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MindMapBC Filters

To help people navigate the site and determine which services are best for them, we have included “filters”, i.e., characteristics of services, that can be used to narrow the MindMapBC database. Below, we provide more information about how we have defined each of the filters when assessing services.

While we do our best to keep service listings up-to-date, changes can happen quickly! It’s a good idea to check in with a provider directly to ensure that their services and availability meet your needs. If you do find an error in one of our listings, please let us know by using the ‘report error’ function.

For more information about choosing a mental health provider, check out our articles.

MindMapBC Filter Definitions

Costs

Free: Services that are tagged as being ‘free’ have free programs available; in some cases, they may also have some paid programs.

Sliding scale: ‘Sliding scale’ services are those that are offered at a reduced rate compared with standard rates and/or market price. The rate and availability of sliding scale services varies between providers, but in order to be tagged as ‘sliding scale’ some services or counselling spots must be available below their standard rate.

In some cases, providers may offer sliding scale services but do not explicitly state this on their websites. Providers may also keep a waitlist for their free or sliding scale counselling spots and may have specific requirements for who is eligible (e.g., those with financial need). It may be worth inquiring with a provider directly, even if they are not tagged as ‘free’ or ‘sliding scale’!

Features

2S/LGBTQ+ -affirming: Services tagged as ‘2S/LGBTQ+-affirming’ are those that have a known and explicit focus on working with 2S/LGBTQ+ communities.

Moving forward, we will apply three separate filters to identify services that are Trans-affirming, Two-Spirit-affirming, or LGBQ+-affirming. We are in the process of gathering information from providers to help us apply these new filters. In the meantime, some services will remain tagged as '2S/LGBTQ+-affirming'.

Two-Spirit-affirming: Services tagged as 'Two-Spirit-affirming' offer programs and services that are specifically affirming to Two-Spirit, queer, and trans, Indigenous people.

We worked with an advisory group to determine a set of screening questions that help us to learn about a providers' work. Where available, providers' responses to these screening questions will be available on their service listing. You can also see the up-to-date questions on the Add-a-Service page. We recognize that the screening questions don't capture all of the criteria that might be important to folks; we recommend you use these responses as a starting place, and reach out direclty to providers for more information.

While we have focused MindMapBC on those providing 2S/LGBTQ+-affirming services, we recognize that members of other equity-seeking groups (including, for example, people who are intersex, people who are asexual, or people living with disabilities) face unique barriers to affirming mental health services. In the future, we aim to expand the scope of MindMapBC to include services that offer affirming mental health supports to members of these and other groups.

We furthermore recognize that many Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) are looking for services that centre BIPOC identities and experiences. In this context, we are happy to recommend Healing in Colour, a directory of BIPOC therapists who are committed to supporting BIPOC, including 2S/LGBTQ+ BIPOC. https://www.healingincolour.com/

Wheelchair accessible: Services tagged as ‘wheelchair accessible’ are providers who have explicitly reported that they are wheelchair accessible on their website. Unfortunately, few services have this information available on their website. Therefore, there may be services that are accessible that are not listed and tagged as such. Before visiting a service, it may be helpful to call or email for more information about accessibility.

We acknowledge that there are many other factors that are important to consider when assessing how accessible a service is. We have used this ‘wheelchair-accessible’ filter as a starting place and hope to expand these filters moving forward.

Youth: Services with this tag are youth-focused. These services may be offered exclusively to youth, or they may offer youth-focused programs or services. Services and providers may have different age cutoffs for who is considered a youth. To find out more about a specific service or program, please contact their organizers directly.

Seniors: Services with this tag are focused on working with seniors. Services and providers may have different age cutoffs for who is considered a senrio; to find out more about a specific service or program, please contact them directly.

Types

This filter category refers to the type of service being offered; many service providers provide multiple different types of services (for example, they may offer support groups, individual counselling, and substance use counselling).

Formats

Telehealth: Telehealth services are those that are offered remotely (for example, via Zoom). Some services offer both in-person and remote options.

Online resource: These are services that provide online information; some service listings provide both in-person and online resources, whereas others exclusively provide online resources.

MindMapBC is ever-evolving and we’re doing our best to ensure that the site’s content, function, and filter features meet the needs of folks using our site. However, the filters that we have included in MindMapBC are just a starting place; we hope to expand and refine these over time. If you have feedback you would like to share, contact us at mindmapbc@gmail.com.