Carleton released the second version of its Student Mental Health Framework on Oct. 4, an update to the original framework implemented in 2009 by the Carleton University Student Mental Health Advisory Committee (CUSMHAC).
The updated mental health framework aims to implement a campus wide approach to student mental health while encouraging student engagement, said Suzanne Blanchard, Carleton’s vice-president (students and enrolment).
The original document focused on responding to students in situations of crisis or distress, but was missing the holistic aspects of a proactive approach to student mental health, Blanchard said.
The new framework has six sections which detail objectives and recommendations about a proactive approach to mental health. This is done through implementing and funding more student-led initiatives, training and educating staff and students, and reviewing and updating university policies, according to posters displayed at the launch.
Blanchard, the leader of CUSMHAC, spoke about the new framework at its unveiling in the Tory Building lobby on Oct. 4.
“What we wanted to do is continue the crisis management we put in place, while also looking at building more of a holistic campus wide approach to mental health and well-being,” she said.
The 2009 framework remained untouched until CUSMHAC decided to update it in the fall of 2015. According to Blanchard, these things take time.
“It may take a bit of time to get to the right format, get the right information, and decide how we want to do this, but the results of it will be much more powerful in terms of our campus,” she said.
Unlike the first framework, the new framework was a collaboration between students and the administration. The Student Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH) and the Student Mental Health Advocacy Collective (SMHAC) wrote the Student Engagement section of the new policy.
Charissa Feres, vice-president (student issues) of SAMH, said students weren’t originally included.
According to Feres, SAMH heard of the framework update last fall and contacted the committee asking that student-run mental health groups be included.
After committee approval, Feres said they attended the first meeting along with two other representatives, and added they were shocked to find a complete absence of student presence.
“My initial impression was where are all the students? We’re talking about student mental health. We need to have more students here,” they said.
Feres said they formed SMHAC to establish a dialogue.
“We were the bridge between students and [administration], elevating student voices and making sure our perspectives were heard,” Feres said.
The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) was also consulted as part of the formation of the policy.
“We’ve been through every step of the way and we’re very happy with what they’ve come to,” said CUSA president Fahd Alhattab. He said one of the major issues brought forward by CUSA is preventative mental health care.
“Students develop poor mental health habits in their first year, in their first or second semester and they carry that with them,” he said. “In the second and third year they can’t handle it anymore.”
“I am not a rare case,” Feres said, citing long wait times for counselling, a lack of campus resources, difficulties with accessibility, and academic policy that negatively affects mental health as common issues raised at SAMH and SMHAC meetings.
Feres said the document is a reminder of a shared responsibility between students and faculty to improve campus mental health through collaboration and change.
“Today we celebrate the launch of something we have accomplished, but let it also be a reminder of how much more we still need to do,” Feres said.
