Procedure Number: STU 101 | Policy Title: Student Mental Health |
Supersedes Existing Policy: No | Policy Sponsor: Senior Vice President, Students |
Associated Procedure: No | Policy Owner: Senior Vice President, Students |
Next Review Date: January 2026 | Date Last Approved by CET: January 22, 2025 |
Related Documents and Links |
1. Purpose
This policy articulates Loyalist College’s commitment to accessible, equitable, and comprehensive mental health supports through a holistic, student-centred approach that integrates on-campus and community resources, promotes privacy, and addresses diverse student needs.
This policy has been developed in support of Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024 and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities Student Mental Health Directive in affirming the college’s dedication to continuously improving and developing fulsome mental health supports for students.
2. Application
This policy applies to all Loyalist College students.
3. Definitions
Downstream Measures: Opportunities to provide mental health supports to address reduced mental health, such as intervention and crisis response.
Holistic Support: A comprehensive range of mental health support strategies including prevention, wellness promotion, counselling, and crisis response.
Restorative Justice: An approach to justice that focuses on addressing the harm caused to victims and meeting the needs of those involved.
Student-Centred Approach: A commitment to addressing students’ diverse mental health needs, removing barriers to access, and fostering a culture of care.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A framework that guides educators in designing learning experiences that meet the needs of all individual learners to provide equal opportunities regardless of ability, disability, age, gender, cultural or linguistic background.
Upstream Measures: The provision of positive mental health supports though preventative measures around mental health and wellness promotion (e.g., stress reduction, positive coping strategies, mental health literacy and de-stigmatization).
4. Policy
Loyalist College is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, accessible, and student-centred environment that prioritizes mental health and well-being. Loyalist strives to create a college culture where every student feels empowered and supported to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals.
Loyalist College is committed to safeguarding student personal health information by securely managing it through the Electronic Medical Records Systems, as well as ensuring confidentiality and compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Personal Health Information Protection Act, and HR 500 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy.
4.1 Resource and Programming Access Points
The college ensures easy access to information on the variety of programs, policies, services and supports available for student mental wellness through the following access points:
- The Health and IMPACT Centre: this college resource provides accessible and centralized mental health and wellness services, including the Student Health Centre, counselling, accessibility supports, and mentoring services.
- The Health and Wellness web page: this resource includes a range of information, supports, and access points for students seeking information about mental health supports at the college and within the broader community.
- The Tsi Titewaya’taró:roks Indigenous Centre: additional student support services and staff are accessible for Indigenous students through this college resource.
4.2 Upstream Support Measures
Loyalist College provides a holistic range of approaches, including but not limited to, the following upstream measures of support:
- Full-time students benefit from comprehensive health coverage within the college’s establish health plan, ensuring they can access necessary medical and wellness services throughout the academic year.
- The college promotes mental health literacy and wellness through workshops, events, and other health promotion activities for students and staff.
- The college communicates mental health resources, policies, and activities effectively through multiple channels, including the college website, social media, email, student portals, orientation programs, and campus-wide awareness campaigns, ensuring students are informed and aware of the available supports and resources.
- Loyalist College actively promotes a culture of belonging through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) initiatives, fostering an environment that supports the mental health and well-being of all students.
- The college seeks to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion by delivering culturally safe programming and staff training initiatives.
- The student-created BIPOC Resource Guide and 2SLGBTQ+ Resource Guide, foster a culturally responsive safe space for students and provide information for students seeking resources within the college and the local community, including mental health supports.
- The college’s ADMIN 119 Accessibility Standards – Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities emphasizes accessibility and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to benefit from educational programs and services.
- Loyalist’s strategic plan emphasizes flexibility and support for diverse student needs, including mental health considerations. The college’s retention strategies and commitment to reducing barriers to education (e.g., Open Educational Resources) contribute to fostering an environment conducive to mental and academic success.
4.3 Downstream Support Measures
The college provides the following downstream support measures for students requiring direct support:
- The Health and IMPACT Centre offers free, short-term, and confidential counselling services by a team of accredited counsellors to address academic, social, and personal challenges.
- The Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (CARE) Team provides adapted, multidimensional support for students in addressing Student Code of Conduct infringements and situations requiring support, including mental health support, counsellors, and members of a variety of teams within the college to utilize a restorative justice approach.
- The college’s Tragic Event Response Team (TERT) is made available in response to tragic events for student crisis support.
- Specialized care and referrals are supported through connections from college healthcare providers through collaborative linkages within the broader community.
- The college ensures the development and maintenance of community partnerships to ensure students have access to specialized resources such as those provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
5. Annual Reporting and Review
An annual report will be provided to the Board of Governors regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the college’s student mental health supports and this policy. This policy and the adjacent annual report will inform the college’s review process of current student mental health programming for further improvement in the college’s role of supporting student success.
5.1 Annual Report Parameters
The report will be posted on the college’s website and submitted to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Board of Governors by January 31st each year, beginning in January 2026.
The report will detail the following:
- The range of supports that were made available for student mental health support that year, including downstream and upstream measures.
- Statistics and data-driven metrics in detailing student access to supports to inform programming success, while maintaining student health information privacy and confidentiality principles.
- Recommendations for programming improvements and opportunities for further development.
5.2 Review for Continuous Improvement
In undertaking a comprehensive review, the following considerations will be made to inform report recommendations for future programming and improvements:
- Current State Review: an evaluation of mental health services and programs using the student services assessment framework to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
- Stakeholder Consultation: input from students, staff and partners will be used to inform update considerations to mental health services to meet evolving student needs.
- Institutional Integration: opportunities to embed mental health principles across institutional practices will be reviewed, ensuring accommodations and supports are in place for students experiencing mental health challenges.
- Adaptation of Best Practices: guidance and resources for improved program design and development will be consulted, such as the Centre for in Campus Mental Health and Well Being for Postsecondary Students, the Canadian Health Promoting Campuses Network, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-being for Post-secondary Students and the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.
- Partnership Development: the college will review and seek to expand partnerships with community organizations to provide comprehensive support services.
6. Related Documents
- ADMIN 119 Accessibility Standards – Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
- HR 500 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy
- Student Code of Conduct
5. References
- 2SLGBTQ+ Resource Guide
- BIPOC Resource Guide
- Ministry of Colleges and Universities Mental Health Directive
- National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-being for Post-secondary Students
- Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges
- Personal Health Information Protection Act
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
- Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act