ACMHI Year One at a Glance Alberta Campus Mental Health Innovation 2013-2014 Closing Report
Alberta Students’ Executive Council 35 – 9912 106 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 1C5
780.756.4500 jessica@albertastudents.ca www.albertastudents.ca
Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
3
DEFINING THE GAP
4
ACMHI FUNDS
6
ACMHI INITIATIVES
7
ACMHI EVALUATION AND METRICS
12
THE FUTURE OF STUDENT-LED MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES
15
APPENDIX A
16
APPENDIX B
17
APPENDIX C
18
APPENDIX D
19
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Executive Summary Alberta Campus Mental Health Innovation fund (ACMHI or “Ack-Mee”) is supporting dedicated post-secondary students to build inclusive, stigma-free campus environments. Through building awareness, training their peers, and offering services to supplement the traditional services, students are taking ownership of mental health on their campuses. Below, the tables provide a provincial snapshot of students’ efforts in strengthening their campuses and communities. Executive Summary: Provincial Overview of ACMHI Initiatives and Outcomes
ACMHI INITIATIVES Awareness' and' Peer' Training' Stigma' Supports' Opportunities' Reduction' Programs' Campaigns'
61#
2#
Online' Resources/' Tools'
Stress' Reduction' Events'
18#
73#
125#
ACMHI INITIATIVES ( CONTINUED ) Free' On' Classes/' Guest' Classroom' Campus' Workshops/' Committees' Speakers' Presentations' Surveys' Support' groups'
14#
21#
71#
24#
11#
ACMHI OUTCOMES Active' Community/' Research' Online' MH' New' Promotional' Student' Campus' Participants' Visitors' Supporters' Services' Materials' Involvement' Connections''
16,542'
K
1,250'
2,421'
96'
34'
103'
6,797'
Total' Reach'of' Students'
60,181'
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
By Students For Students ACMHI: Year One at a Glance With thanks to Alberta Heath, the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC) launched the Alberta Campus Mental Health Innovation fund (ACMHI), supporting student-led mental health initiatives at post-secondary institutions (PSI) across the province. Over the 2013-2014 academic year, for the first time, students’ associations (SA) tackled mental health issues how they saw fit. Fourteen (14) students’ associations raised awareness, reduced stigma, and provided a variety of supplemental services to their campuses. In this report, we capture all the ACMHI initiatives and divide them by geographic regions to highlight activities and initiatives available in the northern, central, and southern regions. See Figure 1 for the provincial distribution of SAs involved with ACMHI (see Appendix A for students’ associations acronym breakdown). This classification by region is not meant to compare the efforts between students in different regions, but to facilitate a comparison and analysis of each regions progress from year to year of ACMHI programs.
Defining the Gap Post-secondary students are facing higher demands, leading to significant mental health repercussions. According to the Alberta National College Health Assessment (NCHA, 2013) data, students are facing overwhelming anxiety (57%), loneliness (64%), and exhaustion (88%). With the rise of mental health concerns, students are turning to services on campus for support causing traditional on campus services to be stretched beyond capacity. Table 1 describes the mental health services available on PSI campuses before the launch of ACMHI. The information depicted in Table 1 was collected through ACMHI applications from the 2013/2014 term. Figure 1: ACMHI Initiatives in Alberta
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Defining the Gap (continued) At the time, forty-four (44.8) mental health professionals were tasked with addressing the concerns of 122,924 students, with only thirteen professionals able to conduct formal assessments. As a result, wait times for students exist on each campus, with particular troubles being faced at peak stress times during the semester. In-house crisis intervention services exist at the majority of post-secondary institutions, yet many rely on community services to meet these demands. Few programs (16) and campaigns existed to supplement counselling services and arm students with the awareness, willingness, and skills to mange their mental health. Table 1: Baseline Mental Health Services at Post-Secondary Institutions
