The PCTEL provides training and consultation to the staff of Nova Scotia Health's Mental Health and Addictions Program (MHAP).
The main focus of the training provided by PCTEL is evidence-based mental health assessment and psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Examples of such courses include the following:
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Brief Intervention;
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Suicide Risk Assessment and Management;
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Skills Training in Crisis Intervention;
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CBT Basics for Mental Health Professionals;
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Good Psychiatric Management for BPD;
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DSM-5-TR and Evidence-Based Assessment;
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Foundations of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT);
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Motivational Interviewing;
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Group Therapy using the Unified Protocol;
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Behavioural Activation;
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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy;
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Interpersonal Therapy;
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CBT for specific disorders such as Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Exposure and Response Prevention), Psychosis, Insomnia, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Trauma-Focused CBT for Children and Adolescents, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure); and
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DBT (a foundational course, a skills training course, and an intensive course in providing standard DBT).
Most trainings are experiential in nature and include ongoing individual, small group, and peer consultation to ensure that knowledge is translated into practice.
In addition to teaching clinicians how to apply specific treatments and target specific conditions, the PCTEL also provides training in working with specific populations; for example, we provide courses in providing gender-affirming care and transitioning and readiness assessments, and LGBTQ-affirmative CBT.
While an ongoing area of development for the PCTEL (our team members identify with many sources of privilege), we strive to teach cultural responsiveness in evidence-based practice and the importance of situating clinical work in cultural humility.
The PCTEL also provides orientation courses to clerical and clinical staff and management, as well as consultation to clinicians, teams, and working groups on the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based mental health care.
