FNHA Counselling Central Okanagan

Culturally Safe • Trauma-Informed • Confidential • Free with FNHA Benefits

Understanding the First Nations Health Authority and Counselling for First Nations People

As a doctoral psychologist deeply committed to culturally safe, trauma-informed mental health care, I want to share how counselling for First Nations people in British Columbia can work through the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), and how Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs), Registered Social Workers (RSWs), and Psychotherapists like myself can support healing on your terms.

What Is the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) Mental-Health Benefit?

The FNHA is responsible for many health-care services for First Nations people in BC, including mental wellness supports. One key program is the Mental Wellness and Counselling (MWC) Benefit, which helps cover counselling costs through a partnership with Pacific Blue Cross (PBC).

  • Who is eligible? Under current policy, clients must be First Nations people with a Status number under the Indian Act and must be residents of BC, as defined by MSP.
  • What is covered? Counselling services by qualified providers—including psychologists, clinical counsellors (RCCs), social workers (RSWs), and psychotherapists—are eligible when delivered by providers registered in the Health Benefits Program.
  • How many hours? The standard “pre-determination” (i.e., approved counselling) is 22 hours under the MWC program. If more hours are needed, providers can apply for additional hours through PBC, but this is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • What about travel? If someone needs to travel to get counselling, Medical Transportation may be available through FNHA Health Benefits.
  • How to access: The provider (counsellor) must submit a “Pre-Determination Form” to PBC before the first session; after that, service delivery can begin.
  • Billing: Providers submit claims via Pacific Blue Cross’s PROVIDERnet system.

Why Counselling Is Important for First Nations Wellness

Counselling can play a powerful role in healing, especially when it is culturally safe and trauma-informed. For many First Nations people, mental wellness is deeply connected to community, identity, and intergenerational experiences. Here are some of the key reasons why counselling through the FNHA is so vital:

  1. Intergenerational and Historical Trauma
    Many First Nations individuals carry the weight of historical trauma: residential school experiences, forced relocations, cultural suppression, and more. Trauma-informed counselling recognizes how these experiences affect mental health across generations.
  2. Cultural Loss and Identity
    Loss of language, tradition, or connection to community can lead to feelings of displacement, grief, or disconnection. Culturally sensitive counselling can support reconnection to heritage, identity, and purpose.
  3. Everyday Stressors and Modern Challenges
    First Nations people face real, daily stressors: systemic racism, discrimination, housing and financial instability, health inequities, and access barriers. Counselling provides a space to navigate these challenges with support, not judgment.
  4. Mental Health Conditions
    Just like anyone else, First Nations people may face depression, anxiety, grief, substance use challenges, or other mental health concerns. Therapy helps by providing coping tools, resilience, and a safe place to reflect.
  5. Strengthening Community and Family
    Healing often happens in the context of relationships—with family, with community, with cultural leaders. Counsellors can support not just individuals, but families, helping to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and re-build relational strength.
  6. Empowerment and Self-Determination
    When counselling respects cultural ways of knowing, it can empower First Nations individuals to define mental wellness in their own terms. This supports self-determination, autonomy, and healing.

How Registered Clinical Counsellors, Registered Social Workers & Psychotherapists Can Help

As professional, regulated counsellors, RCCs, RSWs, and Psychotherapists bring distinct skills to support First Nations people in healing, growth, and wellness. Here’s how:

1. Cultural Sensitivity and Humility

  • We begin by acknowledging that healing for First Nations people is not separate from culture, history, and community.
  • We engage in cultural humility, honoring traditional practices, worldviews, and values. We do not assume we have all the answers—and we learn from each person’s lived experience.
  • Many of us have completed San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, which is required by FNHA for providers. (First Nations Health Authority)

2. Trauma-Informed Approach

  • Trauma-informed counselling means we know how trauma can shape behaviour, emotions, and memory. We create a safe, predictable environment.
  • We use evidence-based modalities such as Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and sometimes culturally adapted therapies, to support healing while acknowledging trauma.
  • We are careful to avoid re-traumatization: pacing therapy based on the client’s comfort, giving control and choice back to the client, and supporting in ways that resonate with each person’s identity.

3. Holistic Healing

  • Well-being is more than just “mental health.” We see wellness in a holistic way that considers emotional, spiritual, physical, and relational health.
  • We encourage practices that align with cultural strengths—whether that’s talking circles, ceremony, connection to land or elders, or traditional healing practices—in addition to therapy.
  • We support resilience: building tools that support everyday wellbeing, not just crisis intervention.

4. Registered, Professional, and Accountable

  • As RCCs, RSWs, and Psychotherapists regulated by respected professional bodies (e.g., BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, BC College of Social Workers), we adhere to high standards of practice. (First Nations Health Authority)
  • Through the FNHA benefit program, we are held to standards of accountability. Providers must complete paperwork (like pre-determinations) and maintain documentation.
  • We work with FNHA and PBC so that eligible clients do not pay out-of-pocket for covered counselling sessions. (First Nations Health Authority)

Why Choose Us for Your FNHA-Covered Counselling

If you are a First Nations person in BC seeking culturally safe, trauma-informed counselling, here are some reasons why you might choose to work with us:

