The Wellness Navigator position is a new professional role at Brock University, funded by the McCall MacBain Foundation and supported by the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre.
Wellness Navigators are embedded roles within different areas on campus, including Faculty of Education, Graduate Studies, Black Student Success Centre and Athletics-Varsity.
The role focuses on fostering inclusivity and improving student and campus well-being by providing compassionate, non-judgmental, holistic, culturally responsive one-on-one personalized support to help students overcome barriers and connect them with the resources they need to thrive.
This approach not only enhances individual well-being but also fosters a more inclusive and connected campus community.
In addition to supporting students, the Wellness Navigators are also a resource to staff and faculty who want to explore ways staff and faculty can further enhance individual and campus well-being at Brock.
Meet the Wellness Navigators
Dawn Kakiroko (she/her) is a Brock University graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, holding a BA in Psychology. With a strong foundation in mental health and well-being, Dawn’s experience as a Residence Don for three years has equipped her to support students in their transition from high school to university. She believes that both her academic background and personal experiences will allow her to connect effectively with students and provide the support they need. Dawn is dedicated to helping students access the resources that best meet their needs. Students can book one-on-one appointments with her and will also have the opportunity to attend various wellness events throughout the year.
Follow the links book an In-person or Virtual appointment with Dawn.
Email: dkakiroko@brocku.ca
Matthew Marini (he/him) is a graduate of Brock University in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. During his graduate studies his main areas of research were sport psychology, student-athlete mental health and positive youth developmental within organized sport. Matthew has worked with many of the varsity teams at Brock as well as many local sport teams and organization around the region. He has conducted research across the country exploring student-athlete mental health services, exploring health and help seeking behaviours and the barriers that exist for student-athletes seeking mental health resources. His PhD thesis was focused on trying to understand the psychological and physiological influences on athletes performing under competitive pressure and exploring why athletes ‘choke’.
One of Matthew’s main research areas has been Positive Youth Development and the importance of participating in organized sport for healthy developmental outcomes. With the skills he has developed through mental performance consulting, Matthew’s goal as a Wellness Navigator is to help student-athletes improve in all aspects of their lives and continue to positively develop healthy life outcomes.
Follow the link book an In-person or Virtual appointment with Matthew.
Email: mmarini@brocku.ca
Bailey O’Hagan (she/her) graduated from the University of Guelph with a BAH in Psychology. During her time as a student, she worked within Student Wellness, and most recently since graduating, she has worked at Brock as a Health Promotion Educator in the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre. Bailey’s built a solid foundation in health, well-being, and mental health support and understands that everyone’s journey is different. Bailey is committed to helping students find the support and resources that best fit their needs. Bailey know firsthand how tough student life can be, and she is here to support you through it. If you are feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn, she is here to help you find the best path forward.
Follow the link book an In-person or Virtual appointment with Bailey.
Email: bohagan@brocku.ca
Katie Pickles (she/her) works in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs supporting master’s and PhD students. She holds an MSc in Sociology with a focus in gender studies from the University of Amsterdam and a BA in Sociology from Brock University. Alongside her work here at Brock, she is also enrolled in the MEd program and is currently working on her thesis. Katie has worked for the past several years in the field of student support in both Canada and internationally. Coupled with her lived experience as both a graduate and international student, she provides key insights into enhancing the graduate student experience. She is here to help graduate students navigate and manage any situations that may arise during their studies and understands, based on her own experiences, that sometimes things don’t always go as planned during graduate studies.
Follow the link book an In-person or Virtual appointment with Katie.
Email: kpickles@brocku.ca
Contact the Navigators
For general inquiries about the Wellness Navigator program please email: wellness@brocku.ca
Instagram: @brockwellnessnav
Ambassador of Campus Well-Being
Micro-credential Certificate Program
- Are you a Brock employee in a student-facing role?
- Are you interested in learning more about student mental health and wellbeing?
- Do you want to learn more about how to respond to students in difficulty/distress?
- Do you have an idea for a project/initiative/program that could help improve student well-being?
If you answered yes to the questions above, the Ambassadors of Campus Well-being Micro-credential may be the program for you!
The Ambassadors program includes over 15 hours of training accompanied by the completion of a capstone project that is designed by you to support a well-being-based initiative that benefits students at Brock University. Ideas for a capstone project include: sharing information about student mental health at a lunch & learn for your colleagues who are in a student-facing role; the creation of videos to share information about student health and well-being, such as meditation and mindfulness skills.
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Demonstrate a holistic, research-informed and student-with-lived experience informed understanding of mental health and wellbeing.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the holistic socio-ecological perspective of campus wellbeing and one’s role as a change agent in improving campus wellbeing.
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Understand the cultural, structural, systemic and socio-economic challenges related to social determinants of health, including the health impacts on historically marginalized populations, including adverse childhood experiences, racism, sexism, colonization.
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Gain mental health literacy including being able to recognize stigmatization of mental health issues and illnesses as well as best practices in stigma reduction and ways of being an agent of change in systems that may cause unnecessary distress on students.
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Apply strategies to support yourself and others’ mental health through compassion and mindful self-compassion.
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Apply learning to the implementation of capstone project, focused on improving individual or campus student well-being. *You may be eligible to receive $500.00 of funding to support your capstone project.
To learn more about the Ambassador of Campus Well-being Micro-credential program, please contact the Executive Director, SWAC at: adrewhassling@brocku.ca
Sponsored by:
