educational programs in mental health

Student Affairs at Queen’s University offers a number of programs and services to educate students, faculty and staff regarding mental health issues.

These services:

• raise awareness regarding the personal, developmental and mental health concerns of students
• help reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems
• provide information, support and skills to assist members of our community who are supporting individuals facing mental health challenges
• encourage people to talk to help create more openness about mental health
• connect with community resources 

Currently, we offer 4 programs that range from a 45-minute awareness-raising session to a 2-day certificate program. Most of these sessions can be organized at no cost to campus groups (except for Mental Health First Aid).

1 - mental health first aid (mhfa) canada

  session focus

• mental health literacy (nature of mental health and mental illness, most common types of mental health problems, stigma)
• first aid intervention skills (e.g., crisis first aid for a panic attack) based on the five actions of MHFA:  ALGEE, Assess Risk of Suicide or Harm, Listen non-judgementally, Give reassurance and advice, Encourage the use of professional resources, Encourage the use of other resources
• developing awareness of resources – on-campus, local, provincial and national

 delivery

• can be delivered in a variety of formats (12 hours)
  • 2 days, four ½-day sessions, etc.
  • Content consists of lectures, videos, role plays, and case studies

 audiences

• two sessions per year are generally offered by Student Affairs
  • available to all members of the Queen’s community - faculty, staff, or students
  • on request to other groups (e.g., International Educators Training Program)

We anticipate that the next mental health first aid course for Queen's students, staff and faculty will be held in fall 2012. If you are interested in taking the course in June 2012, please see the International Centre website regarding a session being organized for the IET program.

We are committed to ensuring that information, resources, room bookings and services are as accessible as possible. If you require special accommodation, please let us know in advance if we can help with alternative formats. An outline of the program for the next session is available here.

There are differing fees for this course, dependent upon your classification:

• Student Affairs Staff - $60
• Queen's faculty and staff - $110
• Queen's alumni and community members - $175
• Students - $50

Contact Bonnie Livingstone or 613-533-6000-78886 for any special requests or questions.

 2 - mental health helping skills (mhhs)

 session focus

• mental health literacy (nature of mental health and mental illness, most common types of mental health problems, stigma, stigma-reduction), with a focus on the most common mental health problems among students (depression, anxiety, eating disorders)
• basic intervention skills (e.g., helping a friend who may be suicidal), based on four actions:  Approach, Listen, Support, Refer
• developing awareness of resources – on-campus, local, provincial and national

 delivery

• delivered in a single-day format (5 hours)
• content consists of lectures, videos, role plays, and case studies

  audiences

• residence dons, student leaders (e.g., AMS, Clubs)
• any campus groups on request (e.g., academic departments, faculty members, teaching assistants)

 3 - mental health awareness and response (mhar)

 session focus

• basic mental health awareness (mental health and mental illness, stigma, with a highlight on the most common form of mental health problem [depression])
• basic helping skills based on four actions:  Approach, Listen, Support, and Refer
• developing awareness of resources – on-campus and local

 delivery

• delivered in a single-session format (3 hours)
• lecture, videos, and case studies

 audiences

• any campus group on request (e.g., academic departments, faculty members, teaching assistants, student clubs)


 4 - identifying and responding to students in distress

  session focus

• awareness-raising (basic information about mental health, incidence of mental health problems among students, behaviours of concern, how to respond, with a particular emphasis on students in crisis)
• developing awareness of resources – on-campus and local and how to access these quickly for consultation or direct service

  delivery

• delivered in a single-session format (~45 minutes)
• short lecture and videos

  audiences

• any campus group on request (e.g., academic departments, faculty members, teaching assistants, student groups)
 

program costs and registration

• calculated on a per person basis – variable costs for students, faculty and staff (Mental Health First Aid only)
• Student Affairs Staff - $60; Queen's faculty and staff - $110; Queen's alumni and community members - $175; students - $50
• for all other sessions, contact Bonnie (see below) for information on current fees and program delivery dates

If you are interested in booking a session or have any questions, contact Bonnie Livingstone or 613-533-6000-78886.