MENTAL HEALTH CARE SHORTAGES ADDRESSED
Georgian Bay Family Health Team has hired 4 Counsellors
23 October, 2007
The recently formed Georgian Bay Family Health Team, serving Collingwood
and the
surrounding area, has hired 4 Mental Health Counsellors to help relieve
the pressure on
Family Doctors of the area and to shorten waiting lists for urgently
required mental
health care and counselling services. The four Counsellors will see
patients with mild to
moderate health care concerns, easing the counselling load traditionally
carried by
Family Doctors and allowing better access of patients with more serious
conditions to
the General & Marine Hospital’s Community Mental Health Services and other
community counselling agencies.
Until now, Family Physicians have had limited resources for this type of
mental health
referral. To fill this gap in services, the four Counsellors hired have
experience dealing
with a variety of mental health concerns. These problems include mood
disorders such
as depression, anxiety and stress, marital and family dysfunction,
addictions, body
image issues, anger management, sexual identity issues, self-esteem
problems,
bereavement and abuse, among others.
Until now, patients with mild to moderate mental health concerns had the
potential to
“fall through the cracks” because of limited resources available in the
community. “It is
very exciting that Family Physicians in the area are now able to find help
for their
patients close to home – especially since the calibre of the counselling
services is so
high,” noted area Physician Dr. Sohail Gandhi. Dr. Gandhi is currently the
Chair of the
Georgian Bay Family Health Team.
The Georgian Bay Family Health Team’s Counsellors will help relieve the
strain on the
system not only by freeing up Family Doctors’ time, but also by working
closely with
Community Mental Health Services and other community counselling agencies
allowing
these agencies to concentrate more effectively on those patients that
their services are
targeted to meet. Community Mental Health Services does an outstanding job
of
dealing with acute and chronically ill patients; however, they only accept
patients over
the age of 16, and the need for services for those with mild to moderate
illness for all
age groups has exceeded community capacities until now.
Two of the Counsellors, Alex Isbister and Christine MacLean, have had
private
practices in the area for some time. By joining the Georgian Bay Family
Health Team
they are both able to offer their services to patients who are referred by
their Family
Doctors at no charge. “The new system allows us a broader reach to see
people who
need it most. This new arrangement with Family Physicians allows us to
make major
health care contributions to the community” – Alex Isbister.
People often turn to their Family Doctor when they encounter ‘bumps in the
road of life.’
These include issues such as depression after the loss of a loved one, a
child acting out
in school and relationship issues that affect the overall enjoyment of
life. By having four
Mental Health Counsellors available, patients will have access to
counselling during
these difficult times when they need it most – conveniently within their
own community.
The other two Counsellors, Theresa Machin and Charles DiGaudio, have
extensive
experience in teaching, developing programs and counselling in
institutional settings.
Charles’ experience dealing with street children and people with
addictions will translate
well in our community where youth disenfranchisement is on the rise.
Having trained
Counsellors available to meet with children/adolescents and their families
may prevent
more serious issues later in life. Often such children, troubled but not
incorrigible, are
actually reaching out for help with such behaviour. In the past, their
families were
unable to afford or access assistance when it was needed. Family doctors
can now
refer these families for counselling to address these issues before they
grow out of
control. In addition, Dr. Mathew Weisbrod is the Physician Lead for the
Clinic; he is
available for the Counsellors to consult and to guide the Team in areas of
medical
protocols.
These four Mental Health Counsellors were hired as part of the Ministry of
Health and
Long Term Care’s initiative to address physician shortages, long wait
times for patients,
and to bring health care closer to home. Marie LaRose, the GBFHT’s
Executive
Director, is delighted with the acceptance and participation of the local
Family Doctors
with the programs already established for Wound Care, Diabetes, and
Nutrition
Counselling. Since the first positions filled only a month ago, 165
patients have been
referred, 69% have already had their first appointments, and another 17%
have had
their first appointments scheduled. Programs are being developed as
community gaps
are identified and other agencies are consulted to ensure the best
possible service with
no duplication.
If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an
interview with
Marie LaRose, the Executive Director, please call the Georgian Bay Family
Health
Team at 705-444-5885 or e-mail
mlarose@gbfht.ca |
