'One-at-a-time therapy' cuts wait list for mental health services by 46 per cent in N.B.

New therapy cuts mental health services wait list N.B. is marking one year since the release of its roadmap on handling mental health & addictions in the province. CTV’s Laura Lyall reports.

The New Brunswick government announced Wednesday that a program introduced last summer has dramatically improved the provincial waitlist for mental health services.

Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said Wednesday at a news conference that the ‘one-at-a-time therapy' program has cut the province's waitlist by 46 per cent.

“We have found that between 60 to 70 per cent of mental health clients can be helped within one to three sessions,” said Shephard.

The one-at-a-time therapy program, also known as single session therapy, was piloted in Campbellton, N.B., but is now offered at all community addictions and mental health clinics in New Brunswick.

The services are offered to walk-in clients, or by appointment, either virtually or in person for people 16 years old and above.

In the appointment — which may last an hour — a specific, client-focused, strength-based approach is used to deal with the issue the individual wants to address, the province said.

Shephard says the service is not meant for emergencies or for people in a mental health crisis, adding community mental health clinics continue to offer more intensive services for people who need them.

According to the province, since the program started last July, some community mental health clinics have eliminated waitlists, and in larger communities, the waitlist has gone down considerably.

In Saint John, N.B., the list has been reduced by 72 per cent. Client satisfaction has been positive, with 95 per cent reporting that they are satisfied with the services they have received, the province said.

Rene Fournier of the Horizon Health Network, said the ‘one-at-a-time therapy' program has made mental health supports more accessible.

“The success of this service is witnessed by our clinicians here in the Saint John area, as well as elsewhere in the province,” said Fournier.

“New Brunswickers now have timely access to mental health therapy when they need it most.”

The announcement Wednesday marked one year since the release of the inter-departmental addiction and mental health action plan released by New Brunswick.

“It’s all combined, it’s an all-out effort of the health-care system to continue to meet the needs,” said Shephard.

The announcement also comes close to the anniversary of Lexi Daken's death, which led to urgent calls for change within the mental-health system -- something Shephard says they are working to address.

Daken was 16 years old when she died by suicide in February 2021. Her sister, Piper Daken, told CTV News that she believes the program is a step in the right direction.

"I think in theory this program is a great idea. It helps people shorten the waitlist for people to get the care they deserve and support," said Piper Daken in a statement.

"However, it is also important to recognize that a one-hour session is not enough. What about when the session is over and the individual still needs that help?"