LIVE WEBINAR

Disability Tax Credit Applications: Practical Guidance for Psychologists Completing the Mental Functions Section

Live on Zoom · Friday, October 16, 2026
  • 2 Hours
  • 1 Evaluation
  • Free
  • Live Event
  • Beginner To Advanced
  • English
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overview
A practical session on the mental functions section of the Disability Tax Credit application: how to describe functional restrictions in clear, behaviourally anchored language, and when to refer clients on for further support.

CERTIFICATION INCLUDED
This webinar is eligible for 2 Continuing Education (CE) Credits on behalf of the Canadian Psychological Association.


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ABOUT THE WEBINAR
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PRESENTATION MATERIALS
DISCLOSURE
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In the course player, you will have access to the following items:
  • 2-Hour Recorded Webinar
  • Speaker Slide Deck
  • Resource Links
  • Downloadable PDFs

    After watching the full webinar, learners must complete and pass an evaluation quiz to receive CE credits. Live participants do not need to complete the quiz.
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The Disability Tax Credit can be a gateway to supports that change a client’s financial picture, the Registered Disability Savings Plan and the Canada Disability Benefit among them. But the application turns on how well the mental functions section describes real functional impairment.

Psychologists are often the professional best placed to complete that section, and the most common problems are documentation problems: diagnosis-based reasoning where functional reasoning is needed, and vague language where behaviourally anchored description is needed.

In this free session, presented in partnership with Plan Institute and Disability Alliance BC, Solana Vannus gives an overview of the DTC and the supports it opens up, and Cynthia Minh works through the DTC form itself in detail. You will learn how to describe functional restrictions in clear, specific, behaviourally anchored language, and when to provide supplementary information or connect clients with Plan Institute, Disability Alliance BC, Access RDSP, and other supports.

The session is practical guidance for accurate, ethical documentation, and it is equally clear about the limits: not every client with a diagnosis will qualify. One hour of presentation, followed by up to an hour of questions. Registrants are welcome to send questions in advance, and time is also held for live Q&A.
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By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the purpose of the Disability Tax Credit and explain why it can be a gateway to other disability-related supports, including the RDSP and Canada Disability Benefit.

2. Identify the DTC criteria most relevant to psychologists, especially the mental functions necessary for everyday life section, including adaptive functioning, memory, problem-solving, goal-setting, and judgment.

3. Distinguish diagnosis-based reasoning from functional-impairment reasoning when considering whether a client may meet DTC eligibility criteria.

4. Describe functional restrictions in clear, specific, behaviourally anchored language that addresses severity, frequency, duration, assistance required, and impact on daily life.

5. Recognize common application problems, follow-up questionnaire issues, and situations where psychologists should provide supplementary information or refer clients to Plan Institute, Disability Alliance BC, Access RDSP, or other appropriate supports.
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This session is offered free of charge. Neither presenter receives a speaking fee from Hexagon Training.

The webinar is presented in partnership with Plan Institute and Disability Alliance BC. Cynthia Minh is Director of National Programs at Disability Alliance BC/Disability Alliance Canada and Solana Vannus is a Program Coordinator with Plan Institute. Both organizations provide DTC and RDSP support services that are referenced in the session.

Hexagon Training has no commercial interest in any product or service discussed.
Testimonials

What Our Learners Say About Hexagon Training

Great presentation as always. It was very engaging. I loved the personal anecdotes, experiences, and takeaways. 
I think it was well delivered and the content area was both thorough and exhaustive.
I really enjoy this online format. Webinar training makes it accessible for someone like myself who lives in remote areas.
MEET THE PRESENTERS

Cynthia Minh and Solana Vannus

Cynthia is the Director of National Programs at Disability Alliance BC/Disability Alliance Canada. She has extensive experience with the Disability Tax Credit, the Registered Disability Savings Plan, income tax filing, and the administrative systems that stand between people with disabilities and the benefits they are entitled to. She is a frequent presenter and educator on the DTC, RDSP, and financial inclusion, and the author of Compounding Barriers to Access: A Study of Tax Policies and Practices That Exclude Women with Disabilities in Poverty, published in the Osgoode Hall Law Journal in 2024. Her education consists of a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of British Columbia, where her interests included Asian diasporic literature and intergenerational trauma. Cynthia is passionate about dismantling the systemic and policy barriers that keep disability benefits out of reach of the people they were designed for.

Solana is a Program Coordinator with Plan Institute. She has a background in supporting and caring for individuals in the disability community, including six years as a family liaison and mental health support worker. Her education consists of certification in mental health and addictions, an Associate’s degree in Arts and Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University. Solana believes deeply in building community and uplifting the voices of those who need to be heard. She is passionate about increasing access to the disability tax credit and registered disability savings plan within the disability community.

The session is hosted and moderated by Chris Pawluk, Registered Psychologist and Director of Learning at Hexagon Psychology.

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