The Student Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH) has formed a separate committee to review Carleton’s mental health policies because they said administration hasn’t sought out enough student input.
Carleton’s mental health policy, adopted in 2009, was created by administration and faculty to respond to crisis situations. This year, the initiative is being updated and reviewed. The current framework, which has not been reviewed in six years, has five student representatives out of its 20 members on this year’s review committee, according to Charissa Feres, SAMH’s director of student issues and equity.
Feres said she wanted to discuss this with administration, but she says they responded saying, “There’s five students on the committee—that is enough.”
SAMH formed the Student Led Mental Health Committee (SLMHC) to review the current mental health policies and programs. They also want to identify areas in need of improvement or change, as well as establish any new policy or program initiatives that would benefit students.
Feres said she believes the majority of Carleton students aren’t even aware there is a mental health framework, or that it is currently under review. Going forward, she believes it is necessary to have students get involved and speak to them about their experiences in order to create something better.
“The major flaw is that administration created this framework with very limited student input and experiences. It is necessary for students, administration, and faculty members to sit down and discuss student’s experience with mental health and help at Carleton, and how they can collaborate together,” she said.
SAMH is a student-run group at Carleton that seeks to actively engage students in not only raising awareness and reducing stigma around mental health and illness, but also in advocating for an improved mental health system that effectively meets their diverse needs.
Carleton University Students’ Association president Fahd Alhattab said, “The university generally consults students well.”
“But,” he said, “I think if there’s a group of students who are highly engaged in mental health, have identified that there’s not been enough consultation . . . and have taken action on it, then I think that’s great, and we support that.”
According to Feres, SAMH would like to see administration holding focus groups, going to where students are, and listening to what they have to say. Students have a lot of ideas and recommendations, yet there is no place where it is heard or implemented. That is where the biggest opportunity lies—there is huge potential for going upstream, she said.
Feres added SAMH will be representing the student voice in coming weeks during the review of the current framework. She said their approach will be to listen to students, showing they care. Students have a lot of interest in this group and are really advocating for themselves, but feel that administration is not listening to them, she said.
“Students are experts in their own lives, and they have a voice that should be listened to—nothing about us without us,” Feres said.
The office of the vice-president at Carleton declined comment until the new year, saying the current framework is under review.
