Originally published in The Shelburne Freelancer on December 8, 2017 by Alex Sher
Executive Chairman and CEO, Sam Duboc and Dr. Peter Farvolden are now sharing their brain child, an exciting new alternative path to Mental Health Care. Their new web and mobile app, BEACON, is making a huge difference to so many as it is convenient and accessible to all Canadians. At present, Mental Health Care is at the forefront of almost every conversation and for good reason. Speaking out and reaching out, people are finally able to address issues surrounding depression and anxiety. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health commonly referred to as (CAMH) , a well known mental health care facility in Toronto, where Duboc once served on the board is a very busy place. Wait times for those in need can be long due to excessive demand and depending where Canadians live, travel to and from treatment to Mental Health Care treatment facilities can be expensive and stressful, escalating an already serious situation in the quest for help. Beacon is not intended to be in ‘competition’ for business. Its creators had a very different motive and reason for creation in mind, simply helping Canadians in need.
Beacon, is a modern way to acquire a traditional form of mental health care using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with dedicated, qualified, certified, registered therapists. Already helping hundreds of people, this unique service, not free, is however covered by many health care plans. Health Quality Ontario has approved guidelines that 16-20 traditional (non-digital, face-to-face) CBT sessions are suitable for treatment of depression. Traditional treatment with a regulated therapist is typically $150-$250 per session, which can add up to thousands of dollars. This is a separate point from BEACON which for $500 allows people a full course of CBT treatment which includes 12 weeks of unlimited access to eTherapist support through BEACON protocols and 12 months unlimited access to their BEACON resources to help them prevent relapse.
This service is a wonderful way for families to encourage loved ones in need to seek treatment and is changing the approach to Mental Health Care in it’s accessibility to Canadians located in small communities. Canadians are now able receive tech-based therapy with a secure and privacy assured personalized course of action to help people of all ages in their pursuit for positive reinforcement in their quest for Mental Health Care. While the program is exclusively for 16 years and older at present, there may be help for those younger in the future.