Anticipated positive impact on enhanced
public protection and on mental health services
accessibility
VICTORIA, BC, May 24, 2024
/CNW/ - The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is
pleased that the legislative regulation of Psychotherapy under the
Health Professions Act and eventually under the new Health
Professions & Occupations Act is moving forward, as indicated
in the BC Government's May 24, 2024
news release.
On October 19, 2022, the Ministry
of Health, led by Adrian Dix,
indicated their intention to regulate clinical counselling under
the new Health Professions & Occupations Act (HPOA). A decision
that was applauded by the BCACC. With more than 85% of
practitioners in BC having a masters' level education and a
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) designation from the BCACC,
the BCACC supports the need for legislative regulation and its
potential to lower accessibility barriers and enhance public
protection. In British Columbia
the terms "Clinical Counselling" and "Psychotherapy" are used
interchangeably.
BCACC CEO, Michael Radano says
"The BCACC has been regulating the Clinical
Counselling/Psychotherapy profession for the past 36 years and has
created the environment and regulatory building blocks required for
regulation by statute – the profession is ready. We look
forward to working with the Ministry of Health to enhance public
protection and quality of care while improving accessibility for
British Columbians in a timely manner."
Currently, the province of British
Columbia does not have legislative regulation of master's
level clinical counsellors and psychotherapists, unlike provinces
such as AB, PEI, NB, NS, QC and ON. With BC witnessing increasing
negative migration, the province stands to lose qualified
practitioners to provinces such as Alberta, where counsellors with master's
degrees in psychology can register with the College of Alberta
Psychologists (CAP). More than 37,000 people out of the 70,000 who
migrated out of BC, moved to Alberta last year. Designation of the
profession by the Ministry and the BC Government will go a long way
towards ensuring that practitioners remain in BC.
With the demand for mental health services increasing, BC
residents need access to high-quality clinical
counselling/psychotherapy services in a timely fashion and be
covered under benefit plans and government programming. Regulation
of psychotherapy will expand access to clinicians and shorten wait
times for British Columbians. Once regulated by statute, certain
tasks can be delegated from one licensed profession to another by
the government and regulatory colleges provided that the requisite
training is in place. This can further increase the provision
of different aspects of mental health services to the
public.
Over the years, there have been instances of sexual misconduct,
sexual abuse, and fraudulent qualifications that have plagued the
practice and the public at large. Regulation by statute will
enhance public protection and mitigate such instances.
The BCACC has been approached by veterans who cannot access
mental health services as there is a lack of practitioners who are
able to provide services for federally funded programs.
Provincial regulation of psychotherapy by statue would add up to
7200 more practitioners to the pool thus improving accessibility,
lowering costs, and reducing wait times.
The BCACC welcomes the BC Government's move towards regulating
the profession as it is an urgently needed step that will provide
British Columbians safer and more timely access to licensed
practitioners.
BCACC: BCACC is a non-profit provincial
professional association founded in 1988 with more than 8000
members. BCACC advocates for the clinical counselling/psychotherapy
profession and for public access to mental health services. Its
7200 Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) are held to the
highest standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in
service and protection of the public: https://bcacc.ca
SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors