News & Announcements
This fall, all New York students will be learning about mental health
May 14, 2019
By Sarah DiGiulio Elementary, middle and high school students across the state of New York have a new topic on their educational agendas as they head back to class this fall: mental health. On July 1, a new law took effect in New York, which adds a paragraph to the state’s Education Law mandating mental health as part...
NATURE OFFERS SERIOUS BENEFITS TO OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, RESEARCH SUGGESTS
May 10, 2019
NOTE: Check out our webinar related to this topic here! The students of Gradale Academy in midtown Toronto are on their way to a place they call “Mud Mountain” for some outdoor time that may offer an antidote to everyday problems affecting their physical and mental health. Situated near their school around the trails...
Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan raises $10,000 for CMHA Ontario,Mental Health on Campus
May 7, 2019
(Toronto, May 7, 2019) – Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, is pleased to thank the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) for a $10,000 donation to support the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH). The funds were raised during OTIP’s annual social media campaign on Bell Let’s Talk Day (Jan. 30) during...
How to Start a Mental Health Conversation with a Colleague
May 6, 2019
You’ve noticed a colleague hasn’t been himself lately. He’s showing up uncharacteristically late, consistently gets later and with greater frequency, and has almost entirely withdrawn from socializing at work. He no longer attends team functions outside the office, seems to be showing a drastic change in demeanor, and turns to frustration or anger quite quickly....
'People need access to healthy meals:' Inequality among Indigenous peoples may explain psychological distress
Addressing food insecurity may help improve mental health, researcher says
March 26, 2019
Improving the quality and availability of food could help reduce mental health issues among Indigenous populations in Canada, say researchers who analyzed survey responses from 14,000 Indigenous adults. Suicide is a major cause of death among First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. Collectively, suicide rates among Indigenous peoples are two to three times higher...
63% report experiencing sexual harassment on campus, Ontario survey shows
Merrilee Fullerton, minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, calls the results disturbing
March 20, 2019
The Ontario government says 63 per cent of university students who took a province-wide survey on campus sexual violence reported they have experienced some type of sexual harassment. Nearly 50 per cent of college students surveyed reported the same. Merrilee Fullerton, the minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, called the results of the survey —...
Year-end stress ups urgency of Western fundraiser
March 13, 2019
A fraternity at Western University that lost a member to suicide nearly a decade ago continues to raise money for mental health resources on campus, services it says still are lacking at high-stress times of the school year. Western students are gearing up for the Austen Berlet camp-out for mental health, a student-led event that has added gravity after the suicide of...
Schools not preparing students for 'success in this complex world,' report finds
Ontario needs more counsellors to help students cope with future demands, People for Education says
February 26, 2019
By: Natalie Nanowski Ontario schools are struggling to prepare students for the future by failing to implement policies on career and life planning, a new report by People for Education say. The study, “Roadmaps and roadblocks,” argues that groundwork for adulthood should begin in kindergarten, not just in high school, as is most...
Sex assault response training rolling out on Ontario campuses is 'critical'
Creators of training program says myths about sexual violence have 'permeated our thinking'
February 25, 2019
By: Lisa Xing Students who come forward about their experiences with sexual violence on campuses should be met with a supportive response, according to researchers at Western University, who are launching a training program across Ontario campuses. The “Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence” training was developed over three years by a team at the...
Responding to student mental health concerns in social work education: reflective questions for social work educators
By Sarah Todd, Kenta Asakura, Brenda Morris, Brooke Eagle & Gareth Park
February 4, 2019
In this paper, we explore ways in which social work educators might respond to students who report that mental health issues underlie their difficulty in meeting core competencies, or otherwise use the language of mental health to describe their struggles to succeed in social work programs. We discuss various trends in policy responses in Canada,...