials, and location. The result is a user-friendly experience that empowers those struggling with mental health and addiction to access the help they need.
Doctor Driven Process
Creating this resource would not have been possible without the valuable contributions of the family practitioners that participated in our development process. It is the hope of all involved that the site will tame the daunting process facing patients, and, thus, alleviate the part of the burden which FPs carry.
Vancouver Division frequently seeks feedback from FPs, which is valuable to us as we endeavour to address their pain points. Currently, the Division’s Mental Health and Addictions Committee is focused on developing a substance-use strategy to support primary care providers. Visit the initiatives page for more information.
