Common Inquiries

Currently, BRIA is able to offer healthcare services to people who are living in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Please add your name to our email list so that you can receive BRIA updates and information, and we will let you know when BRIA team members are presenting educational webinars that are available to everyone.

As psychiatrists who have worked closely with Primary Care Providers (PCPs) for many years, we understand how many non-billable, time-consuming tasks are left up to the PCP to do. At BRIA, we are trying to decrease the amount of work for PCPs by streamlining the patient care and referral process. This includes:

• Requiring patients to self-refer to BRIA: Patients book the MINI Mental Health Assessment on their own, and are given an individualized Care Plan which may include recommendations for a more in-depth mental health or hormonal assessment. We have learned that some patients do not follow up with mental healthcare when it is initiated by their PCP, so we have created a process for them to initiate access to their own care. When the patient is self-motivated to get help, they are more likely to engage in support, and there is a reduction in appointment no-shows or cancellations.
• Sending the PCP an easy-to-complete referral form, when needed: If the patient requires a MAXI Mental Health Assessment which includes a psychiatric consultation, a pre-made, easily-fillable referral form will be sent to the PCP. This is meant to make it easier for the PCP (it essentially just requires a few tick boxes and the PCP information). Before the BRIA Care Coordinator faxes the referral form, she informs the patient that the PCP may ask them to book an appointment to complete the form. 
• Providing follow-up to ensure the patient is getting better: Most psychiatry specialists provide a “one and done” model of care where they do one consultation and then send the patient back to the PCP to initiate and manage the suggested treatment plan. As part of the MAXI Mental Health Assessment, BRIA Psychiatrists provide 5 follow-up sessions (covered by provincial public healthcare plans). For the MEDI Health Assessment, we send the lab req directly to the patient, she checks her blood pressure at a local pharmacy, and she completes the MRS and other symptom scales on her own. We only ask the PCP to do routine screening that is recommended at that stage (eg. mammogram above 50 yrs. old). The BRIA gynaecologist will then provide an assessment, management plan, and short-term follow-up (covered by provincial public healthcare plans) to ensure the patient is on the right medical track, before sending her back to the PCP. Detailed consult notes for all BRIA assessments will be sent to the PCP.
• Offering wrap around care: BRIA has expert clinicians at each life stage, including psychiatrists, therapists, sleep consultants, and other allied health specialists. You only need to suggest one place to get all of your patients’ mental health needs met– and there is no waitlist! 

At BRIA, we designed a system to make it easy to access comprehensive, specialized mental healthcare. Our goal is to collaborate with, and make things easier for the PCP. We welcome dialogue with all PCPs and are happy to answer any questions about the BRIA model of care. Please email us at hello@betterbria.com for more information.

Many working Canadians or their spouses have some form of employee benefits, and most benefits plans cover mental health services. That means you can use your employee benefits to access BRIA’s comprehensive mental health and well-being services with one of our credentialed healthcare providers. In addition, some people have a health spending account which can be used towards healthcare services that may not be covered by your mental health benefits.

No, we are not offering direct billing at this time. Please check with your benefits provider to see what type of mental health coverage you have. BRIA professionals are covered by most benefits plans.

In mental health care, we do not have blood work or imaging tests to monitor most of our treatments, but we want to be sure that you are getting care that is helpful and effective.. To accomplish this, the BRIA team practices “measurement-based care.” We can automatically send you brief scales to complete on a regular basis to monitor symptoms.

This will only take a few minutes every few weeks, but can provide useful information  about your treatment progress. If you are not feeling better, you can meet with the BRIA Care Coordinator who can evaluate the gaps in your care and suggest a new Care Plan or change your services. Regular symptom monitoring helps you and your treatment providers see how you are feeling at regular snapshots in time, and make changes to your Care Plan as needed. 

In addition to reviewing your results with your care providers, the BRIA team asks all patients to review their own scores and results in between appointments and to reach out to the Care Coordinator or their BRIA health care provider with concerns. The scores are not monitored 24/7. If you are in a crisis or have urgent needs, please call 988 or go to your nearest emergency department. 

At BRIA, “integrated care” means that each patient has a team of healthcare providers who will be looking after them. This leads to a cohesive system of care where mental healthcare is delivered, managed and organized in a coordinated way by the BRIA  team. 

Our Care Coordinator is at the centre of the BRIA integrated care system. You may connect with her at the start of your journey with BRIA and she will be someone who you can connect with at other points along the way. Whether you need therapy or work with one of our other healthcare providers, your team of professionals will share information and updates about you and your progress, in order to best support you,  guide you, and ensure you are getting the care you need. 

At BRIA, we value the privacy of your personal health care information. 

We do not save the information from the quiz responses that you entered on our website. 

Once you have agreed to meet with a BRIA Care Coordinator for a MINI Assessment, your information will be entered into our electronic medical record, Jane APP. In Jane APP, all of your information is stored privately and securely. Each BRIA health care provider who you see will input information into your secure electronic chart on Jane App. Once you begin BRIA services, we will set up an account for you on Greenspace, for symptom tracking. This online service is also PHIPA compliant and will store the information that you enter in a secure manner.

The cost of BRIA services varies, depending on the exact service. For the most up- to-date pricing information, please refer to our booking site, https://betterbria.janeapp.com/.

The Canada Revenue Agency (Government of Canada) has decided that some medical services, as provided by certain health care providers, are exempt from HST charges. Most BRIA services provided by BRIA physicians, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and lactation consultants, and some other therapists do not require HST payment. As of June 2024, government regulations no longer require HST be paid for services rendered by registered psychotherapists.

BRIA services have HST applied when required by law. This is noted in the price per service. Please reach out to hello@betterbria.com if you have any additional questions.