Well! I am happy to say that I have finally published my second post, for which I did the initial draft the day after publishing my comeback post. That last one felt clunky. I felt my writing was not up to par with where I would like it to be. I felt I could have done a better job at sharing my story. And if I had let those inner critic thoughts take over, I would not have posted at all. Well. Not until I had spent even more time overthinking. But alas! That is not what I came here to write about. Let me talk about:
The BounceBack Program
Before I get into it, I want to begin with an important disclaimer. What I am talking about here, is my experience with being referred to a program that is not a good fit for me. If you have mild anxiety/depression, then have a look a the website and talk to your primary care provider! But if you are hoping to treat PTSD with this program, then I encourage you to speak to a trauma-informed psychologist – preferably one who specializes in trauma healing – before starting/continuing the program.
In January, I saw my family doctor and asked about how he can support me with my healing, as a survivor of domestic violence with PTSD1. His response was to refer me to the social worker associated with the clinic he works at; another week or two later, I had my meeting with her. The way my doctor had spoken, I expected this to be a first meeting of many, but apparently it was a one-time meeting.
During the meeting, I informed the social worker that I:
- Have experienced domestic violence
- Have a PTSD diagnosis
- Cannot afford private care, due to being in a precarious financial situation
- Have been receiving care from practitioners that have little-to-no training or experience in trauma healing, nor have any of them been trauma-informed; and of course, the impact this has had on me and my healing
- Have been receiving care that prioritizes Cognitive behavioural therapy, which has not worked for me as of yet
- Having been forced to educate myself on the topic, I would like to receive care that blends NeuroAffective Relational Model, Internal Family Systems (aka parts work), and Somatic Healing, as my research is pointing me in that direction
This social worker referred me to the BounceBack program, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association. From the homepage:
BounceBack® is a free program from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) designed to help adults and youth 14+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Working with workbooks and a trained coach to guide you and encourage you to reflect, BounceBack® can help you build skills to improve your mental health.
https://bouncebackqc.ca/
What is not mentioned in the quote (but which is mentioned elsewhere on the site) is that this self-led program uses cognitive-behavioural techniques in the exercises provided. When I received my first call from the coach, I explained why I was referred to the program; I also explained that having looked at the website, it seemed to me that the program is not a good fit for me and why I feel this way. The coach immediately agreed with me and did not understand why I was referred in the first place.
She offered to send me the materials (which I accepted), so I could have a look, but she suspected that it would be more stressful for myself, than helpful. And I must say I agree. This is the exact kind of care I keep receiving: inadequate care that is supposed to be *good enough*, yet is merely prolonging the symptoms I am trying to move through and past.
After receiving the materials, I had a look and here are my thoughts:
The first thing stated on the document2 is that BounceBack is “a program designed to help individuals …experiencing mild to moderate depression or anxiety”. At this point, my first thought was to ask myself whether it is even worth looking at the rest of the twelve page document. Fortunately, my concerns were confirmed within the first two pages and the rest is a list of the workbooks, with explanations.
While this program is self-led, clients are paired up with a coach to support them as they move through the program. Remember above I mentioned she agreed with me this does not make sense for my situation? Well. The document states something I was asking myself:
They are not mental health clinicians but coaches who have been specially trained in the application of these specific program materials.3
For more information, see the FAQ page for health care professionals
The social worker knew that I have PTSD; despite this, she referred me to this program that is for mild anxiety/depression and without any guarantee that guidance will be from a trauma-informed coach, let alone someone who is qualified to work with trauma.
Why did she refer me to this program? My guess is because there is nothing else she could think of. Or because I have a personality that makes it so people cannot see that I am struggling, since I have never fit the pre-conceived notion of what that looks like. And so, rather than finding a program that is a good fit for me, she hoped to make me fit the program.
Needless to say, I will not be taking part in this program. But I am also thinking of the next person. What happens when another person like me goes for help? Will they be referred to the BounceBack program, despite its not being a good fit for them?
