More BC municipalities are prioritising access to mental health care by adding RCCs to benefit plans.

VICTORIA, BC, Aug. 4, 2026 /CNW/ -- As awareness of the importance of workplace mental health continues to grow, more BC municipalities are expanding access to mental health care by adding Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) to their extended health benefit plans. The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors commends these municipalities for strengthening mental health support for their employees.

Registered Clinical Counsellors comprise one of the largest mental health workforces providing counselling and psychotherapy services in BC. Inclusion of RCCs in employee benefit plans expands the number of qualified mental health professionals available to provide care, improving access and reducing wait times.

In 2023, BCACC conducted an audit of BC municipalities to better understand access to Registered Clinical Counsellors through employee benefit plans. Twelve municipalities confirmed they provided coverage. When BCACC repeated the review in 2026, 22 municipalities confirmed they now included Registered Clinical Counsellors in their plans, a growth of 83%.

"We want to recognize the municipalities that have taken important steps to strengthen mental health support for their employees," said Michael Radano, CEO of BCACC. "Providing access to Registered Clinical Counsellors gives employees greater choice in how they find care and reflects a growing understanding that supporting mental health is an essential part of a healthy workplace."

Municipal workforces include public works employees, recreation staff, planners, engineers, utilities workers, bylaw officers, administrative professionals, firefighters, and, in many communities, police personnel. Every municipality across BC relies on these employees, many of whom navigate stressful situations, public scrutiny, emergencies and complex community needs. Providing access to counselling can help employees receive support earlier, benefiting both individual well-being and organizational resilience.

"Municipal employees, including First Responders, face situations that can have lasting psychological impacts throughout their careers." said Scott Maxwell, CEO of Wounded Warriors Canada. "Reducing barriers to accessing timely mental health care is an important part of keeping our Trauma Exposed Professionals safe, healthy and at work. Expanding access to Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) is a positive step toward supporting the mental health of those who serve British Columbians, and we hope to see the number of municipalities adding RCCs to their extended health benefit plans continue to grow in the months and years ahead."

BCACC hopes the growing number of municipalities offering coverage for Registered Clinical Counsellors will encourage other public and private sector employers to review their employee benefit plans and continue expanding access to quality mental health care across British Columbia.

For more information on what a robust employee benefit plan looks like, please access BCACC's Employee Benefit Brochure.

BCACC: Founded in 1988, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is a nonprofit provincial professional association representing more than 10,000 members. BCACC advocates for the clinical counselling and psychotherapy profession and for improved public access to mental health services. Its regulated members, Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs), are held to rigorous standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in service and protection of the public. 
  https://bcacc.ca 

SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors