GUELPH – Compass Community Services, a Guelph-based organization that provides the only quick access, single-session therapy service in Guelph and Wellington County, is closing its “brief therapy” service in Guelph as of June 1.
Like many non-profits, Compass has been greatly affected by the reduced availability of funding and the increased complexity of residents’ mental health.
“Compass can no longer be the safety net for mental health services unless sustainable funding is acquired,” said executive director Joanne Young Evans in a phone interview.
Compass was able to offer three kinds of therapy.
Walk-in or single session therapy is just that. Clients can walk in, see a counsellor, and walk out with a game plan, said Young Evans.
Free single-session therapy has been available in Fergus and Mount Forest, funded by Ontario Health, since 2017.
Subsidized single-session therapy has been available in Guelph for more than a decade thanks to funding from United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin.
JOANNE YOUNG EVANS
Brief therapy refers to a series of one to three counselling sessions provided to community members by masters-of-social-work interns under clinical supervision.
It is the bridge between single-session walk-in mental healthcare and long-term therapy.
New clients are assessed, scheduled for appointments as appropriate, and charged on a sliding scale based on their financial situation.
Brief therapy was only offered in Guelph.
Long-term therapy matches a client with a therapist and they work together to address the mental health needs of the client.
It is not the purview of Compass to provide long-term therapy, but Young Evans said some of its social workers would see clients “unofficially” because they needed help and had nowhere else to turn. These clients tend to have more complex needs and therapy could go on for a long time.
Brief therapy ending
Young Evans said as of June 1, the brief therapy program will be discontinued and clients will be directed to other funded sources in the community when further support is required.
“Over the past 35-plus years, our brief therapy program has provided an essential service to the Guelph community by addressing mental health situations before they may escalate,” Young Evans stated in a press release.
“We have the expertise to support clients with complex needs, but we just don’t have the funding to provide the long-term care they ethically require.”
This program change is a symptom of the wider lack of mental health support and funding in Guelph, she said.
It was not a decision she or the board made lightly.
“To offer free walk-in services in Guelph is good. It’s equitable now as it was always free in the county and user-pay in Guelph,” she said.
“But to stop the brief therapy program is upsetting. I think it’s the toughest decision we’ve had to make.”
She added, “We need the program and we need annualized funding to keep it going. I hope we can reach an understanding with the Ministry of Health.”
Approximately 4,000 people are on a waiting list in Guelph for long-term mental health therapy.
Quick access clinics free
Quick access single-session mental health clinics will remain open.
These single-session counselling appointments are available once a week in person in Guelph and Fergus or virtually in Guelph, Fergus, and Mount Forest.
As of April 1, all three clinics are free and staffed by registered clinicians, with the Guelph clinics funded (in part) by United Way.
Clients can attend more than once, but they are not intended or suitable for repeated use or as a replacement for regular therapy.
Research has proven that even a single session with a clinician dramatically improves a client’s outlook and they leave with a plan for further action, Young Evans said.
“United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin funds gaps in the community where other sources of funding aren’t available, as evidenced by our long-standing support of Compass,” added United Way executive director Glenna Banda.
“We are happy to be able to continue to fund Compass and their free walk-in counselling service but recognize the growing gap in mental health services in our community.
“We support Compass in their call for more funding from the Ministry of Health to support those in need and help alleviate the wait list. Health care should not be funded through fundraising.”
A call for more funding
There’s no way around it: the closure of Compass’ brief therapy program will lengthen waitlists for long-term therapy in the Guelph-Wellington community.
“I’m angry and upset,” Young Evans said.
“I hope change can happen and we can receive annualized base funding for these programs.”
For more information, or to support Compass Community Services, visit www.compasscs.org.
