Pre-Authorization & Invitation Flow
Joining the MHC Specialist Network is an invitation-only, accredited process. Only clinicians pre-enrolled by MHC Administration can register. Two paths are available.
preauthorized_emails?token=…MHC Administration sends a secure invitation email to your pre-authorized address. The link contains a unique ?token=... that pre-fills your email, validates eligibility, and may pre-select your modality (Coach or Counsellor). Simply open it and complete the Welcome form.
Navigate directly to provider/welcome.php and enter your pre-authorized email address. The system verifies your eligibility. If not found, contact provider@mentalhealthchange.ie to initiate the accreditation process.
Welcome Form Fields (provider/welcome.php)
The initial registration collects: Pre-Authorized Email, First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, and a Password (min 8 chars × 2 for confirmation). Acceptance of the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and clinical safeguarding guidelines is required. On success, you are immediately redirected to the 4-step Onboarding Wizard.
Choose Your Modality: Coach or Counsellor
MHC operates two distinct clinical streams. Your modality determines the client matching algorithm weighting, document requirements, accreditation bodies accepted, and the VAT exemption applicability.
For ICF, EMCC, ILM Level 5+, or equivalent accredited coaches focusing on professional performance, career, life coaching, and positive psychology frameworks.
- ICF ACC / PCC / MCC credential required
- EMCC EQA or equivalent accepted
- VAT Standard Rate (23%) typically applies
- Topics: Burnout, Career Transitions, Leadership, Mindfulness
- Matched to clients with
service_type = 'coaching' - Availability: minimum 5 hours/week required
For IACP, PSI, ICP, BACP, or UKCP accredited counsellors and psychotherapists delivering evidence-based clinical interventions for diagnosed and sub-threshold mental health presentations.
- IACP / PSI Full Membership required (Ireland)
- Minimum NFQ Level 8 / QQI Clinical qualification
- VAT Exempt — Medical / Psychotherapy services
- Topics: Trauma & PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Grief
- Matched to clients with
service_type = 'counselling' - Mandatory Garda Vetting Confirmation required
Modality & Matching Engine Impact
The Matching Engine uses a 3-point Primary + 1-point Secondary alignment score. Coaches are weighted for professional/lifestyle topics; Counsellors for emotional/clinical topics. A classification mismatch reduces the match score significantly. Your modality is set during pre-authorization by MHC Admin and cannot be self-changed after submission.
The Onboarding Wizard — Step by Step
After account creation, you are directed to provider/onboarding.php — a multi-step wizard with 3 sequential panels plus the initial credential step.
The Welcome registration form already captured your name, DOB, email, and password. This step is automatically marked completed when you reach the Wizard. The step node shows a ✓ checkmark.
Complete all 5 sub-sections: Topics of Focus (taxonomy pill selector), Languages Spoken, Bank & Tax Details (IBAN, BIC, VAT Status), Availability Timetable (day-of-week + hours), and your Public Bio (locked post-approval).
Upload your 10 document categories (8 required, 2 optional). Each supports specific file types (PDF, images, ZIP for bulk qualifications). Documents are individually tracked in provider_documents with verification status badges.
A final summary panel shows your name, email, modality classification, and Bank IBAN for confirmation. A Clinical Undertaking certifies authenticity of all credentials. Submission triggers the clinical governance review pipeline.
Public Bio — Clinical Governance Lock
Your public bio (displayed to clients in the Matching Engine) is subject to a bio governance review after initial approval. Once approved and locked (bio_locked = 1), any future edits require a formal Bio Change Request submitted to the Clinical Lead via provider_bio_change_requests. Requests are reviewed within 2 business days.
💳 Bank & Tax Details — Field Reference
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bank_iban | Required | Irish IBAN format: IE29 AIBK 9311 5212 3456 78. Used for fortnightly payment processing. |
| bank_bic_swift | Required | 8 or 11 char BIC/SWIFT of your bank (e.g. AIBKIE2D). |
| bank_name | Required | Full official bank name (e.g. Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland). |
| bank_address | Optional | Branch city/address for reference (e.g. Dublin, Ireland). |
| tax_reference_number | Optional | Irish PPS or Tax Clearance Number (e.g. 1234567T). Required for invoicing if VAT registered. |
| vat_status | Required | exempt (Medical/Psychotherapy — most counsellors) | standard_23 | reduced_13_5 | zero_rated | other. |
| vat_rate_pct | Conditional | Only required if VAT status is not exempt. Set to 0 for exempt providers. |
Topics of Focus — Taxonomy v3 Explorer
MHC uses a curated 5-category taxonomy with 34 topics to drive the clinical matching engine. Your selected topics are cross-referenced against the client's intake assessment answers for high-affinity matching.
Click a category to browse all topics. No selection limit — choose all topics relevant to your practice.
