In the wake of a national mental health crisis, the federal government must rethink taxes on counselling and psychotherapy services
One in every five Canadians is currently dealing with a mental illness. By the age of 40, one in every two Canadians will have experienced some form of mental illness.
Our country is undeniably battling a brutal mental health crisis, with particularly pronounced effects on young people and low-income households. Mounting evidence indicates that the crisis is only worsening as inflation raises the cost of living.
However, the government’s efforts to support individuals during this period are falling short.
In Canada, counselling and psychotherapy is the most requested yet least met need for those seeking mental health support. On top of that, therapy is the only mental health service that is taxed. Besides counselling therapists and psychotherapists, all other mental health care providers, including social workers and psychologists, are currently exempt from charging clients harmonized sales or goods and services tax.
So, why are therapists required to collect taxes? Well, it simply boils down to nomenclature.
Any regulated health care professional is exempt from the federal tax. In order to meet this criterion, at least five provinces must recognize the profession as a health profession. While this is the case with counselling therapists and psychotherapists, this profession operates under different names from province to province. Due to the variable designations among provinces, a tax exemption for therapists was denied by the federal government — even though counselling therapists and psychotherapists serve the same purpose.
Since psychotherapy is considered an allied health profession, it is also outside the bounds of provincial and territorial health insurance plans. In other words, these public health insurance plans do not typically cover the costs associated with visiting a therapist. The lack of coverage, however, forces more individuals to opt for visiting a psychiatrist for support, increasing wait times, limiting accessibility, and leading to untreated illness — all while therapists are ready and well-equipped to support these individuals.
Canadians shouldn’t be paying the price for our government’s lack of coordination. These taxes present an additional barrier for affording support and unfairly hinder the accessibility of therapy.
Beyond hurting people in need of support, the unnecessary requirement for HST/GST billing among therapists is also costing the economy.
According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, untreated mental illness among Canadians costs the economy an estimated $50 billion annually compared to the $37.4 billion in revenue generated by HST/GST in 2019-20.
Clearly, the taxes on counselling therapy and psychotherapy are benefiting no one. In recognition of this, Bill C-323 was introduced by MP Stephen Ellis, from the riding of Cumberland-Colchester, Nova Scotia, to abolish the taxes on therapy.
Bill C-323, also known as an Act to Amend the Excise Tax Act (Mental Health Services), completed its second reading in the House of Commons on Sept. 27 – six months after its first reading in March. While mental health and well-being is outlined as a priority in the federal statement on shared health priorities, these priorities aren’t being reflected in practice. The Canadian Mental Health Association also released a statement on the 2023 federal budget for mental health, reporting concerns on the lack of investment being made in the health and well-being of Canadians.
As communities continue to grapple with the aftermath of the pandemic and struggle with their mental wellness, it’s high time for the federal government to act on their priorities, on Bill C-323.
If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, please know that there are ways to get help. McMaster University’s Student Wellness Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association offer a variety of resources, services and information that may help you begin prioritizing your mental health and well-being.
If you are in need of more urgent services, the McMaster Students Union Student Assistance Program provides all McMaster students with access to 24/7 multilingual mental health support from professional counsellors at no cost. To get help immediately, please call or text 1-888-377-0002.
By: Rida Pasha
It is unsurprising that there is an increase in mental health issues among university students, especially here at McMaster University. Whether it is stress, relationships, family or work, there are numerous factors that can contribute to developing mental health issues.
While professional help is encouraged, such as therapy or counselling, these services can be very expensive for the average student.
Though McMaster prides itself on the mental health resources it provides, such as those at the Student Wellness Centre, it is commonly known that the university has much room for improvement.
One of the ongoing concerns at the SWC is the amount of time it takes to actually see a counsellor.
The lack of counsellors present at McMaster has been an issue for a while and though various students have advocated for the SWC to hire more counsellors in order to meet the demand, it is important that any counsellors hired reflect the student population at McMaster.
The university is home to various groups of people that come from diverse backgrounds and communities. Not only is it important for students to see more representation at the SWC, it is also important to acknowledge that many students feel more comfortable seeking help from counsellors that they can relate to.
For a university that is home to thousands of students of colour and members of the LGBTQA2S+ community, it is essential that the SWC hire more counsellors that are able to relate and provide a sense of understanding to these students’ struggles.
As someone who is an Indian immigrant that grew up in Canada, I personally would feel more prompted to seek counselling if I knew there were Asian professionals that had a similar background to mine.
I would feel more encouraged to discuss details of my life such as my culture and heritage, which is something that my counsellor could likely relate to without misunderstanding.
Additionally, as it can be difficult for international students to adjust to Canadian culture, they may wish to seek counselling. As it stands, there are not many services specified for international students concerning mental health and wellness.
If the SWC were to hire more counsellors aimed at improving the mental health of these international students, more students may be inclined to use their services to improve their mental health and overall experience at McMaster.
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 34 per cent of Ontario high school students have indicated psychological distress on a moderate to serious level and these levels are only bound to increase during university.
Though McMaster has attempted to provide services aimed at improving mental health and wellness, it is time the university took active change.
It is vital that McMaster acts to not only increase the number of counsellors, but also to increase the diversity of counsellors available for the numerous groups of students who call McMaster home.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By: Megan Vukelic
This Welcome Week, McMaster welcomed more than just first-year students. Scout, a one-year-old border collie, is the newest addition to campus as part of a partnership between the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA.
Scout is currently going through therapy dog assessment administered by the SPCA. The goals of the program are threefold: helping students de-stress by interacting with Scout, promoting services offered to social science students, and bridging the gap between students and faculty.
The program has stemmed from a pilot study led by James Gillett from the department of Health, Aging and Society, which focuses on the nature of bonds between humans and animals.
Gillett describes Scout as a canine ambassador for the faculty. While McMaster has had therapy dogs in residence as well as Mills Library in the past, Scout will be social science centric.
“In the residences there is not as much access to everyone,” said Gillett. “This program will make the services available to all social science students.”
However, Scout is more than just a therapy dog. “The program is not exclusively for mental health. We are trying to do both – help students deal with the stresses of campus but also give them tools for success.”
He explains that often students that need academic and personal services the most are also the most reluctant. Having therapy dogs available will make these programs more accessible and make students more likely to feel comfortable to pursue them.
Similar programs have been implemented in universities across Canada. At the University of Alberta, students are able to take registered therapy dogs for walks around the community. At the University of Saskatchewan, professors with their own therapy dogs have been bringing them to campus as part of an initiative to foster connections between faculty and students.
Therapy dogs on campus have helped reduce the fear that some students have when approaching professors or faculty. Gillett expressed his intentions of incorporating such techniques into the program at McMaster in the future, in order to foster greater community within the social science department and improve student experience.
Students in the Faculty of Social Sciences have been overwhelmingly supportive of the program, recognizing the benefits for students. Daniel D’Angela, Welcome Week planner for Social Sciences, expressed his support of the program after meeting scout at Faculty Day while he greeted incoming students.
“The SPCA dog program is a great way to provide opportunities for students to de-stress with the added bonus of promoting resources that the University provides,” he said. It is the intention of the program that Scout will have more of a full time presence at McMaster in the following school year once he has completed the therapy dog program, and will hopefully be accompanied by more furry friends.