Registered counselling therapists waiting for Nova Scotia’s universal mental health-care plan

There’s still some work to be done before Nova Scotians see universal mental health care. 

A group of registered counselling therapists (RCT) gathered at Acadia University on Saturday to discuss the future of mental health care in Nova Scotia. 

“This is a very exciting time for counselling therapy,” John Hubert, Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists registrar, said during the panel discussion. 

Hubert said there recently has been a tremendous amount of growth in the number of registrants at the college, with about 730 registrants at the college – up from 320 registrants three years ago. 

The numbers are promising as Nova Scotia inches closer to universal mental health care – a 2021 election promise made by the provincial Progressive Conservatives. 

That promise came one step closer to reality last October, when Brian Comer, minister responsible for the Office of Mental Health and Addictions, tabled a bill to amend the Health Services and Insurance Act.

The amendments would allow people to receive some forms of mental health care that would be financially covered under the province’s Medical Services Insurance (MSI) plan. 

And while the announcement is welcome news by many, including registered counselling therapists, there are a lot of questions about what it will look like. 

Lindsey Thomson, director of public affairs for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), said the group has recommended things to the Nova Scotia government, such as the pay range for RCTs under MSI. 

Thomson said the association surveyed RCTs in Nova Scotia to see what they are currently being paid, as well as looked at other provinces’ pay ranges. 

“There’s a wide range of prices that we’re charging and there are so many different factors that are included in that,” Thomson said, giving examples such as the region a person lives in and the socioeconomic status of a client. 

Thomson said the average pay range in Nova Scotia (not considering the sliding scale) is $150 to $200 an hour, which is what the association recommended to the provincial government. 

“That is the starting range, but we do expect – and hope – that this will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in the future,” she said. 

“We’re just kind of waiting to hear from the Office of Addictions and Mental Health on where things stand.”

– Derrick McEachern, an RCT and Canadian certified counsellor

Derrick McEachern, an RCT and Canadian certified counsellor, said other concerns have also been raised by RCTs. 

McEachern said people have asked if universal mental health care was offered if insurance company policies would potentially change, if RCTs would be paid for missed sessions and if there is a set number of sessions per person. 

“We’re just kind of waiting to hear from the Office of Addictions and Mental Health on where things stand,” McEachern said. 

McEachern said the hope is the Health Services Insurance Act would come into play in late 2024 or early 2025, but noted “it’s going to take some time.” 

Jean Blackler, an RCT and president of CCPA Nova Scotia, said while the association is putting recommendations forward to the provincial government, she reminded the group that the association is not part of the decision-making process. 

Blackler said the rate made for Veterans Affairs was not what was recommended by CCPA. 

“We are hoping we get something, but we’re not sure. We’re not the ones making that decision,” she said.