Katherine Vink
Supporting Children for a Stronger BC: Public Access to Free Licensed Psychologists Provides Early Intervention for Children and Youth with Mental Health Concerns
Words by Jessica Natale Woollard Photos by Aaron Lutsch
When a child is facing a mental health issue, their whole community is affected. Parents and caregivers may be left feeling helpless, unable to alleviate their child’s pain. Teachers do what they can to encourage attendance and participation in school life, often to no avail. Siblings and classmates, too, feel the effects, as they struggle to build friendships and connect.
“Mental health doesn’t just impact the individual,” says Dr. Katherine Vink, a Victoria-based licensed psychologist with the Ministry of Children and Families (MCFD). “It is exceptionally heartbreaking to see a child struggling. The earlier we can intervene, the better the outcomes are for children. We can help set them up with skills and strategies to cope with challenging experiences and changes in their life.”
In British Columbia, there are approximately 40 public psychologists at MCFD who support children and youth with moderate to severe mental health issues. As PEA members and part of the Government Licensed Professionals chapter, these psychologists are highly trained, coming with at least 10 years of postsecondary education and 1,600 hours of clinical residency. Many of them operate out of child and youth mental health centres located throughout the province.
By the time a family arrives for intake, they have often tried everything to help their child, Vink explains. “You’re seeing people at their most vulnerable. It takes so much courage to ask for help.”
Families can refer themselves to child and youth mental health teams in MCFD; there is no intermediary or doctor’s referral needed. In the intake process, the child or youth will be assigned a psychologist, social worker or other clinician, depending on their need.
Often, licensed psychologists like Vink treat children with severe anxiety or depression and suicidal youth, many who have experienced significant trauma. Psychologists will conduct comprehensive psychological assessments to diagnose the child or youth and develop treatment plans that include evidence-based psychological interventions. Care is usually delivered in a mix of one-on-one sessions and in family and group therapy.
When treating a child and their family, compassion, respect and sensitivity are necessary, says Vink. Licensed psychologists practice in a trauma-informed way and adapt best practices for each patient’s situation, including their family, cultural or community contexts. Relationship building with the whole family is part of the approach and is essential to treatment.
“The psychologist helps the child’s inner circle understand what is happening and develop methods of management and coping,” Vink adds.
Without the service of licensed psychologists through MCFD, the health care system would be overburdened more than it already is. In BC, 70% of primary care visits are reported to be related to mental health issues.
Seeing a psychologist privately is cost-prohibitive for most families.
“The recommended rate in BC [for a private psychologist] is around $235.00 an hour,” Vink explains. “Being able to provide a publicly funded service [through MCFD] reduces barriers and allows people to access support.”
Communities across Canada are reporting a mental health crisis with rising numbers of children and youth facing complex issues. In BC in 2023/2024, MCFD reported serving more than 23,000 children and youth for mental health concerns.
For Vink, early intervention is key.
“If children can access timely and effective mental health treatment, the better off things are going to be for them in 10, 20, 30 years,” she says.
“Psychologists have the skills and expertise to use therapeutic approaches and strategies that evidence tells us works for children and youth.”
Another aspect of the licensed psychologist role involves training future child and youth psychologists. MCFD developed a residency program that is nationally accredited.
“We’re supporting the future of the province when we invest in training psychologists,” Vink adds, noting MCFD has experienced difficulty recruiting and retaining licensed psychologists due to the significant pay discrepancy between public- and private-sector work.
Vink went through the MCFD training program in 2017/2018, while she was a doctoral student in clinical child psychology at the University of Alberta. After working at a hospital in Ontario for three years, she decided to return to Victoria and pursue her career with MCFD.
“I feel so privileged that children, youth and families put trust in me,” she says. “Children and youth are the future. We need to take care of one another in this society.”
See the article in the Professional, Spring 2025
