I am pleased to announce that Leah State (she, her, hers) will be joining Humber College at the end of March as our inaugural Director, Student Well-being. Leah joins us from Sheridan College where she has served as the Manager, Wellness and Counselling Services since 2018. In this role, Leah:

• co-led the development and implementation of Sheridan’s Community Wellness Strategy which focuses on whole system approaches; healthy, supportive environments; life-long wellness learning opportunities; and inclusive wellness services;
• enhanced support for equity deserving student groups through numerous initiatives including representative hiring practices, collaborative professional development priorities focused on decolonizing counselling practices and enhancing student-centred care, and fostering community collaborations to enhance referral pathways for culturally-appropriate care; and
• participated in a number of initiatives to offer scalable, evidence-based practices and programs which support wholistic student care and well-being such as toolkits for cultivating well-being in the classroom, facilitating partnerships with other GTA Colleges related to enacting the National Standards for Post-Secondary Student Mental Health, and partnerships with local hospitals for coordinated care and support for recently discharged students.

Leah offers 15 years of leadership experience with expertise in social work, health promotion, health policy, and fostering conditions for students to thrive. Through the recruitment process and conversations with references, Leah stood out as a “mobilizer” and “connector” who leads from a space of curiosity and learning, bringing in and calling up members of teams and communities best positioned to contribute, guide, and facilitate key projects, conversations, and outcomes. We are excited to have her join our team!

About the Director, Student Well-being

The Director of Student Well-being provides strategic leadership for the planning, development, implementation, evaluation, operational management, and administration of all of Humber College and University of Guelph-Humber health, well-being, and accessible learning programs and services (Accessible Learning and Counselling Services, Health Centre, and Community Wellness Education and Program teams). The position has responsibility for ensuring effective interdisciplinary collaboration, service integration, and seamless student-centred delivery of associated clinical and non-clinical programs and services. The Director serves as co-chair of the College’s Student Support and Intervention Team (SSIT) which provides proactive support to students demonstrating concerning behaviours, where possible, and streamlines institutional responses to complex behavioural concerns in order to maintain a safe and supportive environment for the Humber community.

About the Student Well-being portfolio

The Student Well-being team is composed of SWAC Services, Accessible Learning and Counselling Services, Wellness Education and Programs, and the Health Centres. 

SWAC Services (Manager, SWAC Services – Vicki DiGiovanni):

• Oversee front desk teams at Student Wellness and Accessibility Centres (2 locations – North and Lakeshore Campuses which support Humber College and University of Guelph-Humber at 4 locations: the 2 named, International Graduate School (IGS), and Carrier Drive).
• Provide oversight and consistency to SWAC service models for seamless service delivery in collaboration with other functional unit teams within Student Well-being
• Low-level escalation and resolution in partnership with appropriate leads
• Liaise with IGS and UGH to ensure flow of communication, program alignment/promotion, and needs

Accessible Learning and Counselling Services (Associate Director, Accessible Learning and Counselling Services – Desta McCalla):

• Accessible Learning Services – facilitate transitional support and work with students to address functional limitations experienced as a result of a disability within the learning environment (including: alternate format learning materials, adaptive technology, academic accommodations).
• Counselling Services – provide individual and group mental health support in a psychotherapeutic environment, including: conducting initial assessments of student need and development of personalized care plans through intake appointments; providing counselling supports through brief, goal-oriented, single-session approaches; providing longer-term counselling for students with complex presentations and needs; and conducting risk management and suicide assessments, providing crisis interventions, and case management including campus and community referrals.

Wellness Education and Programs (Manager, Wellness Education and Programs – Bindia Darshan):

• wholistic health and well-being promotion, education, and prevention programs and services (including Peer Wellness Coaching, Sexual Violence Prevention and Education)
• oversight of a cross-functional, pan-College community wellness education and program strategy and framework which integrates existing health promotion and education efforts with priority growth initiatives (e.g., peer-to-peer programs, enhancing anti-oppressive practices and social determinants of health)

Health Centre (Clinical Nurse Specialist – Tawnya Clarkson; Manager, COVID Response – Jinhee Lee):

• SWAC’s Health Centre is a nurse-run clinic operating under guiding medical directives (Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurse) with various assignments, including: Mental Health Nurse, Float Nurse, COVID Reporting Nurse and supported by physicians
• Contribute to broader College health and wellness programs, health promotion activities, and larger-scale healthy community responses