SAs$
SAKC#
Mental$Health$ Professionals$ Crisis$ (Psychologist$ Interventions$ &$Counsellor)$
Assessments$ on$campus$
Mental$Health/$ Life$Skills$ Programming$
Wait$Time$ for$Mental$ Health$ Services$$
Mental$ Health$ Awareness$ Campaigns$$
1.5#
0#
0#
0#
Yes##
No#
SAGPRC#
1#
0#
0#
1#
Yes#
No#
AUGSA#
3#
1#
0#
0#
Yes#
No#
SANQC#
2.5#
2#
2#
1#
Yes#
No#
2#
1#
1#
0#
Yes#
No#
7.3#
5#
7#
1#
Yes#
No#
NAITSA#
3#
1#
0#
5#
Yes##
No#
SARDC#
3#
1#
2#
1#
Yes#
Yes#
SAOC#
1#
1#
0#
3#
Yes##
No#
SABVC#
8#
2#
0#
2#
Yes#
No#
SAITSA#
8#
2#
1#
2#
Yes#
No#
ACADSA#
2#
1#
0#
0#
Yes#
No#
SAMHC#
1.5#
1#
0#
0#
Yes#
No#
1#
1#
0#
0#
Yes#
No#
44.8#
19#
13#
16#
14/14#
1/14#
CSA# SAMU#
LCSA#
Totals'
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Funds A total of $450,000 has been distributed to students across the province. See Table 2, below. Through ACMHI, SAs have received a minimum of $14,250 to a maximum of $40,000. A break down of funds is summarized in Table 3, below. While $450,000 was available, it is important to note that the requested amount totaled $549,666. Funding decisions are made by the ACMHI Approval Panel, panel members are mental health experts from across the province. They are a committee of independent, impartial adjudicators that consists of researchers, faculty, and community partners with ranging areas of expertise. Appendix D lists the Approval Panel members for 2013/2014 funding year. Table 2: Regional Summary of ACMHI funds
Regional$Summary$of$ACMHI$funds$$ Region#
Amount#of#Funds#
North#
$112,667##
Central#
$147,056##
South#
$190,277##
Total#
$450,000#
Table 3: Summary of ACMHI funds Distributed to Student Associations
'SAs'
Funds'
SAKC#
$40,000##
GPRC#
$40,000#
AUGSA#
$32,667##
SANQC#
$22,500##
CSA#
$27,700##
SAMU#
$40,000##
NAITSA#
$32,856##
SARDC#
$24,000##
SAOC#
$32,667##
SABVC#
$14,250##
SAITSA#
$40,000##
ACADSA#
$23,700##
SAMHC#
$40,000##
LCSA#
$39,660##
'Total'
$450,000''
Figure 2: Red Deer Students' Association
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Initiatives Each SA led mental health initiative specific to the needs identified as a priority on their campus. Some students felt infrastructure was desperately needed; others found baseline information was needed through research, while others got out and spoke directly with their peers through campaigns and stress reductions activities. SAs embraced their own unique styles and campus life when implementing their initiatives. Overall, SAs approached mental health by tackling issues that are important on their campus and that relate to their students’ needs. A majority of SAs focused efforts on raising awareness through anti-stigma campaigns, PostSecret walls, and a variety of informational and engaging events. See Table 4 to 7 for more details. Table 4: Regional Overview of Campaigns
Awareness$and$Stigma$ Campaigns$$
Table 5: Regional Overview of Stress reduction Events
Stress$Reduction$
Table 6: Regional Overview of Classes, Workshops, and Support
Class,$Workshops,$ Support$Groups$
Region#
Amount#
Region#
Amount#
Region#
Amount#
North#
6#
North#
5#
North#
9#
Central#
25#
Central#
30#
Central#
9#
South#
30#
South#
38#
South#
53#
Total'
61'
Total'
73'
Total'
71'
A total of sixty-one (61) events were hosted across Alberta, informing and engaging students with mental health information and resources. While normalizing the language of mental health and mental illness on campus, these events brought the discussion to students and campuses with their peers leading the way. When exams and other demands add to the growing pressures on students, many SAs wanted to provide their peers some reprieve by offering moments of relaxation. Across the province, students enjoyed over seventy-three (73) events geared to provide students moments of happiness.
