May 6, 2022 | Fredericton (New Brunswick) | Health Canada
The post-secondary student population is one of the populations hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with social isolation, virtual learning challenges, job insecurity and financial hardship have had a profound impact on mental health and well-being. Since the start of the pandemic, more than half (61%) of people aged 18-24 in Canada say their mental health has deteriorated.
To support post-secondary students during this difficult time, Jenica Atwin, MP for Fredericton, today announces on behalf of the Honorable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health , a $2 million investment in an on-campus peer support pilot project. This three-year project is led by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Funding for this project comes from previous mental health investments, approved in May 2021. CMHA is now ready to implement the pilot project on five Canadian campuses, in partnership with its local affiliates.
The goal of the On-Campus Peer Support Pilot is to equip post-secondary students with the tools they need to support their well-being and that of their peers. To this end, ACSM will work closely with institutions to train students who have lived or are living a concrete experience of mental health problems or use of psychoactive substances in order to enable them to support other students who are going through similar.
This innovative pilot project will include in-person and virtual training, as well as the accreditation of 100 peer support students across all five campuses. The peer helpers will work in tandem with the psychological counseling services and professional services offered on campus. They will help direct students to supports offered by the community at large and local CMHA branches. The educational material will be created in collaboration with the students. In addition, peer trainers will learn how to deliver the training program so that the project can continue beyond the pilot phase.
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