Staff, Faculty, and Librarians
Partners in Supporting the Emotional Well-being of Students
Awareness-raising and destigmatization campaigns, as well as education about the importance of self-care and mental health, has resulted in many students and young people having greater comfort in talking about emotional wellness and mental health. Children and youth are taught to seek out someone they trust when they feel stressed and distressed – this may a parent, family member, teacher, coach, or staff member. This carries forward into the post -secondary environment where some students may share with a professor, teaching assistant, coach, or employer if they are feeling distressed. While some students may disclose this information, for others, emotional stress or mental health challenges may be less overt and present as behavioural changes such as appearing sad, tearful, or upset. In this context, continuous absence from classes may indicate a concern.
Situations can present unexpectedly – a student may ask to speak with a faculty after class, send a distressed email, or appear tearful when speaking with a librarian. It can be challenging to know if a student is dealing with a situation that can be resolved quickly or experiencing a more serious and acute situation requiring professional support.
For faculty, staff, and librarians, it is helpful to know how to talk to students, support emotional well-being in the moment, and where to refer students for support and intervention.
Institutional and Other Resources
Here are links to resources for staff supporting students, and for staff to provide to students.
Education and training for staff, faculty and librarians
Mental Health is Evolving
The past few decades have seen advances in mental health service provision which remains complex and challenging to navigate. The term “mental health” is widely used and applies to different services ranging from early intervention or prevention supports, to hospital services that provide care for the most serious mental health concerns. The University of Toronto offers many resources for students which are now organized around a Stepped Care model, endorsed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The model provides a framework that simplifies how services are described, organized, and delivered. The image below shows the range of resources which include everything from education and peer support to counselling within our campus health centres and collaborations with local hospitals to support our U of T students. For faculty, staff, and librarians, the model is a helpful tool in understanding the system of emotional and mental health supports available to students.
While it is not the role of faculty, staff, and librarians to provide mental health interventions, knowing how to talk to a student and refer them to supports is enabled by a general understanding of mental health.
Generally speaking, mental wellness or mental health refers to one’s overall wellbeing (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual). This may reference connection with others, healthy or balanced eating, good sleep practices, good financial opportunities, etc. social and recreational programs, peer mentorship, and youth advocacy programs all help students maintain mental wellness. These tend to be proactive or less intensive approaches that can help a student manage the stress of academic life or the postsecondary environment.
Mental health concerns or mental illness refers to a set of symptoms that may lead to an impairment in daily functioning, including an inability to consistently engage in school and learning. If this situation arises, an assessment by a physician or a psychologist may lead to a formal diagnosis and recommendations for treatment including talk therapies and medications. Matching the student to the right service is part of the assessment process as the specialized help may not be located exclusively at our campus health centres and may require other community and hospital programs that reflect both specialized clinical and diverse cultural needs.
Stepped Care Model
Self Care
Care From Others
Step 1
Information & Education
Step 2
Self-Guided Activities
Step 3
Peer to Peer Support
Step 4
Organized
Workshops
Step 5
Guided Learning
Step 6
Group Programs
Step 7
One-on-One Sessions
Step 8
Specialist Care
Step 9
Crisis Support & Care Team Planning
Self Care
Step 1
Information & Education
Step 2
Self-Guided Activities
Step 3
Peer to Peer Support
Step 4
Organized
Workshops
Step 5
Guided Learning
Step 6
Group Programs
Step 7
One-on-One Sessions
Step 8
Specialist Care
Step 9
Crisis Support & Care Team Planning
Care From Others
Accessing Wellness and Mental Health Supports for Students
There are many resources across multiple websites for U of T students seeking wellness and social activities that support connectedness and community at U of T – key elements of overall emotional health and well-being. Peer support, groups, and clubs are offered through Student Life, Divisions, the Multi-Faith Centre, Centre for International Experience and student unions. It is challenging to navigate the information available – Navi, campus peer support programs, registrars, and our health centres are good entry points to find resources that match student interests and needs.
Services that focus on more serious mental health concerns and illness are generally best accessed through primary care health providers such as a family doctors or nurse practitioners. A student who has an existing primary care provider should work through that relationship rather than engaging with a new provider at the campus health centres. Continuity of care with one provider is an important feature of effective healthcare planning.
Same day/next day mental health counselling services at the health centres are covered by OHIP and UHIP with no cost to the student who can call to book an appointment. A faculty or staff member particularly concerned about a student can refer directly to the health centres. The TELUS Health Student Support App and telephone counselling service is available 24/7 at no cost. Telephone counselling is particularly well-utilized by students during evening and overnight hours.
Urgent or emergency supports to students are available through the National Suicide and Crisis Line (988) and where there is immediate risk to students, Campus Safety may be engaged to respond and support the student.