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Initiatives (continued) These events also exposed students to a variety of ways to cope with stress. The well-known puppy rooms, bubble wrap, ball pits are just a few ways students took brief breaks to relax and unwind from the demands they face. With these diverse approaches used to reduce stress, many students were able to enjoy these moments of calm. Table 7: Mental Health Events Supported Through ACMHI
Awareness$and$ Stigma$ Reduction$ Campaigns$
Stress$ Reduction$
Free$Classes/$ Workshops/$ Support$groups$
SAKC#
3#
5#
8#
SAGPRC#
2#
T#
T#
AUGSA#
1#
T#
1#
SANQC#
11#
2#
6#
CSA#
3#
2#
T#
SAMU#
11#
9#
2#
NAITSA#
T#
12#
1#
SARDC#
##
5#
##
SAOC#
3#
16#
9#
SABVC#
1#
T#
2#
SAITSA#
9#
8#
22#
ACADSA#
5#
5#
12#
SAMHC#
5#
1#
T#
LCSA#
7#
8#
8#
61#
73#
71#
SAs$
Figure 3: NAITSA Stress-Less
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Totals'
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Initiatives (continued) Many colleges have limited amounts of counselling time available for students, especially during peak exam times. Two SAs focused on supplementing the traditional services with peers support. Table 8: Summary Peer Supporters and Students they Served
Peer$ Supporters$
Students$ Served$
SAGPRC#
17#
119#
SAMHC#
1#
156#
Totals'
18#
275#
SAs$
Distance learners are at a disadvantage to receive mental health support, as they are unable to access supports or information traditionally available on campus. Table 9 provides more information. To ensure all students have access to support, five (5) SAs dedicated ACMHI resources to serve these students through online supports. These online resources include online supporters, community resources information, e-magazines, and assessment tools with specialized recommendations and information.
Eighteen (18) peer supporters were trained to help and support their peers in times of distress. See Table 8 for more information. Students dedicated their time and learned helpful skills that will continue to serve them and their student communities throughout their academics, careers, and beyond. Thanks to their peers, two hundred-seventy five (275) students were able to receive support and build resiliency, while meeting with someone who can understand the many challenges of PSI. Table 9: Summary Peer Supporters and Students they Served
Online$ Resources/$ Tools$
Online$ Visitors$
AUGSA#
12#
42#
SANQC#
3#
1727#
SARDC#
1#
500#
SAOC#
1#
T#
SABVC#
1#
152#
Totals'
18#
2,421'
SAs$
Online tools have served over two thousand (2,421) students across Alberta. Connecting them with the resources, support, and information they sought out to help them with the mental health troubles they faced.
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Initiatives (continued) In order to better understand the needs of their campus and to inform the success of their initiatives, nine (9) SAs undertook research to provide them with much needed information. As summarized in Tables 10 - 11, below, over twelve hundred respondents participated in on-campus research, providing SAs and institutions the opportunity to improve their on-campus mental health services and better understand the needs of students.
Table 10: Regional Overview of Research Participants
Research$ Participants$
In addition to the valuable data and analysis provided by research, almost all research was completed in partnership with counselling services, faculty, or on-campus courses looking to educate and involve students (e.g., social workers)
Region#
Amount#
North#
194#
Central#
643#
Many of the research studies are going to be replicated in future years to continue to analyze long-term changes for mental health demands and services.
South#
413#
Total#
1250#
Table 11: Summary of On-campus Research
SAs$
Research$ On$Campus$ Surveys$ Participants$
SAKC#
1#
153#
SAGPRC#
1#
41#
SANQC#
3#
494#
CSA#
2#
119#
SAMU#
2#
T#
NAITSA#
2#
30#
SAOC#
1#
177#
SAITSA#
2#
176#
LCSA#
1#
60#
15'
1250'
Totals'
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Figure 4: Red Deer Students' Association
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Initiatives (continued) In addition to the methods described thus far, students have used a variety of other approaches to enhance their abilities to get messages out to their peers. This includes training students and faculty to improve the level of support and awareness in all dimension of campus life, with over one hundred (125) people receiving training over the 2013-2014 term. Details are provided in Table 12, below. To bring campus communities together and raise awareness, twenty-one (21) guest speakers were invited to speak at six (6) campuses. In many cases, these made a significant impact in the lives of the audience. Feedback from students has described the impact as ‘life changing’, where students felt empowered to ask for the support they need and others were given the skills to help their families in crisis. Classroom presentations were a method one campus emphasized to help inform students of services.
Table 12: Summary of Additional Mental Health Initiatives
SAs$ SAKC#
Training$
Guest$ Speakers$
Classroom$ Presentations$
Committees$
T#
4#
T#
5#
Finally, mental health committees were established and united students with other stakeholders on campus to work together to make decisions and brainstorm how their campuses will approach mental health going forward.
