While waiting lists for public mental health services on the southwest coast have improved, Brenda Pieroway believes there is still room for a private practice.
She is working to set up a fee-for-service practice in Port aux Basques.
That would be in addition to the two Western Health addictions and mental health counsellors who work out of LeGrow Health Centre. The counsellors provide services from South Branch to La Poile at no cost to patients.
Wait times for Western Health's services range from immediate appointments for those in crisis to about six months, according to Michelle Skinner, manager of mental health and addictions for Western Health.
There is currently no one waiting for addictions counselling in the area and there are 26 names on the mental health waiting list.
That's consistent with waiting times in other areas served by Western Health, said Mrs. Skinner.
She admits the southwest coast has seen far longer waiting times for mental health services over the past number of years. Waiting lists have been as long as 11 months at some points.
Mrs. Skinner said the addition of a second full-time position in October 2006 and a new method of prioritizing cases have helped reduce wait times.
Mrs. Pieroway said her service may help reduce those waiting times even more.
Originally from the gateway town, Mrs. Pieroway moved home after spending some 20 years in Ontario.
She returned with her freshly completed training as an addictions counsellor and mental health worker.
She said choosing to train in the mental health field wasn't something she decided to do lightly. Mrs. Pieroway said she talked to people working in the field locally as well as many people in related community organizations to see if there was a need for additional, private services.
She feels that the demand for mental health services locally far outweighs the supply.
Mrs. Pieroway has been using various means to get the word out about her services and said that she's been contacted by many interested people.
The issues, she said, include problems with gambling and alcohol, dealing with various forms of abuse, eating disorders and more.
She is looking for office space but says she wants to find a spot where people coming into her office can be offered some privacy. For now, she is starting to see a few people in her home.
Mrs. Pieroway is even hoping to convince another student from her college to move to Port aux Basques and join her practice.
Mrs. Pieroway is also looking to set up support groups for single parents and those dealing with grief. Her plan is to have these groups in a church hall and collect only a donation for the church or food bank from participants.
Mrs. Skinner said Western Health has no issue with a private counsellor setting up shop.
She explained there is no provincial licensing for such counsellors, but they are required to tell potential clients exactly what kind of training they have and have the appropriate business permits.
Western Health doesn't refer clients to private services as it provides the services in-house.
She said that in addition to the services provided locally, Western Health has services such as psychiatry, psychology and sexual abuse counselling in Stephenville for people who can travel there. There is also the in-patient addictions service at Humberwood in Corner Brook.
Mrs. Skinner said that Western Health maintains a list of private providers that it has screened against a list of criteria. It will provide that list to people seeking services upon request.
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