The University of Guelph‘s Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology is offering a pair of new programs for graduating students.
Students in the psychotherapy and psychology programs will receive hands-on experience following the launch of two family therapy programs.
Co-director Kevin VanDerZwet Stafford said it’s a valuable experience for students and patients.
“Our students in both programs, all our programs, are graduate job-ready to be registered either with the Colleges of Psychologists or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario,” Stafford said.
The training through the model helps grad students become job-ready, and he said they’re highly sought after. Stafford said students are hired in family health centres, hospitals and government and advocacy agencies
Although a client might see a grad student across from them, the student is supervised by a highly qualified individual.
He said the sessions are all video-recorded. Students bring those video tapes to the supervisor, and they are reviewed for the purpose of helping that student to be able to grow and develop their skills.
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The launch coincides with World Mental Health Day on Oct 10. A recent Centre for Addiction and Mental Health report said one in two Canadians have or will have a mental health issue by 40 years old.
In addition to giving students a chance to work with Guelph-based clients, Stafford said the program also meets the rising demand for affordable and accessible mental health services.
“The pandemic was a wake-up call to the mental health crisis. The mental health crisis existed before the pandemic, the pandemic simply made it worse and, in some ways, showed the need for greater services,” he said.
The clinic on 50 College Ave. serves a wide range of presenting problems and serves people throughout their lives, offering accessible services with in-person and virtual work.
Other factors considered include whether an individual is on the Ontario Disability Support Program or Ontario Works or is unemployed.
Stafford said it’s a good time to reflect on how each of us are doing, as well as our partners and families, regarding mental health and mental health challenges.
The U of G has a long-standing history of providing clinical training for psychologists and marriage and family therapists.
As far as its approach, he said it’s a unique model in Ontario and across Canada.
Stafford said they have also launched a master of arts program in mental health, and it’s aimed at individuals working in other industries who are interested in learning more about mental health and the developmental policy and applying to their workplace.
He said more commissions are needed to help people, but they need to help educate people about aspects of mental health, so their workplaces have a better understanding as well.
“We spend a lot of time at work, our kids spend a lot of time at school. And the more that workplaces and schools can have an understanding of some of the realities of mental health and some of the things that they can be able to do to contribute to bettering mental health for their employees or for their students. that can only be a bonus,” he said.
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