CICMH Conference 2019: Whole Campus, Healthy Communities

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario.

“Campuses are the sites of a wide range of mental health challenges, from exam-related stress and roommate relationship issues to anorexia and depression. A characteristic of a mental healthy campus would be students feeling safe and supported in talking about their concerns. At such a campus, everyone in the institution takes ownership of student success. Student affairs administrators, faculty, residence directors, and counsellors are often on the front lines with distressed students, and they – along with many other campus constituencies – are searching for ways to best serve students’ individual needs and those of the student body as a whole. This year’s theme, Whole Campus, Healthy Communities, looks at campus communities in their entirety. We cannot fully address student mental health without also looking at the ecosystem in which students spend a majority of their time- the campus environment. In order to promote mental well-being for students, we should also take into account the wellbeing of other campus community members, such as staff and faculty. In addition, we are also looking at larger ecosystems which students might inhabit before and after their post-secondary education. Issues like transitions from high school to post-secondary and employment prospects after graduation can have an impact on how we help students to thrive.”