The Division of Students is aligning its services to better support the mental health and well-being of students at York University. Student Counselling & Development (SCD) and Health Education & Promotion (HEP) are now operating as one unit under the new name Student Counselling, Health & Well-being (SCHW).
The two units have joined forces to provide a holistic approach to mental health and well-being programming within the York community. This organizational repositioning brings together the services at HEP with the services at SCD. Students will have access to a comprehensive suite of services led by experienced staff and student peers dedicated to addressing their ever-changing needs. Learn more about SCHW’s realignment of services in Mental Health Matters, the Student Counselling, Health & Well-being’s 2019-20 Annual Report.
Driven by creating proactive approaches to well-being on campus, HEP’s programming and mission naturally align with the goals of SCD. Student Counselling, Health & Well-being now offers a range of services including training programs, workshops and peer-to-peer consulting in addition to the services traditionally provided by student counselling services such as walk-in counselling, short-term therapy, emergency support, group counselling, informational sessions and more. The team aims to continue to educate in the areas of physical health, nutrition, sleep, sexual health, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs.
“By bringing these two departments together and broadening our scope to include well-being, students will have access to services and resources that promote and support their happiness, health and academic success,” said Lori Walls, director of Student Counselling, Health & Well-being.
The SCHW team hopes these initiatives will lead to an expansion of their partnerships with the Faculty of Health, School of Nursing, Department of Psychology, student groups and partners in the Division of Students, as well as external community partners.
While most sessions are student-focused, SCHW workshops are open to the whole York community. The calendar for upcoming workshops and training sessions can be found on the SCHW Events & Workshops webpage.
Students interested in speaking with a counsellor for same-day support and/or short-term therapy can call 416-736-5297. SCHW’s hours of operation can be found on the Contact Us page.
For more information about how to access services, eligibility for services, after hours support resources and more, visit the Student Counselling, Health and Well-being website.