SAGPRC#
35#
##
24#
##
AUGSA#
T#
T#
T#
T#
SANQC#
1#
1#
T#
1#
CSA#
T#
2#
##
1#
72#
1#
T#
T#
NAITSA#
T#
T#
T#
1#
SARDC#
##
##
##
1#
SAOC#
16#
2#
T#
T#
SABVC#
T#
T#
T#
T#
SAITSA#
T#
T#
T#
1#
In almost all cases, these committees have become standing committees to continue campus efforts for mental health.
ACADSA#
T#
11#
T#
1#
SAMHC#
1#
T#
T#
T#
LCSA#
T#
T#
T#
T#
K
SAMU#
Totals'
125#
21#
24#
11#
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Evaluation and Metrics Due to the nature of ACMHI programs, many students measured success through qualitative means, basing success on the positive comments from students, partners, and stakeholders In this report information is synthesized into quantitative data to highlight how many people have been positively affected by these programs, summarizing student participation, campus and community connections, mental health supporters and more. See Tables 13 -15 for details. Table 13: Regional Summary of Student Participation
Active$Student$Involvement$ in$ACMHI$Initiatives$ Region#
Number#of# Students#
North#
2,214#
Central#
8,637#
South#
5,691#
Total#
16,542#
Table 14: Regional Summary Student Reach
Total$of$Students$ACMHI$ Reached$
K
Region#
Number#of# Students#
North#
9,192#
Central#
11,369#
South#
39,620#
Total#
60,181#
Table 15: Summary of Additional Mental Health Initiatives
Active$ Student$ Involvement$
Total$ Reach$of$ Students$
SAKC#
1049#
1381#
2,950#
SAGPRC#
119#
3911#
3,911#
AUGSA#
1046#
3,900#
3,900#
SANQC#
1282#
3503#
6,722#
CSA#
363#
363#
1,612#
T#
3000#
18,397#
NAITSA#
3262#
3262#
27,182#
SARDC#
3730#
4241#
6,456#
SAOC#
766#
2573#
2,573#
SABVC#
555#
10,727#
10,727#
SAITSA#
2020#
22897#
26,815#
ACADSA#
177#
1250#
1250#
SAMHC#
156#
156#
4,126#
LCSA#
2017#
2017#
6,303#
16,542'
60,181'
SAs$
SAMU#
Totals'
Total' Student' Population''
122,924'
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Evaluation and Metrics (continued) Over sixteen thousand (16,542) students have actively participated in ACMHI events and programs throughout the province. Though not all students have participated in events, many have been exposed to promotional materials, emails with mental health information, social media, and more. A modest estimate of over sixty thousand (60,181) students have been exposed to ACMHI information. Looking beyond student involvement, there have been two major benefits that have been reached through ACMHI initiatives. As depicted in Tables 16 and 18, thirty-four (34) new services are available to students, which include online services, peer supports, and other supplemental mental health services that increase the range of services students can access. Table 16: Regional Summary of New Services
New$Services$
New$ Services$
Community/Campus$ Connections$$
SAKC#
T#
3#
SAGPRC#
2#
2#
SAs$
Region#
Amount#
North#
14#
Central#
8#
AUGSA#
12#
T#
South#
12#
SANQC#
3#
6#
Total#
34#
CSA#
T#
3#
SAMU#
T#
2#
NAITSA#
5#
##
SARDC#
##
16#
SAOC#
2#
4#
SABVC#
3#
11#
SAITSA#
4#
36#
ACADSA#
T#
9#
SAMHC#
2#
8#
LCSA#
1#
3#
Totals'
34'
103'
Table 17: Regional Summary of New Campus/Community Connections
Community$Campus$ Connections$
K
Table 18: Summary of Additional Mental Health Initiatives
Region#
Number#of# Connections#
North#
5#
Central#
27#
South#
71#
Total#
103#
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ACMHI Evaluation and Metrics (continued) Students’ associations have been encouraged to build relationships with other stakeholders on campus and in their community. Tables 17 and 18, above, provides a regional overview of the connections built during this first year of ACMHI funds. Using modest data collection, ACMHI has stimulated over one hundred (103) connections province-wide. Each with the potential for providing mutually beneficial outcomes and long standing relationships. This includes, departments, faculty, counselling services, community organizations, businesses, and others. See Table 19 for details. In addition to partners and connections, students have promoted awareness on mental health and illness issues, events, and services through posting nearly seven thousand (6,797) promotional materials. Table 19: Overview of Mental Health Supporters and Promotional Materials
SAs$
K
MH$ Promotional$ Supporters*$ Materials$
SAKC#
32#
276#
SAGPRC#
3#
400#
AUGSA#
T#
2011#
SANQC#
#74#
425#
CSA#
8#
133#
SAMU#
T#
T#
NAITSA#
##
102#
SARDC#
11#
##
SAOC#
T#
T#
SABVC#
T#
1120#
SAITSA#
11#
2210#
ACADSA#
25#
120#
SAMHC#
1#
T#
LCSA#
5#
T#
Totals'
96'
6,797'
Figure 5: SAITSA Student Support Centre
Figure 6: Red Deer Students Association
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The Future of Student-Led Mental Health Initiatives Year two is quickly approaching and lessons learned from year one are providing students and their teams with direction to help improve year two efforts. With the lessons learned, year two will initiate changes to improve ACMHI’s evaluation and collection of important campus information with regard to student mental health and illness. Students will be encouraged to improve and strengthen the following areas: ! ! ! !
