Support for Those Who Support Others: New Counselling Coverage for HSPBA Health Workers
For many health care professionals in BC, the past few years have been heavy. Long hours, staffing shortages, and the emotional toll of caring for others can leave even the most resilient provider feeling stretched thin. If this sounds familiar, know that you’re not alone—and that some good news has arrived. A new Mental Health Support Fund has been launched for unionized health science professionals like you, providing up to $5,000 of extra coverage for counselling and wellness services. This fund was hard-won by your union in negotiations with the provincial government to help support those facing “significant shortages and excessive workload” on the job hsabc.org. In other words, it’s a boost to your benefits aimed at helping you take care of your mental health, even as you care for others.
Ready to tap into your HSPBA Health Workers extended benefit and start your counselling journey? Book your first session now
What Is the New Mental Health Support Fund?
Starting April 1, 2025, members of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) – which covers a wide range of BC health care professionals – have access to a one-time $11 million fund dedicated to mental health and wellness. Think of it as a special pool of money that “tops up” your existing extended health benefits for counseling, psychology, and related services. It essentially raises your coverage limits, meaning you can spend more time with counsellors, psychologists, or other wellness providers without paying out-of-pocket. Importantly, this fund isn’t just for a select few; it’s open to all HSPBA members who are enrolled in the standard benefits plan (regular full-time, part-time, and casual employees).
Who does that include? If you’re an HSA union member working in health care (such as a medical technologist, social worker, counsellor, dietitian, pharmacist, paramedic, etc. under the HSPBA contract), and you have extended health benefits through Pacific Blue Cross, you’re likely eligible. (If you’re a Registered Psychiatric Nurse under the Nurses’ Bargaining Association, there is a similar fund for you too—check with HSA about registration, since that fund requires a sign-up.) The HSPBA Mental Health Support Fund does not extend to spouses or dependents, however; it’s there to support you, the employee.
Not sure where to start? Our Match a Therapist tool can help you find someone who’s the right fit for your needs.
How Does It Work and What’s Covered?
In a nutshell, the Mental Health Support Fund acts as a supplementary benefit added on top of your existing coverage. Here are the key ways it enhances your benefits for mental health services:
Counselling & Psychology Coverage Boost: Under most plans, you currently have an annual limit (around $900 per year) for counselling or psychology services. With the new fund, once you’ve reached that $900 yearly maximum, you can access an additional $1,100 per year for counselling/therapy at 100% reimbursement. In plain language: after your standard benefits are used up, the fund kicks in to fully cover up to $1,100 more in sessions each year (subject to the usual reasonable limits of the plan). This means more time to work with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Registered Psychologist, Registered Social Worker, or even approved online cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) programs, without worrying about hitting a financial cap.
Registered Social Workers Now Covered: Until now, not all extended health plans recognized Registered Social Workers (RSWs) as approved counselling providers. The new fund changes that. Effective June 1, 2025, RSWs are being added as approved service providers under your plan’s mental health coverage. This gives you more choice in finding the right therapist – you can see an RSW for counselling and have it reimbursed just as you would with an RCC or psychologist. (For any counselling by an RSW in April or May 2025, HSA arranged a special interim reimbursement process while this change takes effect, but after June 1 it’s all integrated into the regular coverage.)
Dietitian Services Covered: Recognizing that mental health is also influenced by physical wellness, the fund introduces coverage for Registered Dietitian services. You can now get up to $600 per year in dietitian consultation costs reimbursed at 100%, with no deductible. This is a brand-new benefit (many of us didn’t have dietitian coverage before!), and it can be used for nutritional counseling to support your overall well-being. Keep in mind that this dietitian coverage is only in place for the duration of the special fund – once the fund is used up, this particular coverage will end.
All told, each eligible member can receive up to $5,000 in total supplementary support over the life of the fund. That’s in addition to your normal extended health benefits. It’s not an annual $5,000; rather, it’s a lifetime maximum from this $11 million pool. The fund will remain available until either (a) you personally have claimed an extra $5,000 in benefits, or (b) the overall $11 million fund is depleted across all members – whichever comes first. When the fund runs out, things revert back to the usual coverage limits you had before, so it’s a time-limited opportunity to get extra help.
