Nova Scotia spending $6.2M on Dalhousie psychological health centre

The Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health in Halifax is pictured. (Source: Communications Nova Scotia)

The Nova Scotia government is spending $6.2 million in the next three years on a psychological health centre that offers free care to clients and training to students.

The Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health, which opened in Halifax in 2023, offers care for people who face barriers to support.

The $6.2 million from the government will allow its clinical psychology residency program for another two years, according to a news release from the province.

“The Centre for Psychological Health provides valuable training opportunities for our clinical psychology PhD students, ensuring they are well prepared to serve individuals with varied and complex needs in the future,” said Alissa Pencer, co-director of the centre, in the release.

The centre, which has partnered with 34 community groups in the Halifax Regional Municipality, has been used by 507 people through more than 3,900 appointments.

“Those at the Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health are doing outstanding work. They are providing valuable, publicly funded, community-based access to clinical care while training the next generation of mental health professionals,” said Brian Comer, minister of addictions and mental health. “Students who train at the centre learn to provide compassionate, responsive care for those with intersecting challenges.”

The province said it was spending $4.5 million over three years to fund the centre when it opened in 2023.

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