The Student Mental Health Strategy Implementation Committee is seeking new membership for the one-year term. The University of Windsor’s Student Mental Health Strategy was launched in October 2018, and the implementation committee has since been working to guide the process of accomplishing the 39 recommendations laid out for the campus.

Committee members meet three times per calendar year to review the University’s progress on the strategy and provide guidance to units responsible for implementing recommendations. The committee also provides direction on funding disbursement to campus-wide mental health efforts through the selection of applications to the Mental Health Initiatives Fund that support recommendations and University wellness priorities.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada in partnership with the CSA Group released a new National Standard for post-secondary student mental health — the first of its kind in the world. The standard provides a voluntary framework that post-secondary institutions can adopt to guide their campus efforts through nationally recognized practice recommendations.

Recently, the University of Windsor received a $25,000 grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund that was used to conduct a gap analysis between its Student Mental Health Strategy and the National Standard. Through these funds, a team of five students completed an environmental scan that assessed the strengths and gaps in the strategy and explored opportunities for aligning it with the recommendations found in the National Standard. The important findings of their work — notably in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusion — will be used to guide the implementation committee’s priorities moving forward.

Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to become members of the implementation committee. If you are aware of a student who is interested in supporting wellness at UWindsor, please share this opportunity with them.

Membership application: https://uwindsor.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8cusNkRyYevBKu2. Requests to join the committee will be accepted until Sept. 20.