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How to Access Your Top-Up Benefits
One of the best parts of this Mental Health Support Fund is that using it is simple. You do not need to fill out any special applications or paperwork to tap into these funds. If you’re an eligible HSA member, just make use of your benefits as you normally would when you go for counselling or see a dietitian:
Submit claims normally: For any sessions on or after June 1, 2025, you’ll submit your receipts to Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) the same way you always do for reimbursement. PBC will automatically draw from the new fund to reimburse the additional amounts once you’ve exceeded your standard coverage. In practice, you might not even notice a difference on your claim—except that more of your sessions will be paid for!
April and May 2025 claims: If you happened to see a counsellor in April or May 2025 and maxed out your $900 regular coverage, HSA had an interim process in place (via the Healthcare Benefit Trust) to reimburse those extra sessions. Members were instructed to email HSPBA.SupportFund@hbt.ca for those early claims. Going forward though, everything after June 1 is handled through the usual PBC claims system, so you likely won’t need to worry about this step.
Track your usage: It’s a good idea to keep your receipts and an eye on how much of the extra fund you’ve used. There’s a lifetime max of $5,000 per member. For example, if in 2025 you used an extra $2,000, that leaves up to $3,000 you could still use in subsequent years (as long as the overall fund hasn’t run dry). HSA will notify members if the fund is nearing depletion, but since it’s first-come, first-serve, it’s wise to take advantage sooner rather than later.
Eligibility recap: again, these top-up benefits apply to HSPBA members with extended health benefits. If you’re unsure about your coverage or bargaining association, check with your HR or union rep. And remember, your family members are not covered by this fund – it’s just for you as the employee. (Your normal benefits for family remain in place, of course, but they can’t tap into the extra $5k top-up.)
Take a closer look at our team to explore their unique approaches and backgrounds. Finding the right fit starts here.
Caring for Yourself as You Care for Others
Working in health care or social services, you’re used to being the helper – the nurse going the extra mile for a patient, the lab technologist working overtime to ensure timely results, or the counselor supporting clients through tough times. This dedication is rewarding, but it can also come at a cost. Chronic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout are common in caregiving professions. That’s why this enhanced support for your mental health is so important. It’s a reminder that your well-being matters too.
If you’ve been putting off counseling or therapy because of limited insurance coverage or out-of-pocket costs, now is an ideal time to revisit the idea. The Mental Health Support Fund essentially removes a financial barrier – it gives you permission to use those counselling sessions you need, for longer, without worrying about exhausting your benefits. Instead of rationing a few therapy appointments and hoping they’ll be enough, you can engage in consistent, ongoing support for a while. This can make a huge difference in issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, or work-related stress, where progress often takes time and trust.
Maybe you’re dealing with intense work stress or anxiety, or struggling to decompress after tough shifts. Perhaps the things you witness on the job are sticking with you, affecting your sleep or your relationships at home. These are exactly the kinds of challenges talking to a professional can help with. In fact, specialized burnout counselling in Vancouver and other mental health services for healthcare workers have become increasingly popular as more people recognize they need support. Utilizing your benefits to speak with a counsellor – whether it’s a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Psychologist, or Social Worker – can provide a safe space to process those experiences, learn coping strategies, and build resilience.
Your union fought for this fund because they know how tough it’s been for health workers. As the HSA bulletin noted, this initiative was part of “ongoing work to provide greater support for members” facing heavy workloads. In other words: you deserve this support. Taking care of your mental health isn’t a luxury; it’s essential for you to continue doing the important work that you do. Think of it like putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others – you can’t pour from an empty cup. Using your counselling benefits is not a sign of weakness, but a proactive step to stay healthy, compassionate, and effective in both your professional and personal life.
Getting Support with Nimble Counselling
Navigating the world of therapy can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve never connected with a counsellor before. Questions may be swirling in your mind: How do I find someone I click with? Will they understand what I’m going through as a health care professional? At Nimble Counselling, we’re here to make that process as easy and supportive as possible, so you can fully utilize these new benefits available to you.
Who we are: Nimble Counselling is a team of dedicated therapists based in Vancouver and serving all of British Columbia (in-person or via secure online sessions). Our team is composed of Registered Clinical Counsellors and intern counsellors with a wide range of specialties – including stress and burnout, trauma, anxiety, depression, and more. Many of us have experience working with healthcare providers and first responders, so we truly get it when you talk about things like compassion fatigue, shift-work stress, or the impacts of the pandemic on your profession. Our approach is warm, humanistic, and client-centered. We believe in creating a safe, non-judgmental space for you to let it all out – the frustrations, the fears, the hopes – and work through them together.
