Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley said many victims of clergy sexual abuse need continued treatment after their traumas in his opening remarks Wednesday morning at a conference devoted the mental health and care of survivors. But critics said the Church is not doing enough to treat victims.

Many survivors require prolonged treatment, and some need it “for their whole life,” O’Malley told the conference, which was held at Boston College and hosted by BC’s Graduate School of Social Work. O’Malley has personally met with many victims since he arrived in Boston six months ago.

The Boston Archdiocese guarantees victims up to one-hour sessions each week for “an initial period of six months,” paid for by the Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach, according to the archdiocese policy on paying for therapy, posted on its website. The archdiocese requires victims’ therapists to petition for each additional six-month period of treatment. Theoretically, treatment could continue indefinitely. All other types of treatment, from hospitalization to medication, can be paid for by the archdiocese, but survivors are first asked to use their insurance to cover it.

But some groups are unsatisfied with the archdiocese’s efforts to provide complete treatment.

“We are extremely disappointed that the actions of Archbishop O’Malley don’t match up” with the victim’s need for mental health therapy, said Paul Baier, president of Survivors First, a victim’s advocacy group, in a phone interview.

He said the recent settlement that awarded $85 million to survivors has always been “heralded as a landmark decision,” and the press has continued to say the Church has guaranteed lifetime therapy coverage. But “the Church has legally guaranteed therapy as defined by the Church,” which Survivors First has documented as being cut off after 18 months, Baier said.

“When a child is sexually abused, they are pretty messed up,” and often require from five to 15 years of therapy, Baier said.

Baier said the archdiocese should do what is morally right and guarantee in writing that they will provide continuous counseling to victims.

In an interview on Friday, Ann Hagan Webb, co-coordinator for the New England office of the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, also said the settlement should have included “a promise for continued psychotherapy.”

The archdiocese began its efforts to provide therapy to victims after receiving “an avalanche of calls” from people who needed immediate treatment, said Barbara Thorp, director of the Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach, who also spoke at the conference.

“Treating survivors … has been nothing short of daunting,” Thorp said.

More than 200 therapists have provided service covered by the archdiocese, she added.

Thorp pointed out that even survivors who sought legal action against the archdiocese were not excluded from monetary support.

Despite all the criticism from victims’ advocates, O’Malley said he was optimistic about the progress the Church has made in dealing with victims.

“I have been encouraged by meetings I have had since coming to Boston,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley added that he plans to organize a similar seminar to the one held at BC to help more adequately equip priests to provide spiritual treatment for victims.