The Sliding Scale is a program that pays-it-forward and supports the power of collective healing. Together, we rejoice in a system that supports our business, you, and many others in need of healing and self-care.
As part of our commitment to become a socially responsible wellness centre that recognises individuals’ varying access to resources, we will be:
- Offering a tiered pricing for our services & treatments (Sliding Scale)
- Contributing 1% of our monthly revenue towards the Sliding Scale
If you’re unsure where to start, consider joining our Community Clinic – an initiative to make healthcare affordable. Find out more here.
At Soma Haus we believe that our circumstances should not impact our access to care. We are choosing to offer a Sliding Scale pricing for our services and treatments, to acknowledge that different people have varying levels of access to resources and accumulative degrees of societal privilege within a community.
We are all inherently worthy; health, community, and connection is our birthright.
To borrow Ram Dass’ words, “we’re here to walk each other home.” At Soma Haus, we believe in reparative action, authentic community-building by honouring human connection and the power of collective healing.
Our Sliding Scale relies on honest reflection and respect in order to be effective. Before claiming a Sliding Scale price, we ask that you consider your economic privilege. We have set aside simple guidelines that will help assist your reflection. Together, we can rejoice in a system that pays-it-forward, supports our business, you, and many others in need of healing and self-care.
Supporting Tier:
This is the price that is payable in the absence of a Sliding Scale.
If you:
- Have full-time employment or can comfortably not hold employment
- Have financial security, meaning you have personal savings, are comfortably able to meet your basic needs* and have expendable income**
- Have access to healthcare when needed or have personal or corporate insurance coverage
- Own a property, car, or rent a private property
- Can afford an annual holiday
You would not traditionally qualify for the Sliding Scale pricing. If you spend little time worrying about securing necessities in your life and comfortably pay for “wants”, you have economic privilege and power in our community. You leverage your privilege/power and support accessible care for others in need when you contribute to our Sliding Scale fund.
*Basic Needs: Food, Housing, and Transportation
** Expendable income: You are able to buy coffee or tea at a cafe, go to movies or concerts, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month.
Supported Tier (50% off treatments and services):
This price is reserved for those who have the desire to access healthcare and spaces of wellness but struggle to maintain access to basic needs.
If you:
- Are currently unemployed or underemployed
- Frequently stressed about meeting basic needs* and/or don’t always achieve them
- Have no or very little expendable income**
- Have debt and sometimes prohibits you from meeting your basic needs
- Qualify for government assistance in food, healthcare and/or education
- Single-parent households and little to no financial resources for self-care
- Monthly gross household income below $5,000 or per capita income of $1,000 or below
- Your monthly salary is below $3,000 and cannot allocate 2% of your salary on health and wellness services
*Basic Needs: Food, Housing, and Transportation
** Expendable income: You are able to buy coffee or tea at a cafe, go to movies or concerts, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month.
Subsidised Tier (15% off treatments and services)
We accept that you have reflected that you do not find yourself in either descriptions for the highest cost (supporting) or the lowest (supported).
If you:
- Stress about meeting basic needs* but still regularly achieve them
- Are currently employed but have varying financial liabilities such as supporting dependents (children, parents, and/ or anyone else relying on your finances)
- Are a freelancer or part-timer worker with unstable income or irregular paychecks but you still have some expendable income**
- Earned an income in the past but currently in transition and in need of temporary assistance
- Are a single-parent household and possess/have financial resources for self-care
- Monthly gross household income below $9,000 or per capita income of $2,250 or below
- OR Monthly salary is $3,000-$5,000 and can allocate 2% of your salary on health and wellness services
*Basic Needs: Food, Housing, and Transportation
** Expendable income: You are able to buy coffee or tea at a cafe, go to movies or concerts, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month.
We remind that the subsidised tier is reserved for individuals who will be further restrained if they are paying the supporting tier. Safeguard this subsidised tier for those struggling in this category and for the sustainability of the program.
Thank you for using the Sliding Scale ethically and appropriately so that we can continue to offer this discounted program for those truly in need of support. Being honest with yourself and your financial situation when engaging with the sliding scale helps to nurture strong, sustainable communities with the belief in healing collectively.
Your confidentiality is our promise. Please write in to us to claim your Sliding Scale pricing option.
Resources:
You can learn more about the Sliding Scale as a tool for Economic Justice. Worst and Cunning does an excellent job of diving into the issue of class and access to resources.