Media releases

• Brock-led project to support Ontario veterans through innovative wellness program

  Friday, October 27, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: October 27 2023 – R0102

  Brock researchers are on a mission to help veterans rebuild social connections and decrease post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after returning home from serving their country.

  Comrades in Well-being is a two-part program offering evidence-based wellness practices for veterans to improve mental health using sound healing, breathwork, yoga and peer support beginning Saturday, Nov. 4.

  Brock has teamed up with Boots on the Ground, a volunteer organization offering confidential peer support for first responders across Ontario, to deliver the program to veterans.

  “It’s about finding different ways to show up for yourself to support your mental wellness, whether that is showing up physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. There are different ways to show up on different levels,” says clinical co-lead on the project Tiffany Hunt, Adjunct Professor in Brock’s Faculty of Education and Registered Clinical and Health Psychologist.

  The program will offer a full-day retreat Nov. 4 at Brock University followed by 12 weeks of weekly peer-led virtual meetings.

  “In addition to talk therapy, we know people make connections in different ways,” Hunt says. “People often make deeper connections when they feel things, not only talk about them — these treatments can be transformative.”

  The retreat will include a panel discussion led by veterans sharing their lived experiences, a talk addressing trauma and healing given by Hunt and Tessa Alexander, Registered Psychological Associate and co-clinician on the project, and sessions on sound healing, breathwork and yoga followed by an opportunity to reflect as a group.

  The virtual meetings that follow will include sessions in one of the alternative methods and a reflection circle.

  According to Hunt and the research team — which includes lead researcher Brock Professor of Educational Studies Vera Woloshyn, Associate Professor of Educational Studies Michael Savage and Adjunct Professor and Instructor Lauren Cripps — a key aspect of the program is the followup, helping veterans to experience the benefits of structured, consistent treatments.

  Hunt is especially motivated to continue the research given mounting clinical support for expanding mental health and wellness benefits in Ontario, citing growing research evidence that mindfulness-based practices are helpful for reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD in various populations.

  “There is so much value in building on this research and offering it to veterans,” Hunt says. “If you want different results, you need to do something different.”

  Through funding from True Patriot Love, Canada’s foundation supporting military members, veterans and their families, Comrades in Wellbeing is free for Ontario veterans, including RCMP.

  “We have a fantastic team at Brock working with community partners on a great cause,” Hunt says.

  Registration is still being accepted for the program, and veterans interested in applying can do so through Comrades in Well-being or Boots on the Ground.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256 

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  Categories: Media releases

• New Brock centre supports Black students on path to success

  Friday, October 27, 2023 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: October 26 2023 – R0101

  “Black success has no limits.”

  They’re words Naomi Lawrence says with confidence as she talks about the work and purpose behind Brock University’s newly launched Black Student Success Centre (BSSC).

  The Goodman School of Business student, who is also a student staff member at the centre, believes firmly in its mission to advance and celebrate the achievements of Brock’s Black, African and Caribbean students. She was overjoyed to see the space officially open its doors Thursday, Oct. 26.

  “I have seen the Black Student Success Centre being built from the ground up and it has been such an inspirational experience,” Lawrence says. “It’s a space where students feel supported, where we feel heard, where we are represented and where we feel safe. We offer support where Black students are around a community of people who look like us and understand us to a deeper level.”

  Located off Market Hall in TH 131, the BSSC strives to support the academic, personal and professional growth and development of Brock’s Black students.

  Led by a dedicated team of professional and student staff, the Centre provides a welcoming and safe space for Black undergraduate and graduate students to gather, make connections and access key supports and services.

  A soft launch saw its doors open in the weeks leading up to Thursday’s ribbon cutting, with the space quickly becoming a popular spot for students to not only seek guidance, but also build community.

  “In discussions with Brock’s Black, African and Caribbean students, staff, faculty and alumni, we heard the call for resources designed to ensure Black students thrive on campus and beyond,” says Brad Clarke, Associate Vice-President, Students. “The Black Student Success Centre is a space of mutual connection and community-building. It is place of mentorship and leadership where students can guide and uplift and help Brock to reach our full collective potential.”

  Part of Brock’s ongoing commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment for all, the BSSC is rooted in guiding principles of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, which promote Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality and accountability.

  In 2021, Brock joined nearly 50 universities and colleges across Canada in signing the Charter, which identifies key barriers to Black inclusion and approaches to responding to them.

  The Black Student Success Centre along with the University’s commitment to increasing faculty and professional librarian diversity through the hiring of 12 Black scholars are among the key actions Brock has since taken as part of this meaningful work.

  “By empowering students through the Black Student Success Centre, we’re not just shaping their futures, we’re also reshaping the entire campus culture and creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for all,” says BSSC Co-ordinator Tassia Gabbidon.

  “The work we do in the Black Student Success Centre helps many students and will continue to do so for years to come,” says Monique Beauregard, BSSC Co-ordinator and Academic Advisor. “We are building community, developing skills and offering tailored services that otherwise cannot be accessed anywhere else on campus. This is exciting work to be a part of.”

  Along with individual supports offered to students, the BSSC will also provide guidance to Brock’s Black student clubs and organizations, and work to foster opportunities for leadership and collaboration across campus.

  The centre also embraces Black-focused community organizations in Niagara and seeks to honour the significant and rich Black history of the region.

  For more information on the Black Student Success Centre, visit brocku.ca/bssc

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University mstdenis@brocku.ca or 905-246-0256 

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  Categories: Media releases