Niagara College (NC) is pleased to announce that it will receive $100,000 in funding over two years from the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund in support of its development and implementation of a Mental Health and Well-Being Framework.

Led by a new Mental Health and Well-Being Working Group, the College will align the National Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students and the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace into a single Framework that reflects NC’s vision and values while supporting both staff and students with mental health supports.

“We are extremely grateful to Bell and the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund for not only supporting the mental health of post-secondary students but for also helping to support systemic change of mental health supports,” said Rick Anderson, Vice-President Student Affairs. “The entire College community shares the responsibility for the mental health and well-being of its students. This new Framework will support our ongoing work of proactively supporting students with workplace goals that strengthen the ability of NC employees to respond.”

This funding will allow Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services (HWAS) to complete Phase Two and Three of the College’s adoption of the National Standard which will include the facilitation of consultations with students, faculty and staff who have diverse lived experiences including international, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and BIPOC students. Funding will also be used to create and execute knowledge-building campaigns to increase awareness of mental health supports, reduce stigma and create a culture of understanding and action that more effectively supports student mental health and well-being.

Phase One of the project began in 2021 with a review of the mental health supports that were currently in place at the College.

“Bell Let’s Talk is pleased to provide a $100,00 Post Secondary Fund grant to develop a Mental Health and Well-Being Framework for students at Niagara College,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “Bell Let’s Talk is committed to continuing to support student mental health and well-being to create positive change for mental health.”

“A thriving community is one that supports the mental health and well-being of its members, and the development of NC’s Mental Health and Well-Being Framework will provide our staff, students and faculty with the tools and resources they need to support each other and those dealing with mental health issues,” said Karen Csoli, Director, Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services, Welland Campus.

This work will complement the mental health supports already available to staff and students at the College. These supports include HWAS supports, the HEADSTRONG Mental Health Summit, Mental Health First Aid training and the Centre for Professional and Organizational Development’s Queen’s Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certificate Program.

Niagara College’s Mental Health and Well-Being Framework is scheduled to be completed in October 2024.

To date, Bell Let’s Talk has awarded over $5 million in grants to Canadian post-secondary institutions, starting with more than $3 million in initial grants to over 125 schools in early 2021. This year, Niagara College has received the maximum amount of grant money available to one institution.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 9,500 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.