Pathstone unveils online counselling service
Plans for mental-health platform already in works before pandemic hit
Pathstone Mental Health is taking its counselling services online, with in-person appointments not possible now.
Pathstone, which works with children and families across Niagara providing mental-health counselling, was already preparing to expand its services to an online platform before the COVID-19 virus took hold.
When health and safety restrictions from the pandemic forced it to temporarily shut down its in-person sessions,
“we expedited this to the top of our priority list,” said Pathstone chief executive officer Shaun Baylis in a press release. “This fully digital-virtual platform will be a complement to in-person mental-health counselling services once they resume.”
For now, he said, providing counselling sessions on the phone or by video is the best option.
“The overall goal of Pathstone remains the same. To reduce wait times for services and remove barriers whenever possible,” he said.
The platform it will use — called doxy.me — provides unlimited time lengths for sessions and offers features like a virtual waiting room and livechat options. Using it, clients and staff can also fill out and sign documents whether they are working through PC, Android or IOS technology. Surveys, testing, training and a soft launch have been completed, said clinical manager and digital team lead Erin Clayton.
As well as seeing Pathstone through the disruption caused by COVID-19, the online platform will be useful for families who don’t have a way to get to in-person appointments and during bad weather when driving would be unsafe.
Pathstone’s 24-hour crisis and support line is available at 1800-263-4944.