MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS Paying attention to our mental health and overall wellness is vital to living up to our potential and being successful both academically and socially. Moving across the world to a new country and city and starting a new academic program can be daunting. Some of Niagara College’s international students face culture shock, homesickness and isolation when they first arrive. Other students adapt quite quickly but may face anxiety, depression or stress throughout their studies for a variety of different reasons. There is absolutely no shame in needing mental health support and Niagara College has a range of programs and support services to offer students. Health, Wellness and Accessibility is a department within the College that supports both domestic and international students with their physical and mental health as well as any accessibility concerns a student may face. If you need to speak to a mental health counsellor to discuss how you are feeling, please email them at hwas@niagaracollege.ca. All counselling sessions are confidential. Sessions can be on-going or just a one-time thing – it is completely up to you and your needs! The Health, Wellness and Accessibility department also has a diverse range of programs for students to participate in, including mindfulness sessions, smoking cessation programs, nutrition and healthy eating information sessions and lots more! Please go to www.niagaracollege.ca/studentlife/hwas to find out more about how you can benefit from all of their services. All international students have medical coverage through guard.me insurance. guard.me offers a variety of different programs for students, including their keep.me SAFE service. keep.me SAFE is the industry’s first and only digital mental health support program for international students. The platform offers students immediate and confidential access to culturally relevant counselling in their native language, day or night. For more information, including how to access keep.me.SAFE’s counsellors, please visit www.guard.me/cbu/keepmesafe Lastly, many of our students benefit from having a Pre/Post-Arrival Link (PAL) mentor. PAL mentors are current international students that volunteer their time to assist new incoming students with any inquiries they may have, including housing, academics, orientation to Niagara and so on. Please visit international.niagaracollege.ca/pal-mentor-program for more information on our PAL mentor program! Please know that whatever challenges you are currently facing, there are staff within Niagara College that are here to support you. We want to reassure students that we support you academically, socially and emotionally and that staff members assist students throughout all aspects of their life as international students. For additional information on how to access mental health support, please email housing@niagaracollege.ca.
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOUSING? Email housing@niagaracollege.ca.
OTHER QUESTIONS? Please email our Inquiry Response Team at international@niagaracollege.ca or using the LIVE CHAT feature on Niagara College International’s website.
international.niagaracollege.ca