New subsidized counselling program for town and county residents

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Town and county residents will soon have better access to help in navigating life’s speed bumps thanks to a newly launched subsidized counselling program.
Wheatland County Counselling Inc. is launching a new subsidized counselling program in Strathmore, in partnership with Strathmore Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
The pilot program offers full-scale, evidence-based support for short-term, moderate concerns residents may be facing, said Rachel Dundas, owner and executive director of Wheatland County Counselling.
“The concerns could be anything: stress management, depression, anxiety, post-divorce adjustment, relationship problems or ADHD,” said Dundas. “We’re a specialized agency with psychologists, social workers and Canadian-certified counsellors.”
Under the program, which launches March 1, legal residents of Strathmore and Wheatland County with an Alberta personal health care card are eligible to access up to eight sessions of counselling at minimal cost, depending on family size and income.
The program is not intended to address persistent, chronic mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or personality disorders, which are better evaluated and treated through Alberta Health Services, explained Dundas.
The program will make in-demand counselling services, for “any age, in any format,” more accessible for residents of Strathmore and Wheatland County, said Dundas.
“There is a high need for counselling services in our area,” she said. “Many people are forced to travel to Calgary if they want specialized services because they can’t afford to pay out of pocket for private services, or they don’t meet criteria for clinical services.”
By establishing the program, the Town of Strathmore is following suit with the Town of Drumheller and Starland County, which have also formed a partnership with Wheatland County Counselling to establish a similar subsidized counselling service in its Drumheller office.
Residents interested in the program are required to contact Wheatland County Counselling to determine if they qualify and what services match their needs, explained Linda Bernicki, community and social development manager with the Town of Strathmore Community and Protective Services.
“It’s based on your income and your story,” said Bernicki.
The Town of Strathmore has developed the program because it believes in providing poverty reduction initiatives and access to support services to anyone, and attaining counselling with a psychologist is prohibitively expensive for many, explained Bernicki.
“It is an important program for communities to look at because there is so many changing needs, from everything from relationship needs, to family conflict,” she said. “We want to provide all options for people and make it affordable for people to attend and get the assistance they need.”