THE SNAPSHOT
Led by two Dal psychologists, the offers free care to low-income Nova Scotians while training clinical psychology PhD students to help meet growing demand in the province. With operational funding from Nova Scotia鈥檚 Office of Addictions and Mental Health, the centre鈥檚 innovative service delivery model offers vital care to those in need while filling critical gaps in the system.
THE CHALLENGE
After exhausting his savings to launch a startup, the resulting stress was taking a mental and physical toll on 鈥楩rank,鈥� a Halifax resident sharing his story anonymously. 鈥淚 felt trapped in a cycle of worry,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 lost weight and struggled with chronic insomnia. The financial strain made it hard to see solutions, and I didn鈥檛 have the tools to manage my stress.鈥�
Although Frank has a family doctor, the physician couldn鈥檛 offer the support he needed. Without additional health insurance or the means to pay out of pocket to visit a private psychology clinic, he was initially unsure where to turn. It鈥檚 a struggle faced by thousands of Nova Scotians searching for affordable ways to access the psychological help they need.
On the other side of the patient-client equation there is another challenge. Students must complete more than 1,000 clinical training hours over the course of their studies but often have difficulty finding places to practice. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 always a good fit for students that are early in their training,鈥� says Dr. Shannon Johnson, director of clinical training for Dal鈥檚 clinical psychology PhD program. 鈥淲e really wanted the ability to offer more of that training internally.鈥�
THE SOLUTION
Drs. Alissa Pencer, left, and Shannon Johnson are taking pressure off Nova Scotia鈥檚 mental health system with their innovative clinic.
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Alissa Pencer, the program鈥檚 field placement coordinator, had previous experience with the 新澳门六合彩开奖 School of听 Social Work Community Clinic, which offers interdisciplinary health students the chance to care for clients from low-income and marginalized communities. 鈥淭hat really stood out to us as a unique experience that our students don鈥檛 tend to get in other settings,鈥� says Dr. Pencer.
Inspired by the social-work model, the psychologists saw an opportunity to align the needs of communities underserved by psychological services and the students who could provide them. They began planning a community-based psychology clinic focused on clients facing barriers to care.
That vision was supported by Nova Scotia鈥檚 Office of Addictions and Mental Health, which provided three years of operational funding. In September 2023, the 新澳门六合彩开奖 Centre for Psychological Health officially opened its doors in Halifax鈥檚 Fenwick Medical Centre.