Quebec wants to attract more psychologists to the public network

Quebec wants to increase the attractiveness of the public network for graduates in clinical psychology. Those who commit to working specifically in the public health network for two years after graduation will receive a $25,000 bursary.

They also want to support universities in offering more practical training for bachelor’s degrees in psychology, including internships.

“This flagship measure is designed to enable students to quickly find employment in our public networks as soon as they graduate,” said the government in a press release.

This announcement follows the tabling of a report by the former Liberal Minister of Higher Education, Hélène David.

According to her report, the number of doctoral students in psychology at Quebec universities needs to be significantly increased. The aim is to make up for the shortage of psychologists in the public sector.

The report calls for $4 million to be set aside over three years to achieve this goal.

According to the report, the Ordre des psychologues could increase the proportion of licenses issued from 75 per cent to 80 per cent.

It points out that, although many students enroll for a bachelor’s degree in psychology, ultimately too few obtain a doctorate and actually become psychologists.

“It should be remembered that the province of Quebec alone accounts for half of Canada’s psychologists, and that the shortage of psychologists seems to be present mainly in the public health and education sectors,” the report states.

The report recommends better funding for all doctoral students. It calls for bursaries for psychology interns to be increased to $30,000 annually, and indexed to the cost of living.

The document also suggests expanding training opportunities in psychotherapy.

The current Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Dery, says she intends to act on the report’s recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 8, 2023.