Success Through Wellness: Seeing Yourself in the Campus Mental Health Strategy

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Success Through WellnessSeeing Yourself in the
Campus Mental Health Strategy

• Student Affairs
• Professional Development Day
• November 26th, 2014

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Todays Agenda

• 830 Greetings and introduction
• 845 Developing an Inclusive Campus Mental
  Health Strategy
• 915 Implementation of our Campus Mental
  Health Strategy
• 1015 Break
• 1030 Mental Health Advocacy and Accessibility
• 1100 Health, Wellness, Safety and Respect
• Noon Lunch
• 100 Mental Health Services for Staff and
  Students
• 230 Responding to Mental Health Problems on
  Campus
• 300 Introduction to Group Exercise/Break

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Developing an Inclusive Mental Health Strategy
for the University of Manitoba

• Don Stewart, Ph.D., C.Psych.
• Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist
• Executive Director, Student Support
• Stephanie Loewen, M.A.
• Director, Mental Health Spiritual Health Care
• Manitoba Health, Healthy Living Seniors

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Overview

• What is mental health?
• How does mental health relate to mental illness?
• Why does mental health matter?
• How does a mental health strategy help?
• How did we develop our strategy?

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What is Mental Health?

• The capacities of each and all of us to feel,
  think, and act in ways that enhance our ability
  to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we
  face. It is a positive sense of emotional and
  spiritual well-being that respects the importance
  of culture, equity, social justice,
  interconnections, and personal dignity (PHAC,
  2006)
• The foundation for well-being and effective
  functioning for an individual and for a community
  

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You can be Mentally Ill and Mentally Well at the
Same Time!
Corey Keyes, 2002
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Why does Mental Health Matter?

• For students, mind, brain, and body must be in
  shape for and open to learning experiencesso we
  must pay attention to students well-being
  (Douce Keeling, 2014)
• For staff, a work environment that promotes good
  mental health is socially responsible, cost
  effective, and helps attract and keep good
  employees (MHCC, 2013)

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So, whats the concern?
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Universities are essentially stress
incubators that increase the risk
of mental health problems for students and staff
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Mental Health ConcernsInvolving Students

• 75 of mental disorders have an onset prior to
  age 25
• Anxiety and depression peak in the 18-24 year age
  group
• Young adults do not recognize mental health
  symptoms as such and are unlikely to seek help
• Young adults have high levels of self-stigma
• Young adults face barriers to service
  accessibility
• Young adults may lack resources to cope
  effectively

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Mental Health ConcernsInvolving Staff

• Personal and work-related stress are among the
  most common issues in EAP counselling requests
• More than 1 in 5 Canadians will develop a mental
  illness at some point in their life
• Each week about 500,000 Canadians miss work for
  mental-health related issues
• About 30 of disability claims and 70 of costs
  are mental-health related
• Mental health issues are a major source of
  workplace conflict, grievances, and turnover
• Mental health problems cost the economy about 51
  billion annually
• Each dollar invested in preventive efforts yields
  almost 6 in savings

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How does a Mental Health Strategy
Help?

• Reduces distress and increases productivity
• Fosters an environment where all can flourish

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Benefits of an Inclusive Mental Health Strategy

• Investing in campus mental health and well-being
  will contribute to
• Improved physical health
• Increased life expectancy
• Better educational achievement
• Increased skills
• Reduced health risk behaviours such as smoking
  and alcohol misuse
• Reduced risk of mental health problems and
  suicide
• Improved employment rates and productivity
• Reduced anti-social behaviour and criminality
• Higher levels of social interaction and
  participation
• - No Health Without Mental Health, 2011

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How did we Develop our Strategy?(Gather as much
information from every feasible angle!)

• Community Input
• Scrawl on the Wall
• Website
• Student, Staff Faculty Interviews
• External Partner Interviews
• Student Input
• Student Focus Groups
• NCHA Results
• Faculty Staff Input
• Online Survey

• Services Available
• On and Off-Campus Services Used
• Costs for services
• Literature Review
• Research
• Best or Promising Practices
• Healthy Universities (UK)
• CMHA/CACUSS Guide (CAN)

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Elements of Our Strategic Plan Journey

• Hire a mental health consultant
• Develop a working group
• Scan evidence-based practice
• Develop a consultation strategy
• Scan current status of the mental health service
  system, including service use
• Identify key UM, regional, and provincial
  stakeholders
• Consult with stakeholders
• Develop an advisory committee
• Review consultants report of recommendations
• Based on evidence and analysis of consultants
  report, develop a mental health strategy
• Obtain approval for mental health strategy from
  Presidents Executive Team
• Hire a Campus Mental Health Facilitator to
  develop an implementation plan and monitor
  progress and outcomes of the strategy

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Title of presentation
umanitoba.ca