● YorkU Active Minds Takeover Mental Health Treatment and Where to Find It

Brianna Carrasco Editor in Chief

I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to write an article about how to access mental health treatment in Ontario through York’s chapter of Active Minds. Here are some excerpts of my article that you can find here: https://www.amyork.ca/community/ january-2022-a-guide-to-mental-healthtreatment/ I start off with the first step in accessing mental health treatment: admitting that you need help. “You may not have a diagnosis, you may think that you’re the only person who has ever experienced what you’re going through. That’s okay. If you feel like you have been experiencing an unreasonable amount of stress, anxiety, depression, mood swings, or simply feel like you’re not feeling your best, you deserve treatment. Whether you’re experiencing intense depression, or minor stress, seeing a mental health professional can be beneficial.” The next step is to receive a diagnosis or to clearly identify the problems you are experiencing. “You may have suspected that you’re suffering from a mental health disorder, such as Bipolar Disorder or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Or you may not even know if what you’re feeling has a name. If you’d like for your mental health to be assessed, (...) you will need to do a psychological assessment (usually a self-report questionnaire where you describe how you’ve been feeling). The York University Psychology Clinic offers psychological assessments for the cost of $2000, usually with a 12-month waitlist. Understandably, this is a long wait and might be too high of a cost for you. In that case, I would recommend visiting your family doctor or a walk-in clinic. Explain how you’re feeling and express that you’d like to be assessed. They can refer you to a psychologist to do an assessment for free.” Once you have a clear idea of the issues you are facing, “you can make a plan to begin tackling your mental health difficulties. You might decide that weekly or biweekly sessions with a psychologist might be best. During these sessions, you can explain your feelings and define some goals you would like to work on with your psychologist. Currently, some diagnoses are only treatable with medication. If you require medication or would like to try it out and see if it will benefit you, you will most likely be referred to a psychiatrist, a professional who specializes in administering medications. They will help you find a medication and a dosage that works best for you. However, not everyone needs to be diagnosed with a disorder to access psychotherapy. As I mentioned above, having an assessment can be costly, and the wait times might not work for you. If you don’t want to be assessed, you can ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist (...) or a psychotherapist.” If you’d like to skip the step of speaking to your doctor “you can find a psychologist or a psychotherapist yourself. The York University Psychology Clinic is currently accepting new patients. If you’d like to go somewhere else, you can search on PsychologyToday.com or simply Google “Psychotherapy in Toronto.” You can look at different therapists close to you, view how much they charge for an hour session, and see what types of people they have experience treating. You can call or email them to see if they are accepting new patients, and even ask for a free 15-minute consultation to see if you connect with this therapist! Don’t be discouraged if you do not connect with the first therapist you meet with. It’s okay to discontinue sessions with a therapist and find a new one who better fits your needs.

Finding mental health treatment in Ontario tends to be expensive or entails months-long wait times. If you’re experiencing a mental health emergency “there are a few crisis hotlines you can call to speak to a professional. You can find the numbers here: camh.ca/en/health-info/crisis-resources. If you need even more immediate help, do not hesitate to call 911 or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.” They will provide you with immediate care, resources for outpatient treatment, or provide you with inpatient treatment where you can recover. Mental health treatment can be expensive, and seeing a psychotherapist or a psychologist is generally not covered under OHIP (psychiatrists are). This means you will likely have to pay out of pocket for your treatment or use a health insurance plan. However, “Your employer, or your parents’ employer, might provide benefits for you to access psychotherapy from a social worker, psychotherapist, or psychologist. The York Federation of Students Health and Dental Plan offers $60 per visit for up to $600 per year in benefits when accessing psychotherapy. Lastly, some psychotherapists or psychologists offer ‘sliding scales.’ This means that they review your financial situation and offer a payment plan based on that. This allows people who cannot afford their regular rate to access psychotherapy.” If you’re interested in reading the entire article, don’t hesitate to follow the link posted above!