Incorporating strong partnerships between PSIs and community partners; SAs are to maintain awareness and maximize opportunities Opportunities for students to connect with other SAs to work together and share connections Contribute to a provincial-wide discussion Continue to expand and develop methods of raising interest and awareness for the sake of prevention
Evaluation will be further improved through the implementation of the ACMHI Mental Health Survey through all SAs. The survey will give ASEC and SAs the opportunity to assess student’s mental health and illness awareness, stereotyping attitudes, alcohol usage, and more. In addition to evaluation, partnerships within institutions and community organizations have played a critical success in ACMHI so far. For example, ASEC is in partnership with Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) to develop of student-oriented toolkit to reduce harms associated with alcohol. Other connections have allowed SAs to capitalize and build partnerships in all regions of the province and nationally that are geared for raising national awareness on suicide and mental illness ASEC and our membership of Student’s Associations have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the mental health of our post-secondary students. In the upcoming years, improvements, evaluations, and expansions are priorities as students begin to uncover how mental health can be best supported at all Albertan post-secondary institutions.
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Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Appendix A Students' Associations Acronyms Students’' Associations'(SA)' SAKC#
Keyano#College#
GPRC#
Grande#Prairie#Regional#College#
SANQC#
Athabasca#University#TGraduate# Students# NorQuest#College#
CSA#
Concordia#University#College#
SAMU#
MacEwan#University#
NAITSA#
NAIT#
SARDC#
Red#Deer#College#
SAOC#
Olds#College#
SABVC#
Bow#Valley#College#
SAITSA#
SAMHC#
SAIT# Alberta#College#for#Art#and# Design# Medicine#Hat#College#
LCSA#
Lethbridge#College#
AUGSA#
ACADSA#
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Institution'
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Appendix B Table 19: Complete Summary of Mental Health Initiatives at the 14 Students’ Associations
SAs$
Awareness$ and$Stigma$ Reduction$ Campaigns$
Peer$ Training$ Support$
Online$ Resources/$ Tools$
Stress$ Reduction$
On$ Campus$ Surveys$
Guest$ Speakers$
Free$ Classes/$ Workshops/$ Support$ groups$
Classroom$ Committees$ Totals Presentations$
SAKC%
3%
'%
'%
'%
5%
1%
4%
8%
'%
5%
26%
SAGPRC%
2%
1%
35%
%%
%%
1%
%%
%%
24%
%%
63%
AUGSA%
1%
'%
'%
12%
'%
'%
'%
1%
'%
'%
14%
SANQC%
11%
'%
1%
3%
2%
3%
1%
6%
'%
1%
28%
CSA%
3%
'%
'%
'%
2%
2%
2%
'%
%%
1%
10%
SAMU%
11%
'%
72%
'%
9%
2%
1%
2%
'%
'%
97%
NAITSA%
'%
'%
'%
'%
12%
2%
'%
1%
'%
1%
16%
SARDC%
%%
%%
%%
1%
5%
%%
%%
%%
%%
1%
7%
SAOC%
3%
'%
16%
1%
16%
'%
2%
9%
'%
'%
47%
SABVC%
1%
'%
'%
1%
'%
'%
'%
2%
'%
'%
4%
SAITSA%
9%
'%
'%
'%
8%
2%
'%
22%
'%
1%
42%
ACADSA%
5%
'%
'%
'%
5%
'%
11%
12%
'%
1%
34%
SAMHC%
5%
1%
1%
'%
1%
'%
'%
'%
'%
'%
8%
LCSA%
7%
'%
'%
'%
8%
1%
'%
8%
'%
'%
24%
Totals'
61%
2%
125%
18%
73%
14%
21%
71%
24%
11%
420%
Appendix C Table 20: Complete Overview of Mental Health Evaluation Metrics of the 14 Students’ Associations Active$ Student$ Involvement$
Research$ Participants$
Online$ Visitors$
New$ Services$
Community/Campus$ Connections$$
Promotional$ Materials$
Total$ Reach$of$ Students$
SAKC%
1049%
153%
%%
'%
3%
276%
1381%
2,950%
SAGPRC%
119%
