With a focus on northern and rural mental health, Dr. Rebecca Wells, a clinical psychologist, joined the Northern Health Region this summer.
Born and raised in southern Ontario, Wells brings a wealth of experience and training to Flin Flon’s mental health services, with a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Queen’s University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo.
While she is new to the region, Wells is familiar with the needs of remote communities such as Flin Flon: she focused on rural and northern psychology in both her pre-doctoral residency in clinical psychology at the University of Manitoba and in her specialized residency at the Community Mental Health Office in Selkirk, Manitoba, where she travelled throughout the Interlake region to work with clients.
“The primary difference in the practice of psychology in rural and northern communities relates to scope of practice,” Wells explains. “In larger urban centres there are more resources available. As a result, psychologists often focus on treating either adults or children, and sometimes limit their areas of practice to assessing and/or treating specific aspects of mental health or illness.”
In contrast, rural psychologists tend to be generalists who need to be prepared to serve clients with a wide range of needs, she explains.
“I have long been interested in serving rural and remote communities,” Wells says, adding that she has focused on developing the skills to serve clients across the life span with a wide range of mental health and mental illness concerns.
As far as the particulars of Wells’ role with the NHR, her responsibilities are threefold.
She will provide clinical consultation to community mental health workers in Flin Flon and The Pas regarding clients they are working with, conduct psychological assessments and provide treatment to clients who can benefit from her expertise.
With her depth of experience, Wells also acts as a leader for the mental health team.
“I provide clinical governance to ensure evidence-based best practices are cultivated among staff,” she explains.
So what prompted the move to Flin Flon for this Ontarian?
“Part of the appeal in coming here to work was the effort the NHR is making to ensure that all aspects of mental health services operate within the philosophies of recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and culturally safe practices,” Wells says.
“The traditional illness model has been deemed ineffective in empowering people towards recovery,” she adds.
Wells explains that a recovery-oriented approach, in contrast, is “a process in which people are empowered to make informed choices about the supports and services that allow them to live satisfying, hopeful, and meaningful lives, even though they may experience ongoing limitations related to mental health and/or illness.”
Wells adds that this approach, which focuses on supporting patient growth and encouraging partnerships with service providers, families and friends, is key to breaking down stigmas around mental health and mental illness that can cause people to avoid seeking help.
In terms of options available to residents in Flin Flon and area, Wells lists a variety of mental health supports and approaches, including psychiatric inpatient care; community mental health supportive interventions; wellness groups “designed to enhance knowledge about stress and how to manage it”; and local peer-support-based organizations such as Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM) “that offer safe places for people to learn about themselves and engage wholly in their personal recovery journeys.”
Residents can access mental health services directly by contacting Community Mental Health at 204-687-1350.
