Student Wellness
Wellness refers to holistic practises used by individuals or groups to maintain both their physical and mental health. It is integral as a means of preventative care and to give individuals the skills needed to succeed in their pursuits. The last few decades have seen remarkable improvements in the ability for people to candidly discuss both mental and physical health, though this has allowed us to understand how large of an issue exists. The pandemic has greatly exacerbated mental health struggles faced by students, with about 20% saying it has had a significant negative impact. As a result, I felt it imperative to pursue Wellness as a theme so we as a community can be united in our work to improve the lives of students by providing greater mental and physical health supports. My list of proposals includes various avenues of collaboration, new initiatives, and projects which I will pursue to help bolster student wellness needs.
Increasing collaboration between SWC and student groups
Firstly, expanding existing collaborations with the Student Wellness Centre is vital. Ensuring this relationship remains strong, collaborative, and frequent will allow for the creation of new programming that can be targeted to the needs of students and allow student voices are heard through all steps. I will achieve this through the creation of the Student Wellness Centre Advisory Committee, a group which will serve as a regular and formal communication link between University and student leaders. With the presence of regular contact, progress and objectives of all parties will be shared more efficiently and objectives can be set while better taking account the needs of all stakeholders.
Advocating for increased
SWC counseling and group session hours
When combining all counsellors, family doctors, psychiatrists, and other medical professionals, more than 25 individuals work to deliver healthcare services to students at SWC. Yet the Student Wellness Centre regularly functions at near peak capacity, despite major expansions. Thus, it is imperative that there be advocacy done to increase the number of group counselling programs, number of counsellors, healthcare professionals, and other supports to allow students to receive the care they need. In addition, these sessions and supports are rarely available outside of working hours, and thus often conflict with class, work, and extracurricular obligations of students. Therefore, I hope to advocate for broadening of these existing services to a greater variety of times of the day to make them more accessible to students.
Unified marketing campaigns and expansion of Thrive Week
Thrive Week is one aspect of the services offered by the Student Wellness Centre. It is a period of one week planned generally early every year. Thrive Week aims to offer students, staff, and faculty opportunities to learn useful skills to manage stress, anxiety, support their mental health, and engage in community support strategies. However, this unique opportunity has been underutilized. Thus, I hope to pursue a strong campaign led in conjunction with student societies, clubs, and other student groups to both better inform of the types of programming offered and ensure that students are made able to utilize the opportunity to receive support.
Prominent Addition of
Student Assistance Plan to SWC website
The Student Assistance Plan is a prominent mental health support service offered by the MSU to students. It gives access to students, their friends, and family via phone call, text, online chat, or the iConnectYou app to vital techniques, skills, and counselling services to support their wellbeing. However, there is a lack of student knowledge about the existence of this service, and often students only become aware of it after receiving referral from the Student Wellness Centre in a personal counselling referral meeting. While it is referred to on the SWC website, SAP is buried in various tabs and difficult to find. Thus, to ensure SAP is better communicated to students, I will work with SWC and McMaster Media Production Services (MPS) to display SAP more prominently on the SWC website and use it as a tool to direct students to the affirming support they need.
Working with insurance provider ClaimSecure
to broaden services offered under the Health and Dental Plan
The MSU provides a Health & Dental Plan for students, a vital tool which helps thousands of members of our community receive the healthcare they need. However, there are areas in which this plan is lacking and must be improved. Currently, the plan covers 80% of drug and minor dental care costs though only 50% of costs regarding minor restorative dental work, 50% of costs relating to extractions, and only 10% of costs regarding major restorative dental surgeries. I will work with our insurance provider ClaimSecure to advocate for increased coverage to give students better access to the healthcare resources they deserve.