How to avoid waiting list stress for mental health clinicians and clients

What’s the longest you have every waited for anything?
 
Do you remember the first concert you ever attended? I think my first was Australian Crawl, my favourite was U2 at Festival Hall (I think), before they started touring stadiums, which my best girlfriend took me to for my birthday.  (We had great seats and it was a magic night. It was amazing.)
 
Recently one of my children has just attended their first ever music concert.  The tickets to see The Kid Laroi were purchased about six months ago. My child has been counting down the weeks, the days and then the hours.  I’ve been listening to The Kid Laroi in the car for at least that long.
 
They were dropped in the city to meet with friends around 5pm, lined up to get into the arena, purchased some merchandise, sat through two support acts, posted lead up photos in a private discord chat (so I didn’t see any, because I’m the mum), sat through a sound check by the act themselves and saw the clock hit start time – 9pm.
 
And sat
 
And waited
 
And then at 9.35pm the show was called off due to The Kid Laroi being ill.
 
All that waiting.
 
I  couldn’t do anything about their waiting.  

Life is full of waiting.  You wait for concerts, wait for the RACV when your car won’t start, wait for the microwave to heat up your food…

​And many people seeking mental health support wait on waiting lists.  

How long does it take to take an appointment with a psychologist?
Just this week a client said they have been told to expect a year’s wait to get into a psychologist.  Now this has been the most extreme example, but I regularly receive calls from people saying they’ve been told to ring around as they will need to wait months and months before being able to get help.

This is problematic in so many ways.

I hate that people are being given information like this, because it’s simply not true.  Whilst there are clinicians who are booked out in advance, many more aren’t.  And while it’s really hard waiting for an artist who doesn’t show, it’s much harder sitting on a waiting list when you need support.
 
At Positive Young Minds I do not run a waiting list.  
 
How and why?
 
Two main reasons.  It's not helpful for my clients, and it's not helpful for me.
​
Three boundaries to keep when speaking with potential clients
The main benefit to me personally and professionally of not having the responsibility of maintaining a wait list is that it reduces administration burden and eases work flow, which helps me avoid burnout.  So, I say no, a lot.  To help me with saying no, here are three of my regular  strategies.

• Over time I have learnt to more clearly identify the types of clients – ages, presentations, risk level -  I work best with and when someone falls outside of that scope I don’t take them on as a client.  
• Having defined hours and days I see clients and only booking within these times. 
• Clearly communicating costs and expectations on my website and in phone calls ensures potential clients are aware of costs and expectations before booking an appointment.  This creates a natural screening out process. 

 
Four questions to ask before going on someone's waiting list
If you are in the position of seeking mental health support and calling around clinics looking for availability, before going on a waiting list ask some questions.

• How is the waiting list maintained?
• Are clients with more urgent need given priority, or is according to when you go on the list?  
• How often are you updated about how long your wait is likely to be?  
• Is this the right clinic/clinician for you?  Are you aware of how the clinician you are waiting for works?

And a really important point to remember - you do not have see the person you have been referred to.  Now, there may be a valid reason why a specific practitioner has been recommended.  They may be very knowledgeable and have a good success record in your particular area of concern.  Always check with your referrer first.  However, in many cases there are other practitioners who would be equally competent. What is important is a clinician's area of interest and experience, not so much their label.  So, if you have a referral and only been given one referral option perhaps ask your referrer for more recommendations. You can also search on Google, go to a database like Psychology Today, use an availability list or ask for recommendations from friends.  

Waiting for many things is often inevitable.  but sometimes waiting for  mental health support may not be necessary. And when it is, respectful communication and clear expectations and understanding are important.

What's been your experience with looking for mental health support, maintaining a waiting list, or being on a waiting list?  

Email me I'd love to know.

Chat soon

Kim