CORNWALL, Ontario – May is Mental Health Awareness month, so it is fitting that the Counselling and Support Services of SD&G are providing a new level of care for patients dealing with mental health issues in Cornwall and SD&G with the goal of providing better support and service.
The clinic is now providing new cyber counselling via an online website called OnCall Health.
The Clinic is being run by Ashley Mariani, a Registered Social Worker and Program Coordinator with Counselling and Support Services of SD&G.
Patients can sign-up online and will be setup for an in-take assessment for $25.
After they have gone through the in-take process, patients can apply for an appointment for an Instant Messaging (IM) session with a Registered Social Worker for $90, or they can sign-up for an email therapy service for $140.
The IM service offers a 50-minute therapy session, where as the email option allows a patient to email a clinical support worker as many times as they need to with a guarantee that they will receive a timely response.
These services are not for people who are in crisis. Anyone suffering from a mental health crisis is asked to call 1-866-996-0991 or Emergency Services at 9-11.
Mariani said that the reasoning for introducing this cyber counselling service was to help reduce cancellation rates.
“Driving into Cornwall can be a huge barrier,” she said. “I find a lot of the time the cancellations come from people in the counties.”
Mariani also pointed to the convenience and accessibility of online counselling.
“It is extremely convenient for both the clients and clinicians,” she said. “I can connect with a group of clients that might be intimidated by attending in-person therapy sessions.”
She explained that cyber counselling is great for people already comfortable with technology.
“As long as you have data, you can have a therapy session,” she said.
To access the cyber counselling services, please follow this link.
