E89: Beyond the Waitlist: How Nurse Practitioners Are Redefining Mental Health Care at Dig A Little Deeper

Long wait times. Limited access. A mental health system struggling to keep up. But what if there was another way?

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of Dig A Little Deeper’s Nurse Practitioner-led mental health clinic, an innovative model that’s bridging gaps in Ontario’s healthcare system. Our lead NP joins me to share the origin story—how we built this clinic, the challenges we faced, and why Nurse Practitioners are reshaping the future of mental health care.

We dive into:

• The flaws in Ontario’s current mental health system (and how we’re addressing them),

• How our NP-led model improves access, reduces wait times, and integrates care,

• The debate around private vs. public healthcare—and why collaboration is key,

• What this means for clients, clinicians, and the future of mental health care.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible beyond the waitlist, this episode is for you.

About our Guest: Carole Gionet is a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, with a Master’s Degree in Nursing.  She has over 20 years’ experience in primary health care and mental health care. Carole has worked in a variety of settings: community health centres, university health centres and various hospitals. She currently works at SickKids Hospital in psychiatry and also for Dig a Little Deeper, providing private services across Ontario. At Dig Carole offers comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and treatment for common mental health conditions to children through to adults.

Find Carole: Website 

Resources for After the Show: 

• Our Clinic: Integrated Mental Health and all service our FAQ’s. 

• Check out the NPAO, and learn about NP Led Clinics 

• The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, learn about getting an ADHD Diagnosis in Canada. 

Find Christina (CRPO #3908):  Website | Find a Therapist | Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram | Podcast page. 

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website.

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