  1. Deep Cultural Respect
    We do not treat culture as a “sidebar” in therapy. We understand that your traditional ways of knowing, your community, and your identity are central to healing.
  2. Trauma-Informed Expertise
    With years of clinical experience, we are skilled in working with intergenerational trauma, historical grief, and complex life experiences. We seek to hold space for healing that is paced by you.
  3. Licensed Professionals
    As Registered Clinical Counsellors, Registered Social Workers, and Psychotherapists with master’s degrees (or more), we bring professional training, ethics, and clinical knowledge.
  4. Accessible and Flexible Care
    We offer counselling in multiple formats: in-person, online, or by phone—whichever feels best for you. We also support clients in navigating the pre-determination process with PBC, making it as easy as possible.
  5. Patient Advocacy
    We know that accessing benefits can feel overwhelming. We are experienced in working with FNHA and PBC systems, so we can help you navigate pre-determination, paperwork, and billing, all while respecting your privacy and autonomy.
  6. Healing at Your Own Pace
    We never rush. Therapy with us is client-led: you set your goals, and we move at the speed that feels safe and right for you.
  7. Community Connection
    We believe in the strength of community. If you want, we can incorporate community healing methods, referrals to Indigenous wellness supports, or cultural resources into our work together.

What to Expect When You Start Counselling Through FNHA

Here is a step-by-step idea of what the process is like when you choose to start counselling through FNHA:

  1. Reach Out
    Contact us (or another provider on the FNHA list) and let them know you have FNHA Health Benefits. We can help you check your eligibility and next steps.
  2. Pre-Determination
    Before your first session, we submit a pre-determination form to Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) for the FNHA benefit. This helps to approve how many hours of counselling are available. (First Nations Health Authority)
  3. Initial Session
    In our first few sessions, we’ll get to know each other: who you are, what your story is, what you want from counselling, and how comfortable you are bringing in cultural elements.
  4. Therapy Begins
    Once approved, we begin regular sessions. We’ll keep an open and trauma-informed space, working with your goals, culture, and identity in mind.
  5. Progress & Review
    Over time, we check in on how things are going—what’s helping, what’s challenging, and whether your goals are shifting. If more than the initial 22 hours are needed, we can apply for more through PBC.
  6. Ongoing Healing
    Counselling is part of a journey. You may also engage with community, elders, ceremony, or other wellness supports. We support whichever path you choose.

Why Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-Informed Counselling Matters

  • Safe Spaces: For many First Nations people, discussing mental health can be deeply personal, tied to generational trauma, loss, or cultural identity. When counselling is culturally safe, it becomes a place where voices are honored, not silenced.
  • Trust & Healing: Trauma-informed care recognizes the impact of past harms—both individual and systemic—and builds trust through consistency, respect, and choice.
  • Empowerment: Healing often means reclaiming. In a culturally sensitive counselling relationship, you are empowered to reconnect to your strengths, your story, and your community.
  • Relational Wellness: Healing isn’t just about the individual. It’s about relationships—family, ancestors, land, and community. Counselling can support not only personal wellness but relational repair and growth.

Important Things to Know About Eligibility & Recent Changes

  • As of April 15, 2024, FNHA updated its mental health counselling eligibility. Now, to be eligible for the MWC program, clients need to be Status First Nations and reside in BC.
  • New counselling providers must have at least five years of counselling experience and three years working with First Nations people to qualify.
  • FNHA requires San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training for new providers.
  • To bill FNHA for counselling, providers must be registered with Health Benefits and with PBC via PROVIDERnet.
  • Some services are not covered, for example, certain assessments (e.g., learning disability), court-ordered counselling, psychiatric emergencies, and certain types of therapy not approved in the benefit schedule.

How to Start the Process with Us (or Another Provider)

If you’re interested in exploring counselling through us with FNHA coverage, here’s how to begin:

  1. Contact Us
    • Reach out to our clinic or counsellor directly. Let us know you are covered by FNHA / First Nations Health Benefits.
    • Alternatively, use the FNHA Mental Health Provider List to find a provider near you. (First Nations Health Authority)
  2. Confirm Eligibility
    • We check your FNHA coverage (Status, BC residency) and confirm what services the benefit can support.
    • We will help you submit the Pre-Determination Form to PBC.
  3. Set Up an Intro Session
    • We offer an initial intake/assessment session where we learn about your story, goals, and what culturally safe counselling means to you.
  4. Begin Healing
    • After the pre-determination is approved, regular sessions can begin. We’ll walk alongside you, using trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approaches.
  5. Apply for Additional Hours (if needed)
    • If more than 22 hours would be beneficial, we can submit a request for additional hours and justify the need.

Final Thoughts: Healing With Respect, Strength & Culture

Navigating mental health and wellness as a First Nations person in BC is deeply personal and can be challenging—but it is also deeply hopeful. Through the FNHA Mental Health Benefit, clients can access high-quality care from culturally aware, trauma-informed professionals who understand that healing is not just about symptoms, but about identity, history, community, and resilience.

As RCCs, RSWs, and Psychotherapists, we are committed to walking with you on this journey—with humility, respect, and strength. By blending professional training with cultural sensitivity, we aim to provide a space where healing is guided by you, your story, and your vision of wellness.

If you or someone you care about is ready to begin, we would be honoured to support you. Visit the FNHA Mental Health Providers page here: https://www.fnha.ca/benefits/mental-health-providers (First Nations Health Authority)