The document does mention updates to clients doctors and I also feel it is very important for health care providers to understand the limitations of this program. Let me tell you, it was incredibly draining to deal with this. It takes a lot of energy and effort to go through all of the steps I have had to go through, for those of us with certain mental health struggles/neurodiversities. And that is not even taking into consideration the impact of being re-triggered over and over. Time, energy and effort that feels like a waste, at the very least.
How can this experience not be a waste?
It seems to me that the social worker needs to understand that, thanks to her inadequate care, I have had to pull back from other habits that could actually have served me, since she did not feel I needed more than this. In my experience as a patient, my opinion and feelings about their inadequate care seems to be irrelevant. So I asked the coach assigned to me to update my care providers.
Her response was *chef’s kiss* …so very validating.
Without getting too much into it, she acknowledged me and my experiences; she admitted that this is in fact her “biggest grievance with this program/job4.” She confirmed my concern that “In reality it may make things worse, dangerous, or even just further break the spirit of people like [me] who are doing their absolute best to stay afloat and trying to get help…the RIGHT help.” She also gave me some lovely compliments that I am still working on accepting.
Since then
This draft has been waiting since the first week of March, minus some minor/unnecessary changes. Why? I was waiting for an update. But then I realized I have no idea whether my doctor or his social worker will be reaching back out to me about this ➨ though I would argue that it is their duty to follow up on the feedback they get from the program they referred me to, as they are SUPPOSED to be supporting me in my healing journey.
If I do receive any kind of follow up from my doctor or his social worker, I will edit this post to add that update. Otherwise, the search for adequate care continues …
As always, it is important for me to be clear that
while the next steps of my journey focus on trauma and healing,
I AM NOT A THERAPIST, PSYCHOLOGIST, OR ANY OF THAT!
My posts are NOT meant to give advice, but to share my experience. That said, if you are in need of support, please do reach out to me and I will do my best to help you find appropriate resources in your area. It is unacceptable for anyone to suffer.
I am so happy you are here and would love to hear from you!
- Have you taken part in the BounceBack program and would like to share your experience?
- Have you been referred to a program that was not a good fit? How did that feel? What about one that was a good fit?
- Do you have a program to recommend to someone desiring to move along their healing journey? (and please do mention the region they serve, in case another reader could benefit from it!)
- What is one small sign you have seen in yourself lately that shows you are making progress along your own personal journey, however small?
- By what I have seen, health care providers in Quebec use the DSM-5, however I suspect that were they to use the ICD-11, I would actually be diagnosed with cPTSD, which is not recognized by the DSM-5 ↩︎
- I am not sharing the document, as it is not mine to share. If you would like to see it, please reach out to the program, or speak to your health care provider about a referral. Depending on your situation, the program might be a great fit for you! ↩︎
- I have since learned that I was fortunate to be referred a coach who is interning at a clinic that does work with survivors of trauma and which uses a whole-person, depth-oriented, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed approach. The thing is, that is separate from the BounceBack program. ↩︎
- She has requested that I not use her name ↩︎
Obibini Bruni 
2 replies on “Letting Your Mind Blossom: When the Social Worker Doesn’t Understand the Program They Refer You To”
It’s too bad that people like you, who don’t fit in the “average” mold within the public system, have to do the legwork to get proper care. I’m sorry you’ve been having to go through this for a number of years now. I can attest that when we are not feeling mentally well, it can be daunting to just think of getting care and attend appointments, let alone having to find the correct care.
I have never attended the BounceBack program myself, but at my last job it was the first recommendation to our clients pending review of their file. When this was done and further to getting the client’s input, we were able to refer them to the proper private care. Of course, my work was paying for the private care. If along the way the professional chosen was not appropriate, again, with the the client’s input we would find an alternate option. A lot of doctors found this intervention beneficial for their patient. I trust doctors are at a loss for people who are financially strained.
Thank you so much for this insight! It is incredibly helpful and nice to know that it can be used in a beneficial way. Unfortunately in my case, this is not how it worked out.