A student in crisis needs help now. They don't have time to wait for a doctor's appointment or a visit from family. Humber College's response: We Got You. 

"They can come to the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre (SWAC) and see one of the mental health nurses," said Stefanie Santorsola, Humber College's health promotion coordinator.  

Nurses will provide the student care depending on the level of complexity and direct them to the appropriate resources.

Counsellors are also on hand throughout the day at SWAC.

Students are never "left hanging," said Santorsola. 

Appointments for support can be made online or in person.

SWAC connect students experiencing mental health issues with local hospitals and walk-in clinics if college staff can't help them.

The centre also points students in need of some help to external resources like Good2Talk, a chat line for post-secondary students and a new service - Therapy Assist Online (TAO). The new program lets students get help remotely at home.

Stress test

Counsellors and nurses at both Lakeshore and North Campuses will help students fill out questionnaires that help determine stress levels, anxiety and depression.

Lakeshore students can access the service in room A170 March 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Humber College's North Campus hosts the stress test in the E135 Concourse March 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The questionnaire is short, roughly 20 questions. After the results are tallied, students can talk about it with a mental health counsellor or nurse.

"They will discuss with them what the next steps are and provide them with basic tips and strategies and connect them to expert resources," said Santorsola.

Part of the event is a push for increased socialization. The organizers will have a booth at both events with coffee and tea, to encourage social connection.

By students for students 

IGNITE president Monica Khosla wants to be a friendly face to students. The IGNITE executive follows her lead, handing out surveys to students and chatting one-on-one.

"Mental health and wellness is not always about giving you something and walking away from it," she said. "It's actually building that connection."

IGNITE runs a popular sleep lounge weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. which is meant to decrease stress and increase student wellness.

Khosla has also identified financial stress as a factor in student mental health. The student union hosts a 'pay what you can' Soup Bar in collaboration the the college and Feed it Forward.

Sometimes, when people are experiencing emotional or mental health issues, they listen to advice but they don't always hear it.

Enter IGNITE Real Talks. Future celebrity speakers include Jameela Jamil and Terry Crews.

"I think it's really important for students to see that these are celebrities and they're high profile people, but they still go through things that you're going through," said Khosla.

Have your say

Humber College has the goal of becoming the healthiest campus in Canada, and that requires student input.

The college wants to hear from students about its role in their mental, physical, financial and social health, and their take on equity, diversion, inclusion and community on campus.

Every student who attends Healthy Campus Student Engagement Discussion events will recieve a $10 Tim Horton's card and will be eligible to win $500 toward tuition.

Sixty-minute sessions will be held March 3 and 4 in room L1017 at the Lakeshore campus.
North Campus students can go to Seventh Semester by the Food Emporium March 9 and 10.