Your Questions, Answered

CALM combines structured counselling and physician care in one connected pathway. Counselling helps students build practical strategies for focus, organization, procrastination, and day-to-day functioning, while physician care supports assessment, treatment planning, and medical follow-up when appropriate. This coordinated model helps students receive both practical support and medical care in a way that feels clear and connected.

Your first visit is Orientation and Intake (Session 0). This is where you meet your counsellor, talk through what is bringing you in, review your goals and current challenges, and get a clear explanation of how the CALM pathway works. It is designed to give the rest of the pathway more structure and clarity from the start.

CALM is organized as a connected counselling + medical pathway. Care begins with Orientation and Intake, followed by focused counselling sessions and physician visits woven in along the way when appropriate. The counselling pathway includes 4 focused sessions, and the medical visits support assessment, treatment planning, and follow-up.

No. You do not need a referral to begin the counselling side of care or to book Orientation and Intake.

Yes. A referral is required for MSP-covered physician visits. Referral planning is introduced early in the pathway so there are no unnecessary delays if you continue into the medical stream.

If you are continuing into the medical stream and your referral is in place (for MSP funded visits), physician visits are integrated into the pathway after the early counselling sessions. The first physician visit is designed to move the assessment forward, with additional medical follow-up woven into care as needed.

CALM begins with counselling because the counselling work and medical care are designed to support one another. Counselling helps build context, clarify patterns, and identify practical treatment goals, which makes the physician visits more focused and useful.

Depending on your needs, the medical portion may include a physician’s assessment, history review, physical examination, bloodwork or ECG when needed, formal diagnostic clarification where appropriate, treatment planning, medication discussion, and follow-up.

For many students, CALM is no cost or low cost when eligible counselling coverage and MSP coverage are in place. Coverage can vary depending on your insurance plan and MSP eligibility.

Medical visits may still be available privately depending on your situation. This may apply to out-of-province students and international students without MSP coverage.

Medication may be considered as part of the CALM pathway (if the physician deems them necessary), but you cannot skip straight to the physician visits. CALM follows a structured pathway that begins with Orientation and Intake and the counselling portion of care, so that any medical assessment and treatment planning happen with the right clinical context.

You are welcome to request a different counsellor if another fit would feel better. The goal is for the pathway to feel supportive, clear, and collaborative.

Most visits are virtual across BC. If you continue into the medical stream, one in-person physician exam may still be required.

Most Calm visits are provided virtually to make care easier to access across BC. The pathway includes structured counselling sessions, questionnaires between visits when needed, and physician care woven into the program when appropriate. One in-person physician visit may still be required for the physical exam in the medical stream.

Counselling coverage depends on your insurance plan and annual maximum. Physician appointments are covered by MSP for eligible BC residents. When direct billing is available, we try to bill your insurer directly. If direct billing is not available for a particular service or plan, we provide itemized receipts so you can submit claims to your insurer directly.

How it works at CALM:

• Once you are ready to move forward in the medical stream, we will book your physician visit, which may include a focused physical exam, at our clinic or a partner clinic near your campus.

• You will receive a text or email with the address, directions, and access instructions before your appointment.

• Please bring government photo ID, your MSP card or insurance details, a current medication list, and any recent labs or ECG results if available.

• If you have accessibility needs, let us know so we can accommodate you.

You cannot skip the counselling portion of the CALM pathway. Counselling is required first because it helps build the clinical context for physician care. If you do not have third-party counselling coverage, you may still proceed by paying privately for counselling sessions. Medical visits are then billed to MSP, assuming your MSP coverage is active and eligible.

No. The counselling portion is required first. It helps inform the physician assessment and supports a more complete, safe, and connected model of care.

Yes. If you do not have MSP coverage, you may still proceed with the medical component within the CALM pathway on a private-pay basis. The medical portion remains part of the structured CALM program and does not begin on its own outside the counselling pathway. Itemized receipts are provided for self-submission to your insurer, but reimbursement is not guaranteed. Unfortunately, CALM can NOT bill private insurers directly for medical visits.

Yes. If you do not have MSP coverage because you are out of province, you may still proceed with the medical component within the CALM pathway on a private-pay basis. CALM does not bill out-of-province provincial health plans directly. We provide itemized receipts for self-submission, but reimbursement is not guaranteed.

The counselling pathway includes 5 focused sessions, beginning with Orientation and Intake.

Counselling sessions are 50 minutes long.

No. Some students continue with counselling only, while others move forward into the medical stream when appropriate.

There are typically 3 or 4 doctor visits, depending on your assessment needs. Not every student requires a physical exam as part of their assessment, so some students may complete the medical portion in 3 visits, while others may need 4.

Doctor visits are generally 15–20 minutes each, depending on the purpose of the visit and what needs to be reviewed.

If the doctor determines that the full picture is consistent with ADHD, a formal diagnosis may be made as part of the medical assessment.

When clinically appropriate, the doctor may review accommodation needs and provide medical documentation as part of the treatment process. (Separate fees may apply).