Inclusive Counselling Services FAQs for Employees

Here are answers to the most common questions about the OPS Inclusive Counselling Services. Please call us at 1-888-212-8727 if you have a different question or need more information.

To learn how to search our directory of counsellors, including using different search filters and viewing search results, read our guide.

The Ontario Public Service (OPS) Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program facilitates access to counselling services for all Ontario Public Service employees and their eligible family members who self-identify as belonging to one or more of the following communities:

  • Indigenous;
  • Black;
  • 2SLGBTQIA+;
  • East/Southeast Asian;
  • South Asian;
  • Middle Eastern;
  • Latino/Latina/Latinx;
  • Jewish;
  • As a person with a disability; and
  • Francophone.

French language services are also available in most categories, so employees and families can access care that acknowledges their unique experiences and intersections of their identities.

This program was developed in consultation with employee stakeholders who provided input into their service needs. The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) has been designed in a way that not only provides employees access to counsellors with shared lived experiences and backgrounds but also takes into consideration their intersecting identities. This program offers access to a variety of counsellors in the hopes that users of the program will be better able to find a suitable match and be successful in getting the counselling support they are seeking.

The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program is available to Ontario Public Service employees and their eligible family members who self-identify as belonging to one ore more of the following communities:

  • Indigenous;
  • Black;
  • 2SLGBTQIA+;
  • East/Southeast Asian;
  • South Asian;
  • Middle Eastern;
  • Latino/Latina/Latinx;
  • Jewish;
  • As a person with a disability; and
  • Francophone.

Eligible employees and family members may contact the Coordination Service Provider (CSP) Dalton Associates to speak with a Care Navigator. Care Navigators are available via phone 1-888-212-8727 Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 8:00pm EST or by email info@opsinclusivecounselling.ca or web form.

A Care Navigator will conduct a customized intake and ensure the employee’s or family member’s eligibility for the program. Care Navigators are also available to help the employee or family member navigate the counsellor listing website and select a counsellor who best meets their needs and preferences.

Employees or family members may contact a counsellor directly to arrange for a complimentary 15-minute consultation to see if they are a good fit.

Once a counsellor is selected, the Care Navigator will provide the employee or family member with a unique client identification number (UCIN). This number is required in order to ensure your counselling sessions are covered under the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program.

The unique client identification number (UCIN) is required to access services through the Ontario Public Service Inclusive Counselling Services program. The employee or family member should have this number available when contacting the selected counsellor to book their session(s).

Note: The UCIN is not required to book a 15-minute consultation, and will be provided to the employee or family member once they have confirmed their counsellor selection with the Coordination Service Provider (CSP).

If you forget or misplace your unique client identification number (UCIN), please contact the Coordination Service Provider via phone 1-888-212-8727, email info@opsinclusivecounselling.ca and web form Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 8:00pm EST. The Care Navigator will verify the employee or family member and reissue the unique client identification number (UCIN).

Ontario Public Service employees and their eligible family members are able to access the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program. Eligible family members are defined as:

  • An employees’ spouse or partner;
  • A child, including a natural or legally adopted child, a child living with the employee during adoption probation, or a child that is living with the employee and supported solely by the employee and is a relative by blood or marriage, or is under the employee’s legal guardianship;
  • A child who is a full-time student at a recognized educational institution, up to their 26th birthday;
  • A child who remains in the employee’s household and is incapable of financial self-support because of a physical or mental disability and who depends on the employee for financial support;
  • An individual who is living with the employee and is under their guardianship, and
  • All dependent family members living in the same residence as the employee.

The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) has been designed to meet the needs of those who fall into the identified socio-demographic categories. If you do not self-identify as a belonging to any of these communities, you are encouraged to contact the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). EFAP provides access to professional, confidential support services including counselling, programs for help with common life challenges, and resources to all Ontario Public Service employees and their eligible dependents.

The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) relies on self-identification in order to access services. You are eligible if you self-identify as belonging to one or more of the listed communities and you feel that you would benefit from this program.  Only business-related information will be collected to verify your eligibility for the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS). This includes your name, email address, ministry, work location and/or work phone number.

Eligible family members will verify eligibility in the same way as employees, by providing the employee’s name and business-related information (if known).

To maintain confidentiality, if a family member is accessing services, the employee will not be contacted.

The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program is provided by the Ontario Public Service as the employer. There is no cost to the employee.

Counsellors providing services for the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program live and work across Ontario and have diverse lived experiences and backgrounds. More information on the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) counsellors can be found on our Choose a Therapist webpage.

Through the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program, Ontario Public Service employees and eligible family members can access six (6) therapeutic hours of treatment per presenting challenge or issue. These six (6) hours may be split in a way that best suits your needs (e.g., twelve (12) half-hour sessions, four (4) one-and-a-half-hour sessions, etc.). If additional treatment is required, employees and family members should discuss this need with their counsellor.

If you are experiencing a high-risk or complex situation, you may be eligible for additional therapeutic hours. This recommendation will be made by your Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) counsellor.

If you need to access Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) for another issue, you will need to contact the Coordination Service Provider before contacting a counsellor.

Ontario Public Service employees and family members who use the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program may determine if they would like to continue working with their preferred counsellor, identified through the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program. If you wish to continue your counselling relationship, you may do so with agreement from the counsellor. To be able to do this, the Ontario Public Service employee or eligible family member must acknowledge, in writing that continued counselling will be at their sole and exclusive cost.

Services beyond the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program will not be paid for by the Ontario Public Service. You may be able to use your group benefits to cover additional counselling sessions. Please speak with your counsellor regarding costs for additional sessions.

Ontario Public Service employees and eligible family members must provide a minimum of 24 hours notice to reschedule or cancel a scheduled counselling appointment. If you miss a scheduled session with your counsellor or need to reschedule at the last minute, the counsellor will inform the Coordination Service Provider and one of the six sessions you were allotted at the start of care will be forfeited. If an Ontario Public Service employee or eligible family member misses more than one scheduled appointment without advanced notice, the employee or family member will not be eligible to participate in the program for the remainder of the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31, annually).

Counsellors have identified languages they provide services in. You can search Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) counsellors using a variety of filters, including language, on the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) website. Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) Care Navigators will be able to assist employees and families in searching through profiles to identify a counsellor who speaks the requested language, if available.

If after the complimentary 15-minute consultation, or after scheduled counselling sessions, the employee or eligible family member does not believe the counsellor will be a good fit for their unique needs, the employee or family member should contact the Coordination Service Provider via phone 1-888-212-8727, email info@opsinclusivecounselling.ca and web form Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 8:00pm EST to discuss options for a different counsellor.

If you do not find a counsellor that meets your needs using the directory on the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) website, you may wish to search again using the filter that is most important to you (e.g., community served, specialization, ethno-racial identity, gender identity, etc.). You may also contact a Care Navigator to assist you with your search.

The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) is committed to continuous program improvement. The Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program team at CEHSW will continue to work to provide counsellors who meet the needs of underrepresented Ontario Public Service employees and their family members. For more information, please contact the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program team at Inclusive.Counselling.Services@ontario.ca.

To provide feedback on the Inclusive Counselling Services (ICS) program, including complaints, you can contact the Coordinating Service Provider to speak with a Care Navigator. You can also fill out the form on the website and someone will get back to you to follow up. We will respond to all feedback, and complaints will be prioritized.

If you would like to provide feedback to the Ontario Public Service team, you can contact the Centre for Health Safety and Wellness at Inclusive.Counselling.Services@ontario.ca.