University of Calgary
IN-24: Innovation A

Campus Mental Health Strategy The University of Calgary launched an expansive Campus Mental Health Strategy in December 2015. Aimed at supporting the mental health and well-being of all students, faculty and staff, the strategy strengthens the university’s commitment to building “a community of caring.” This strategy is unlike any other at a Canadian university because it covers the students, faculty and staff - addressing mental health in the most comprehensive way. A Mental Health Task Force, including a steering committee and multi-stakeholder working group, was created in 2014. Representatives from across the university included mental health experts and practitioners as well as students, senior leadership, professors, executive and community members. The task force consulted broadly with individuals and groups, both internal and external to campus. The strategy was approved by the General Faculties Council and Board of Governors in October 2015. Mental health issues have been growing across Canada. The need for the strategy at the University of Calgary became increasingly apparent when the results of a 2013 campus-wide student survey were released. It was discovered that 90 per cent of students who responded to the survey had felt overwhelmed, 64 per cent felt lonely, 58 per cent had felt overpowering anxiety and eight per cent reported they seriously considered suicide at some point during the previous 12 months. It was further revealed that 18 per cent of students reported having been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition. For faculty and staff, the top reasons for accessing counselling include stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. In fact, mental health is the number-one reason University of Calgary employees access the Employee and Family Assistance Plan. The mental health strategy addresses the holistic needs of our entire campus community. It recognizes the importance of support, collaboration and work-life balance for optimizing mental health and well-being. The University of Calgary community includes more than 32,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff, so the institution had an opportunity to do all that we can to enhance the well-being of a significant segment of Calgary’s population. The campus mental health strategy is purposely aspirational, with an intention of building a “community of caring” where talking about mental health and well-being is encouraged, stigma around mental illness is reduced, support is assured and community members can realize their full potential, individually and collectively. The task force used an approach based on the World Health Organization’s Healthy for All strategy that comprises six strategic focus areas: • Raising awareness and promoting well-being • Developing resilience and self-management • Enhancing early identification and self-management • Providing direct service and support • Aligning institutional policies, processes and procedures • Creating and sustaining a supportive campus environment In support of the campus mental health strategy, many innovative programs have been expanded or developed on the campus. One example of such a program is UFlourish Week. This program aims to foster a campus where students, faculty and staff participate in events and activities that promote increased resiliency and capacity to flourish in their daily life. The week focuses on five key factors that promote flourishing: playing, learning, connecting, interacting and helping. These factors lead to an inclusive campus with a focus on caring and support, increased awareness of mental health programs and services offered on campus and collaboration across campus partners promoting positive mental health. This event ran for the second year in 2016 with a significant increase in overall numbers of programs and activities running. High attendance at events and activities was maintained throughout the week with a significant increase in traffic seen on the UFlourish Week website. There are a variety of events, activities and programs for students, faculty and staff in support of the mental health strategy, including: - Wellness Advocate Program - Roots of Resiliency - Bystander Intervention Training - Community Helpers Program - Champions of a Healthy Campus - Health Checks - Happiness Basics - Wellness and Health Awareness Team - Mindfulness Sessions - The Working Mind The mental health strategy contributed to the university receiving the Excellence Canada’s Mental Health at Work Bronze Level Certification in November 2016. The University is also a 2017 recipient of the WorldatWork Alliance for WorkLife Progress (AWLP) Seal of Distinction. By implementing the campus mental health strategy, the University of Calgary has enhanced a culture of a shared responsibility to promote and protect mental health and well-being. The task force used an approach based on the World Health Organization’s Healthy for All strategy that comprises six strategic focus areas: • Raising awareness and promoting well-being • Developing resilience and self-management • Enhancing early identification and self-management • Providing direct service and support • Aligning institutional policies, processes and procedures • Creating and sustaining a supportive campus environment