Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.  

The goal works to ensure healthy living by promoting health advocacy, research, and disease prevention in all ages around the world. The goal seeks to reduce global mortality – through initiatives such as ensuring access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, providing support and programs for prevention and treatment of substance abuse, support the development of vaccines, and reduce the number incidents related to hazardous materials 

Taking Action

At Brock
In Niagara
Individually
Resources

Initiatives at Brock University

Brock University is committed to raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental health, and Brock is dedicated to ensuring all students, staff, faculty, and employee family members have access to health, safety, and wellness programs and is ranked #1 for mental health services by Macleans. 

Lifespan Development Research Centre 

The Lifespan Development Research Centre at Brock uses a network of multidisciplinary individuals and community agencies that are devoted to researching human development across the lifespan with specific strengths in children and adolescence. They are currently working on the Brock Healthy Youth project, which investigates health risked behaviours in adolescent brain development.  

Student Focused Wellness Services and Programs:   

Through the Student Wellness and Accessibility Services, Brock has implemented programs to meet the mental health needs of the student population. These services and programs include, Student Accessibility Services Personal Counselling Services, Student Health Services, and the Student Health and Wellness HUB. In addition to these services and programs, Student Wellness and Accessibility also hosts various workshops and group sessions throughout each academic year to support students.      

Personal Counselling Services – Counselling is offered at no cost and aims to support the well-being and retention of students by integration with existing campus resources.    

 Student Health Services – On-campus medical clinic for students, where they can meet with a nurse or doctor and address health concerns. Services include but are not limited to, mental health concerns, alcohol/drug concerns, Immunizations/injections, and STI treatment.   

The Student Health and Wellness HUB – A space where students can drop in to chat with a Peer Health Educator about ways to improve their overall health and wellness. Students can retrieve information on various student health related topics such as substance use, nutrition, sleep, sexual health, mental health and wellness.  

The Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-being – A program which addresses health and wellness challenges experienced by specific populations across Niagara and improves quality of life by promoting healthy and active living. Programs offered include the SeniorFit, Heart Strong, Power Cord exercise program, and Therapeutic Exercise for Amputees in Motion (T.E.A.M) program.  

Brock engages in community partnerships including The Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being and the Brock-Niagara Penguins. Brock-Niagara Penguins aims to have participants experience success through achievement, while developing social and leadership skills that are critical in fostering a healthy and caring community. The Penguins offer both Recreational and Competitive ParaSport Programs for Athletes with a Physical Disability.  

THE IMPACT RANKINGS

As part of Brock’s 2022 submission to THE Impact Rankings, we shared information on how the university is working toward achieving good health and wellbeing. This information ranked us in the top 400 of over 1,100 institutions around the world and gave us a score of 68.3/100.

Some key information we summitted includes:

  • Brock has a Smoking and Vaping Policy which provides protection from environmental smoke and vapour by prohibiting smoking and vaping of tobacco, nicotine, or related products except in the 17 established outdoor designated smoking areas (DSA) and prohibiting all smoking and vaping of recreational cannabis. The policy fosters health and wellness by restricting the consumption, promotion, advertising, and sale of smoking and vaping-related products.  
  • Brock has several MOUs with local health institutions including the Niagara Health System, Pathstone Mental Health, and the Niagara Region Public Health Services. These partnerships help improve the overall well-being in the Niagara Region and beyond. 
  • Brock undergraduate full-time students have access to extended health coverage including prescription drugs, practitioner, dental, travel, and accident coverage. Brock graduate students are also offered a comprehensive health, vision and dental plan.

Initiatives in the Niagara Region

Niagara Region Mental Health and Addiction  

The Region of Niagara offers adult and youth services for mental health and addiction. Members of the community can gain news, resources, and training on mental health as well as hear recovery stories. If you, a family member, or friend needs help call Crisis Outreach and Support Team at 1-866-550-5205. For children in crisis call Pathstone Mental Health at 1-800-263-4944. 

Niagara Region Health and Safety Measures 

Niagara Region offers a vast number of resources for public health including but not limited to updates on Covid-19, health inspection reports, sexual health, reporting children vaccinations, identifying ticks and more through the A-Z directory for health information. 

Niagara Region ensures fairness for everyone through Health Equity, which strives to make everyone empowered to reach their full health potential.

Individual Actions

It is important for us as individuals to take care of our own mental and physical health. These two factors in combination lead to a healthy and fulfilling lives and must be maintained. These practices go far beyond the traditional diet and exercise advice, common additions to help improve your mental and physical health are but not limited to:  

  • Journaling 
  • Goal setting
  • Mindfulness practice   
  • Yoga 
  • Exercise 

In addition to your own practice, it is important to help others who may be struggling and support them through their hardships.   

If you notice someone close to you such as a friend, family member or coworkers is acting differently reach out to them to make sure they are okay, offer them some help with tasks that might be draining and ensure they have someone to talk. 

If you or someone you know is suffering do not be afraid to reach out.