As Canada brings mental health into the light on Bell Let's Talk Day, Mount Royal University is joining the conversation, working to enhance student mental health services, and is developing a suicide prevention framework focused on helping students and employees.
"In supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our campus members, it is important to acknowledge the impact of stigma and work to break down barriers to individuals accessing supports and services," says Rachelle McGrath, director of Wellness Service at Mount Royal.
MRU is developing a Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework for the institution that will encompass considerations for students and employees. Building upon work already happening, the framework will include a focus on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, and will include recommendations for further work in these areas.
"Suicide prevention is such an important area, and I am so thankful for the support and engagement from our campus community as we work to develop the guiding framework. I think this work is going to have a huge positive impact." says McGrath, who is chairing the steering committee for the strategic framework.
MRU is a leader in post-secondary student mental health. Through grant funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education, MRU's Wellness Services team recently created a provincial mental health promising practices toolkit. Tools for Success: Models of Exemplary Student Mental Health Initiatives at Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions highlights 11 case studies of exemplary mental health initiatives from various post-secondary institutions in Alberta. Read more. `
Two certificates offered by Mount Royal University's Faculty of Continuing Education support learners on their journey to gain knowledge and skills in the realm of mental health.
"If you understand why someone is behaving the way they are, you are more likely to have compassion and treat them in a way that helps versus hindering their experience," says Katharin Pritchard, an instructor in the Children's Mental Health Certificate at Mount Royal. "The pandemic has exacerbated an already critical issue. It is important that we all look for and recognize mental health issues arising in children and youth."
Talking about mental health can also start conversations about other facets of someone's life. Those with a mental health issue have a higher risk of having a substance use problem, notes Lorell Thoms, an instructor in Mount Royal's Addiction Studies Certificate.
"Addictions and mental health problems are not separate issues. They overlap in many ways," says Thoms, a registered social worker. And the effects of COVID-19 are being felt particularly hard in this population. "Most people with substance abuse disorders have already become isolated from those who care about them. Lockdowns have blocked access to many of the health coping strategies people were using support groups, exercise, even going to work."
The MRU community can visit the newly launched MRU Live Well Facebook account to take part in a digital mental health fair. The MRU Live Well Twitter and Instagram pages will be active as well, supported through the campus social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. @MRULiveWell and @mrulife will share how to access the resources and supports available on campus and hold therapeutic discussions about mental health and mental illness. A virtual photo booth has been set up for sharing pictures with #BellLet'sTalk, and pics can also be sent to livewell@mtroyal.ca for an eventual collage encompassing the thoughts, emotions and advice presented.
Read more about Bell Let's Talk Day at MRU.
