Health & Wellness: Co-Creating the Future of Mental Health Services at UofT St. George Campus
The Innovation Hub partnered with Health and Wellness to support the transformation and delivery of mental health supports and services at St. George campus. As part of this new project, the Innovation Hub developed and facilitated a series of brainstorming sessions with students to better understand their needs and inform messaging, communication and first interactions for mental health support on St. George campus.
Summer 2021
How might mental health supports on St. George campus better meet student needs?
In summer 2021, Health & Wellness partnered with the Innovation Hub to conduct co-creation sessions with over 40 students on St. George Campus, during which students gave feedback on and designed what they want their mental health supports on campus to look like. From these sessions, we discovered core needs that must be addressed to improve the experience of mental health support on campus.
KEY FINDINGS
While empathy can be such a small thing, it helps set the tone for students’ interactions with mental health services on campus. Our findings play out in five themes:
- Every interaction makes a difference
- Every minute matters
- Untangling the web of services
- Representation matters
- Transparency builds trust
Students need to feel safe when accessing mental health supports on campus. Experiencing positive and empathetic interactions is an important first step in facilitating this safety. When students experience empathy and feel safe, they are more ready to continue with the process of seeking help. Our recommendations align with the frst points of contact that students have with mental health services on campus. These points of contact are important to the student experience, for they are often the most daunting, and facilitate students’ entry into the service.
Initial Contact: Make it Empathetic, Diverse, and Informative
Clearly inform students about the services available to them and what will happen during their appointment. Communicate to students that you recognize the courage it takes to seek mental health support. Offer students a variety of identity-based support and programming
First Interaction: Ensure Validation, Warmth and Safety
Ensure that students wait in an area that is private, warm and comfortable. Communicate to students that they are safe, their well-being is top priority, and their concerns are valid
Ongoing Engagement: Be Sure to Keep in Touch
Give students the opportunity to provide meaningful feedback after their appointment. No matter whether students continue to seek mental health services on campus, make sure they are aware that they will continue to be supported and are welcome to connect back with the service whenever they need to