Carleton health facilitators and counsellors have cancelled multiple appointments with students as a result of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2424 strike, which began on March 5.
Emails were sent from Housing and Residence Life Services that stated residence counselling appointments and drop-in services are cancelled during the strike.
“Our counsellors are part of CUPE 2424. However, we do have a small number of non-unionized staff who are certified to do counselling,” read an official statement provided to the Charlatan by public affairs manager Beth Gorham on behalf of assistant vice-president (human resources) Rob Thomas. “Students who live in residence have been advised to visit Health and Counselling Services. There are options for students who are not able to see their regular counsellor.”
According to the Health and Counselling Services website, all counselling appointments have been cancelled due to the strike. However, it states that limited walk-in counselling appointments for urgent mental health needs are available beginning at 1 p.m. on weekdays.
In an open letter to the university administration, the Student Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH) expressed support for CUPE 2424 and blamed the university for failing to provide adequate mental health care during the strike. It said walk-in counselling visits are not an acceptable alternative to regular counselling appointments.
“These one-off appointments are short, the students have no relationship with the counsellors they see, and there is no guarantee of getting an appointment since the service is first-come, first-served,” the letter reads.
In a recent CBC article, several students shared concerns with their appointments being cancelled at Health and Counselling Services as a result of the CUPE 2424 strike.
A second-year student in residence, who asked not to be named in the article, spoke about how she managed to schedule an appointment with a general practice psychotherapist because she takes medication. However, she said she believes several other students who need cognitive therapy would not be able to secure an appointment or get enough help from the university’s on-call counsellors.
“I think that a lot of this is difficult for students that need counselling, and need that mental health support,” she told the CBC.
Maureen Murdock, director of Health and Counselling Services at Carleton, declined to comment on how mental health services have been affected. She stated in two emails that she was “busy in the clinic providing patient care.”
CUPE 2424 president Jerrett Clark said he believes the issue is more about the way Carleton officials are communicating student concerns to the public.
“Unfortunately, we’re not always aware of what’s happening on the inside,” he said. “The message from the university has been that it’s business as usual inside the university.”
Clark added that mental health is a serious concern for union members.
“We take those things very seriously, but ultimately it is up to the managers and the administration overheads on those departments to carry out those operations,” he said.
Thomas said that there several options available for students who are unable to see their regular counsellor on campus, pointing towards several Ottawa counselling services that have been advertised to students via emails from the administration.
“All of our processes remain in place to support students who are in crisis,” he stated. “We all want resolution of this matter and look forward to the day when all of our [CUPE] 2424 colleagues will return to work.”
SAMH’s open letter also calls for the university to stop minimizing the impact of the strike on students’ mental health care and encourages the administration to meet the needs of CUPE 2424 members.
“You cannot begin to value student wellness if you do not first value the wellbeing of those who provide and facilitate mental health services on campus, and this includes providing them with security in their employment and financial future,” it states.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, the following support resources are available:
Good 2 Talk: 1-866-925-5454
Ottawa Distress Centre: 613-238-3311
Ottawa Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914
Sexual Assault Peer Support Line: 613-239-1030