How Topics Drive Matching
The Matching Engine scores 3 points for each Primary topic match (client's top clinical need vs. your expertise) and 1 point for Secondary matches. An additional availability bonus is applied if you have open slots in the same week the client is seeking care. Higher total scores rank you higher on the client's provider shortlist.
The 10-Category Document Upload Pack
MHC requires a comprehensive set of regulatory and clinical credential documents before any specialist can be approved for client-facing work. 8 are mandatory; 2 are conditional/optional.
Document Readiness — Before You Start
Gather all documents digitally before beginning Step 2 of the Wizard. Files must be clear, current, and unencumbered. Expired or altered documents will trigger a changes_requested status and delay your approval. Ensure your Professional Indemnity Insurance is current and your Garda Vetting is not older than 3 years.
The Clinical Approval Pipeline
After submission, your application passes through a formal clinical governance review managed by the MHC Clinical Lead and Super Admin. Here are all possible statuses.
is_match_ready = 1 set. Activation email sent. Dashboard & matching live.Changes Requested — What To Do
If your application enters changes_requested status, the Clinical Lead's notes are displayed prominently on your onboarding screen. Navigate to Step 2 (Documents), replace the flagged files, and resubmit. Common reasons: expired insurance certificate, unclear Garda Vetting letter, or mismatched accreditation modality.
On Approval — What Happens
The Clinical Lead sets approval_status = 'approved' and is_match_ready = 1. You receive an activation email. Your provider bio becomes bio_locked. The Matching Engine begins including you in client match results. Your Specialist Portal (provider/dashboard.php) becomes fully accessible with all 6 operational tabs.
The Specialist Portal — What You Get
Once approved, your full Specialist Portal at provider/dashboard.php unlocks with a complete practice management suite.
View all matched clients at provider/clients.php — complete with clinical intake data (WHO-5, PHQ-9, GAD-7 scores), session history, referral notes, and safeguarding flags.
Schedule, confirm, cancel, or mark sessions complete from provider/sessions.php. Session notes are encrypted, clinical-grade entries tied to the client record. Cancellation policy (24h/48h) is enforced here.
Coordinate session times, send care notes, and communicate with clients or MHC staff via encrypted in-platform messaging at provider/messages.php. Unread badge notifications in the dashboard topbar.
Access completed session invoices at provider/invoices.php. MHC processes fortnightly payments directly to your registered IBAN. VAT is applied based on your registered status in the system.
Update availability, languages, and topics from provider/profile.php. Note: bio text changes require a formal Bio Change Request that is reviewed by the Clinical Lead before publishing.
Access MHC platform FAQs, clinical safeguarding protocols, escalation procedures, and GDPR data handling guidelines for specialists at provider/faq.php.
Specialist Accreditation Milestone Checklist
Your onboarding is fully complete when all 5 milestones below are verified.
Official Accreditation Verification
All 5 items verified = 🟢 Ready for MATCH
1. Account Created — Welcome Form Completed
Pre-authorized email verified, personal details (name, DOB) submitted, password set, Terms & clinical safeguarding guidelines accepted. Account active in users table with role_id = ROLE_PROVIDER.
2. Profile & Forms Saved (Step 1 of Wizard)
Topics of Focus selected, Languages Spoken set, Bank IBAN / BIC / VAT status entered, weekly availability timetable configured, and public Bio written. Data persisted in providers and provider_availability tables.
3. All 8 Mandatory Documents Uploaded (Step 2 of Wizard)
Photo, Insurance, Qualifications, Membership, Proof of ID, Garda Vetting, Clinical Experience, and Professional References all uploaded and stored in provider_documents. Application can now be submitted.
4. Application Submitted to Clinical Lead (Step 3 of Wizard)
Clinical Undertaking accepted, application submitted. approval_status = submitted. Clinical Lead receives notification and begins the governance review within 2–3 business days.
5. Clinical Lead Approves — is_match_ready = 1
All credentials verified. approval_status = approved, is_match_ready = 1, bio_locked = 1. Activation email received. Full Specialist Portal and Matching Engine access confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions — Specialists
Common questions from Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and Coaches during the onboarding process.
classification field) is set during the pre-authorization process by MHC Administration and is tied to your accreditation body credentials. If you believe an error was made, contact your MHC onboarding coordinator. Changes require a full re-submission with the correct professional membership documents for the new modality. This is a clinical governance requirement, not a technical limitation.bio_locked = 1). Any edits require submitting a formal Bio Change Request through the Profile page. The Clinical Lead reviews these within 2 business days to ensure the new content meets MHC's clinical accuracy and professional standards before it goes live on your public profile.(3 × Primary Topic Match) + (1 × Secondary Topic Match) + Availability Bonus. Clients are shown a ranked shortlist of 3 providers based on score. You are not required to actively seek clients — matching is fully automated and referral-based.provider/invoices.php section of your portal.provider/faq.php.