Loyalist College has received a special grant which will help build on the college’s mental health and well-being programs.
The $25,000 is from the “Bell Let’s Talk” Post-Secondary Fund – Kick-Off grant.
The college will use it to support the creation of a project assistant position to implement the National Standard of Canada for Mental Heath and Well-Being for Secondary Students.
In a news release, College president Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan says the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented strain on students impacting their mental health.
“We have seen first-hand how the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented strain on our students, impacting their mental health. Having a dedicated staff member to gather data, complete research, and review our current policies and practices with a mental health and well-being lens will be a tremendous asset to the College. By implementing the National Standard, we’ll expand our mental health support services to ensure that our students, the leaders of tomorrow, have the resources they need to succeed. We’re grateful to Bell Let’s Talk for its support and dedication to strengthening mental health services in our community.”
Vaughan says having a dedicated staff member to gather data and complete research will be an asset to the college.
Loyalist College was one of 123 Canadian colleges and universities selected for the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund – Kickoff Grant. Initial grants of more than $3 million were awarded to post-secondary institutions planning to implement the Standard, which aims to identify specific gaps or needs in their mental health support services and build new initiatives to address them. The Standard was enabled through Bell Let’s Talk funding and is led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
