Remove the HST/GST on services provided by regulated counsellors and psychotherapists
CCPA has a growing number of grassroots advocacy initiatives
that are informed by our membership.
The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association is a national bilingual association of professionally trained counsellors engaged in the helping professions. CCPA’s members work in many diverse fields of education, employment and career development, social work, business, industry, mental health, public service agencies, government and private practice. Since 1965, the Association has been providing leadership and promotion to the counselling profession.
CCPA’s National Office is located in Ottawa, with several regional and special interest groups. CCPA develops and cultivates formal and informal relationships with similar health and mental health organizations in Canada and internationally. The Association advocates in the interests of our growing membership on issues of access to care in order to improve the mental health of all Canadians.
CCPA has a growing number of grassroots advocacy initiatives that are informed by our membership. The Association publishes professional practice documents including research, issue papers and press releases on matters related to the profession and the mental health needs of Canadians, and is available to engage with media requests on these topics.
Learn more about CCPA’s key messages and how you can get involved in advocacy with our Advocacy Resources, and stay up to date on CCPA’s advocacy initiatives through social media on FACEBOOK and TWITTER, by becoming a member and joining our listserv, and following the CCPA At Work webpage.
Key Messages
1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health issue or illness. 4,000 Canadians die every year as a result of suicide. 500,000 employed Canadians miss work on any given week due to mental health issues. In Canada, counselling is the most prevalent but least likely fulfilled mental health care need.
With over 10,000 + professionally trained counsellors and psychotherapists, the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is excited to be a part of a move to expedite much needed access to mental health care.
- Counsellors and psychotherapists are in a position to assist in reversing the trend of unfulfilled mental health care needs of Canadians, and provide one of the most cost-effective mental health services available.
- Expanding services to include counsellor and psychotherapists results in greater access to much needed mental health care and in turn a reduction in wait times.
- The role of counsellors and psychotherapists is complementary to the work of other service providers. Including this resource in the continuum of care helps address the shortage, growing demand, and increasing costs of mental health services.
- Counsellors and psychotherapists are trained to deliver culturally appropriate services.
Advocacy Initiatives
CCPA has made great strides in recent years to raise the profile of the counselling/psychotherapy profession, but there is much more to be done. The Association is committed to continuing our work on a focused and proactive advocacy strategy. Advocacy initiatives vary from Provincial and Federal Governments, public and private sectors, and messaging for the public. Collaboration with other organizations and defining scope of practice within the continuum of care facilitates appropriate, accessible and cost-effective services for all Canadians.
These images represent some of CCPA’s current advocacy priorities.
Hover over each picture to view the priority
Add counsellors and psychotherapists as recognized providers in third-party health insurance plans
Reinstate CCCs in unregulated provinces to the National Health Insurance Benefits plan for Indigenous Canadians
Permanently include counsellors and psychotherapists in the Public Service Health Care Plan
Meet with members of the Federal and Provincial Governments to improve accessibility to services provided by counsellors and psychotherapists
Encourage employers to provide new mental health resources for employees to attract and retain employees and become an employer of choice
Improve mental health resources for union or association membership
Engaging with the public through our Talking Can Help website to support mental health awareness and resources
Availability to media to speak on issues of mental health and access to care by counsellors and psychotherapists
Supporting professional regulation
Collaborate with our partners in health and mental health fields to ensure Canadians have appropriate access to care during the pandemic
Partnerships
CCPA is committed to collaborating with multiple organizations, associations, and alliances to promote mental health and wellness in Canada. As an active member of such national groups as CAMIMH, CCCD and HEAL, CCPA works with other organizations and leaders in the health, mental health and career development fields, both providers and consumers, on shared priorities.
Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health http://www.camimh.ca/
CAMIMH is an alliance of mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH’s mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.
Canadian Council on Career Development http://www.cccda.org/cccda/
CCCD provides a national advocacy voice for the career development field and promotes provincial/territorial collaboration on common issues such as certification, training, practitioner mobility, quality service and building the career development evidence base.
Organizations for Health Action https://healthaction.ca
HEAL is a coalition of over 40 national health organizations that represents a broad cross-section of health providers, health regions, institutions and facilities. The coalition supports and promotes the federal role in health care.