Finding a Psychiatrist in Victoria, BC
Finding a general outpatient adult psychiatrist in the Victoria area is not easy. Learn why, what your real options are, and how to find what you really need.
Provided by Dr. Pauline Lysak, a Victoria psychiatrist in private practice.
"Just ask for help" isn't enough… Where you look matters.
Discover what you're missing
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Use Crisis Services When Required
If safety is an issue, call 9-1-1, go to the RJH or other ER, or call the crisis line (1-888-494-3888).
Start with Primary Care
To see a psychiatrist in BC, you need a referral from a doctor, usually a family doctor (or an ER doctor in emergencies) or a nurse practitioner. If you don't have one, see one at a walk-in clinic. They'll send a letter to the psychiatrist (or Island Health program) asking for you to be seen.
Family doctors are perfectly capable of treating mental illness and do so every day. Routine cases don't require a psychiatrist. If they think you need one, they can assess the urgency and send you to the right place in the system.
They can also quickly get advice from a psychiatrist via the RACE (Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise) service.
Urgent Care
If your situation is causing enough distress or risk that it should be dealt with quickly but isn't an emergency, a family doctor may refer you to USTAT (Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment). This Island Health clinic provides access to psychiatrists, therapists, and groups.
In theory, accepted patients are seen within several weeks. In practice, it's now usually several months. They provide care for up to three months. After that...?
Longer-Term
Finding a psychiatrist to provide long-term care is incredibly difficult and may involve lots of luck. The current situation is terrible. Family doctors are stuck if they feel they can't provide you proper care. They'll often throw up their hands and say, "if you can find someone, I'll refer you."
They can try a referral through CARES for the Island Health clinics or contact one of the very few private practice psychiatrists to see if they're taking patients.
One-Time Consultations
Family doctors or NPs can refer you for a one-time consultation, where you are seen once by a psychiatrist (picked by Island Health). The referring clinician gets advice back that they use to provide care for you themselves. If your needs are anything less than urgent, this may be your best bet.
How long do you have to wait even to see a psychiatrist once?
Unfortunately, last we checked, their waiting list for even a one-time consultation has stretched to many months in most cases.
And if you don't have anyone who can treat you based on the psychiatrist's recommendations…?
This is one big part of why "just go get a referral from a telehealth service" so often doesn't really end up helping.
Look Familiar? This doesn't need to happen to you!
Anything you can do to get seen sooner?
To get the most out of the psychiatrist visit? To get more help from primary care?
Yes! Download the free guide above and I'll share some vital tips. I also cover this in detail in Mental Health 201.
Why is Finding a Psychiatrist So Difficult???
In Victoria, there aren't enough psychiatrists for all the people who would benefit from seeing one (i.e., supply and demand). But it's a bit more complicated than that.
The overwhelming majority of psychiatrists in Victoria work for Island Health. You can only see them through emergency, inpatient treatment at RJH, and various outpatient programs. You need to meet certain criteria to attend those programs.
There are very, very few psychiatrists in private practice. This means they operate their own practices, i.e., they don't work for an Island Health program. They often follow patients who need help but would just get a one-time consultation. Services are still paid by MSP, not out of pocket. However, virtually all of them are full.
This wasn't as much of a problem in the past, as most people were being seen in Island Health programs. However, in ~2016, they substantially tightened their criteria, so far fewer people were eligible. That left far more people seeking help from the few private practice psychiatrists.
Things have only gotten worse since that time for non-urgent care, which is provided at Victoria Mental Health Centre (VMHC). Recruitment hasn't kept pace with psychiatrists leaving, and demand continues to increase. At this point, we've heard that pretty much the only people getting into VMHC outpatient programs are those who've been discharged from inpatient admissions.
CARES Mental Health Services
Centralized Access and Rapid Engagement Service
Referrals to all the Island Health programs go through a central intake system. This includes for USTAT, VMHC, one-time consultations, and more. Virtually all require a physician referral, preferably using a standard form they provide. There are exceptions, including for substance use (e.g., detox) and single-session counselling, where you can self-refer.
Call CARES (250-519-3485) with all questions about wait times or accessing the system.
Or try the Island Health mental health and substance use services link (888-885-8824) to "connect with information, resources and services" in your community."
