REGINA - The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $400,000 in additional funding to support the University of Regina Online Therapy Unit.
The announcement was made at the University of Regina campus on Monday. The funding, according to the province’s news release, will go towards more spaces for Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Saskatchewan residents with mental health and addictions concerns. It will also expand capacity to screen and deliver treatment to more people from across Saskatchewan.
“This brings our total government funding for this particular program to $1.6 million, $1.1 million of which goes to the University of Regina and $500,000 to the SHA,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley said.
“We believe that this initial investment into the ICBT program will help further establish that as a service here across Saskatchewan for residents as part of our suite of mental health and addictions supports that we are providing in this province.”
It has been in operation for a number of years led by Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos at the University of Regina, and is delivered by the Online Therapy Unit through a partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
A brief demonstration of the way the program works was shown. According to the province, this program is offered free of charge and will help those suffering from anxiety, depression, alcohol or drug misuse, or having difficulties adjusting to chronic health conditions.
Individuals are able to self-refer to the program and can log in through a secure server. A screening is completed by the Online Therapy Unit and, when appropriate, they are then matched to a therapist and begin treatment modules online.
The participants can review online material at their own convenience and can reach out to a therapist at any time.
The way this is done is different from having a therapist and a client meet over zoom or virtual, said Dr. Hadjistavropoulos. Instead, they take the information that is shared in face-to-face treatment, and put it online in the form of a course that “makes it very accessible and engaging for clients.”
“It’s extremely important for people who live in rural and remote areas who have difficulties accessing mental health care,” Dr. Hadjistavropoulos said. “It’s also important for those who have work and personal commitments that make it difficult to get there, and for those who might be concerned about cost or about privacy, I think it’s also extremely important to think about how much technology is involved in our day to day lives that we offer this option and make this available.”
It was noted the program has gotten good feedback from clients, and has had positive results on a par with what is seen face-to-face.
University of Regina President Dr. Jeff Keshen welcomed the additional funding for the program. He called the program “truly a testament to the tremendous work of our online therapy team.”
“Using the Internet to deliver effective cognitive behavioural therapies, this dedicated team is providing valuable, mental health and addictions treatment to clients throughout the entire province including in rural and remote areas.”