Match with the right therapist: We know that finding a counsellor who feels right is key. That’s why we offer a handy Match with a Therapist tool on our website. In just a few clicks, you can fill out a brief form about your needs and preferences, and we’ll personally match you with a counsellor who fits what you’re looking for. It’s like a matchmaking service for therapy! If you prefer to do the choosing yourself, you can also browse our Counselling Team page to read bios and see each therapist’s specialties. Whether you’d feel more comfortable with someone who has a background in healthcare, or you want a counsellor who specializes in trauma or anxiety, you’ll be able to find a good fit. And remember, with RSWs now covered in your benefits, your pool of potential therapists is broader than ever – giving you even more options to find the right person.
Flexible scheduling and formats: Working in a hospital or community care means your schedule might be all over the place. We understand that, and we’ve made our services as flexible as possible. Nimble offers evening and weekend appointments, as well as virtual therapy sessions that you can attend from anywhere in BC. So whether you’re finishing a late shift at Vancouver General, or you’re based in a remote community in Northern BC, support is accessible. In-person sessions are available at our comfortable Vancouver office for those who prefer face-to-face connection, while secure video sessions let you talk to your therapist from the comfort of home (or even from your parked car during a break, if privacy at home is hard to find). The goal is to meet you where you’re at.
Making it affordable: Thanks to the new HSPBA fund, cost shouldn’t be a barrier for you right now – your extended health and the top-up fund together will cover a substantial amount of counselling. Our standard session fees for RCCs are within the usual range for BC therapists, and most or all of each session fee can be reimbursed by your benefits until you hit your limits. If you ever do exhaust your $5,000 extra fund and still want support, we’ll work with you to explore options. (For example, we have low-cost counselling available with our Master’s-level intern counsellors, which could be an option down the road – they even offer a free initial session.) The bottom line: we want you to get the support you need, when you need it, without financial stress.
Ready to book a session? It’s easy. You can use our online booking system to schedule an appointment with any of our therapists at your convenience. We’re also happy to answer any questions if you contact us directly. Whether you use the matching tool or book directly with someone from our team, we’ll make sure your first session is scheduled as soon as possible so you can start feeling the benefits. And yes, we direct bill to Pacific Blue Cross for many plans, or provide receipts that you can quickly submit for reimbursement – we’ll help make the paperwork part a breeze.
You’ve Earned This Support
As a health care worker, you spend so much of your time and energy taking care of others. This new Mental Health Support Fund is an opportunity (and maybe that little nudge you needed) to take care of yourself. If you’re feeling stressed, burned out, or just in need of someone to talk to outside of work, we invite you to make the most of these expanded benefits. Sometimes just having permission to vent and process with a professional can lighten the load you carry.
Imagine being able to speak freely about the tough day you had, the anxiety that’s been creeping in, or the sadness or anger that can come with the job – and having a compassionate expert help you work through it. That’s what these counselling sessions can offer you. And now, with up to $5,000 of costs covered, you can truly give yourself that care without guilt or financial worry.
At Nimble Counselling, we genuinely believe that caring for your mental health is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. You’ve been there for your community through so much. Now let us (and professionals like us) be there for you. Your wellness matters – to your patients, your colleagues, your loved ones, and most of all to you.
If you’re ready to take that step, we’re here to walk alongside you. Feel free to reach out, match with a therapist, or book a session today. Your new benefits are in place to support you – and so are we. Here’s to you getting the care and support you deserve, with a little extra help from this new fund. 💙
Sources:
Health Sciences Association of BC – “HSPBA: New Mental Health Support Fund to Top Up Benefits” (Bulletin, March 28, 2025)hsabc.orghsabc.orghsabc.orghsabc.org. Describes the $11 million fund, eligibility, coverage details (psychology benefit top-up, RSW inclusion, dietitian coverage), and instructions for access.
Health Sciences Association of BC – HSPBA Extended Health & Welfare Benefits (April 2025)hsabc.orghsabc.org. Explains how the fund raises coverage limits for counselling (RCC, RSW, R.Psych, iCBT) and confirms member eligibility criteria.
