Our commitment to mental health and wellbeing
Brock is committed to providing a supportive and inclusive student experience that promotes wellness and provides a holistic range of approaches to support students’ mental health and well-being.
Brock’s Strategic Plan includes as one of its key strategic directions and priorities, “Realize you matter”, and states, “Brock feels different, because we are different. We believe in supporting people to develop on their own terms and in their own ways. We work towards fostering an equitable, inclusive and accessible environment in which everyone works hard and feels supported in doing so.”
Brock delivers on this commitment through various programs, policies, services, and supports.
Brock’s Student Mental Health Policy is delivered through this centralized platform, which provides access to information on programs, services, and supports available to students. In accordance with the Minister’s Directive, the University prepares an annual report to the Board of Trustees and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities outlining service utilization, student needs, program effectiveness, and continuous improvement efforts
Our programs, policies, services, and supports
Brock provides many different services and programs to meet the mental health needs of our students, including:
- Personal counselling, including in-person or online appointments, telephone counselling, and group sessions.
- On-campus health services through Student Health Services
- Accessibility accommodations and supports through Student Accessibility Services
- Drop-in peer-to-peer supports through the Wellness Hub
- Workshops and events to help students thrive
- Wellness Navigators who provide one-on-one personalized support to connect students with the resources they need to thrive.
- Crisis resources for students in need of urgent support.
- A Campus Assessment, Response, Education (CARE) and Connect Team to provide personalized support plans when students may be challenged by personal circumstances, including personal health or wellness.
These programs, supports, and services are backed by a range of institutional policies which enshrine a commitment to supporting student mental health and wellness, including:
- Accommodations Policy Provisions approved by Brock’s Senate
- Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy
- Student Code of Conduct
- Campus Assessment, Response, and Education Protocol
- Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy
In addition to providing students with programs, services, and supports at the University, Brock facilitates referrals to external resources where appropriate and provides students with information about supports outside of Brock. For more information, see the Mental Health Resources section of Student Wellness and Accessibility’s website.
Guarding student privacy and confidentiality
Brock recognizes that for many students, disclosing information about their mental health can be intimidating. Brock is committed to protecting student privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of all personal information shared. Personal information about a student’s mental health that is disclosed to the University is handled in strict accordance with the University’s obligations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Personal Health Information Protection Act, and the University’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Policy. Student information is only used or disclosed for the purpose for which it was collected, or as otherwise provided under the Acts, and will only be shared within the University with those employees who need to know the information to support the student. Further information about Brock’s privacy protections and practices can be found on the University Privacy Office’s webpage.