41%
'%
2%
2%
400%
3911%
3,911%
AUGSA%
1046%
'%
42%
12%
'%
2011%
3,900%
3,900%
SANQC%
1282%
494%
1727%
3%
6%
425%
3503%
6,722%
CSA%
363%
119%
'%
'%
3%
133%
363%
1,612%
'%
'%
'%
'%
2%
'%
'%
18,397%
NAITSA%
3262%
30%
'%
5%
%%
102%
3262%
27,182%
SARDC%
3730%
%%
500%
%%
16%
%%
4241%
6,456%
SAOC%
766%
177%
'%
2%
4%
'%
2573%
2,573%
SABVC%
555%
'%
152%
3%
11%
1120%
10,727%
10,727%
SAITSA%
2020%
176%
'%
4%
36%
2210%
22897%
26,815%
ACADSA%
177%
'%
'%
'%
9%
120%
1250%
1250%
SAMHC%
156%
'%
'%
2%
8%
'%
156%
4,126%
LCSA%
2017%
60%
'%
1%
3%
'%
2017%
6,303%
SAs$
SAMU%
Totals'
16,542'
1,250'
2,421'
34'
103'
6,797'
60,181'
Total' Student' Population''
122,924'
Appendix D: List of ACMHI Approval Panel Members for the 2013-2014 Term Sharon Matthias, Owner/Consultant (Chair) Areas of interest/publications include: • • • • •
Moving from Complex Problems to Desired States. Part 1 Problem Resolution and Complex Problems Designing a Sustainable Health System and a Healthy Community Organizations Working Together in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors Innovation in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors Knowledge Mobilization and Utilization Essentials
Keith Dobson, University of Calgary •
Clinical Psychology, Cognitive-Behavioural Models of Psychopathology, Cognitive-behavioural Therapies, Stigma, Evidence-based Practice, Professional Issues
Bernadine Wojtowcz, University of Lethbridge •
Mental health, Mental illness, Crisis, Crisis intervention, Crisis management, Community mental health, Suicide, Suicide intervention, Suicide prevention, Depression, Mood disorders, Personality disorders, Psychosis, Anxiety disorders, Stigma, Mental status assessment
Ione Challborn, Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region •
Executive Director of CMHA, a registered not-for-profit, registered charity/foundation, making mental health matter in our community by promoting mental health and supporting the resilience and recovery of people affected by mental illness.
Janki Shakar, University of Calgary •
Mental Health of Employees Experiencing Mental Illness, Support Needs of Employers, Mental Health Difficulties Among Post-Secondary Students, Domestic Violence in Visible Minority Immigrant Families, Needs of Family Caregivers of People Experiencing Disability.
Anthony Joyce, University of Alberta •
Psychotherapy Research, Evaluation, and Treatment Effectiveness
Jian Li Wang, University of Calgary •
Work Place Mental Health, Stigma Against Mental Illness, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Early Identification and Prevention of Mood/Anxiety Disorders.
Sheena Abar, University of Alberta •
K
Coordinates a team of Community Social Workers at UAlberta who are responsible for extending the spectrum of services offered to support the overall health and wellness of the campus community. Through preventative action the team engages with partners from campus and surrounding area to strengthen capacity, provide bridges to resources, and advocate for greater inclusivity. The main goal/function of the team is foster and celebrate connection and resiliency on campus. This position combines my work at two previous post-secondary institutions with my formal social work training, allowing me to work directly with individuals and groups in developing creative solutions to the issues that arise from everyday situations.
Alberta Students Executive Council Suite 35, 9912 106 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada