Registering as a mental health provider
If you would like to deliver services to FNHA clients, please first review the Mental Health Benefit page and familiarize yourself with the FNHA Mental Wellness and Counselling Benefit. You can access the Mental Health Benefit Schedule here. A Mental Wellness and Counselling frequently asked resource is available here.
Provider eligibility
You must be registered with Health Benefits to provide counselling services to Health Benefits clients. You are eligible when you:
Providers must be registered with FNHB to deliver counselling services to Health Benefits Clients. Providers are eligible when they:
- Are licensed/certified and in good standing with one of the following professional bodies:
- The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors;
- The BC College of Social Workers;
- The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association; or
- The College of Psychologists of BC.
- Have a minimum of a Master’s degree in a clinical counselling discipline from an accredited institution;
- Have a minimum of 5 years’ of counselling experience;
- Have a minimum of 3 years’ of counselling experience working with First Nations people; and
- Have completed San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training, run by the Provincial Health Services Authority, and submitted the certificate of completion to mhproviderreg@fnha.ca. For more information, see: San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program.
Additional information
Step 1: Register with FNHA
To register, please email a completed copy of the Mental Health Provider Agreement Overview and Form to mhproviderreg@fnha.ca.
Please carefully review the instructions and make sure you attach all necessary forms to your application package. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Step 2: Register for Pacific Blue Cross PROVIDERnet
Once you have been approved as a provider with FNHA, you will be required to register for Pacific Blue Cross PROVIDERnet to submit Predetermination or claims.
Please continue to inform the FNHA of any changes to your status or contact information by emailing mhproviderreg@fnha.ca, in addition to updating your details in PBC PROVIDERnet.
If you have questions or inquiries related to registration, contact mhproviderreg@fnha.ca.
Once you are registered with the Health Benefits Program as a mental health provider, you can begin seeing Health Benefits clients.
- A client will contact you to set up an appointment.
- All counselling sessions must be pre-approved by Health Benefits. Before your initial session, you must submit a pre-determination through Pacific Blue Cross PROVIDERnet to determine if a client is eligible for coverage
- If the client is eligible for coverage, PROVIDERnet will be updated with an approval status. If the client needs additional hours beyond what has been approved, you are required to submit a new pre-determination to request more hours. Coverage for additional hours may be considered on an exceptional basis.
- Have the Client sign the Pay Provider Authorization form. This form must be made available on request. The form is only required to be signed once.
- You can use the
Mental Health Proof of Services Rendered to capture client signatures as proof that services were received by the client. - You must bill through PROVIDERnet. Only services rendered will be paid.
For assistance with pre-determination and claims, please contact FNHA at 1-855-550-5454.
Paper based versions of required forms are available on the Pacific Blue Cross provider resource page. Learn more here.