Committed to cultivating a healthy, welcoming, and supportive community, the University of St. Michael’s College works with the University of Toronto to provide a variety of resources to help students in the areas of mental health and wellness. A list of these resources can be found on the Health and Wellness Resources page.
Any student, regardless of where they are in the world, can get immediate assistance through U of T My SSP, a confidential and secure number where counsellors are available to text or speak over the phone. Good2Talk is another helpline resource available 24/7 to post-secondary students in Canada; a text-to-chat version is also available. Other phone services are available for any student who is themselves in distress or who knows someone who is.
Because of how many resources and support services are available at U of T, it can take a bit of guidance to navigate them all. The University’s mental health services site, U of T Student Life’s Health & Wellness Centre, and NAVI, a new mental health wayfinder, each helps students find services that fit their unique needs. Several topical resources provide students with targeted help in a variety of circumstances ranging from a desire to quit smoking to finding support for international students or connecting with a spiritual community.
St. Michael’s students also benefit from a variety of support services offered through the College. Wellness Counsellor Nicole LeBlanc welcomes St. Mike’s students and residents to set up a half-hour online appointment with her through email. She draws from psychodynamic, EMDR, person-centred, CBT and solution-focused therapeutic frameworks, and services are offered with complete confidentiality according to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIPA). Learn more about Nicole’s practice.
The Office of the Dean of Students makes peer-to-peer support available through the Mentorship Program, which pairs incoming students with upper-year students who can connect them to academic and wellness-focused resources, and the Commuter Don and Residence Don teams, which connect students in their constituencies to the larger St. Michael’s community. The St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU) has recently voted to elect two new positions for the 2021-22 academic year: a Vice President of Mental Health and Accessibility, and a Vice President of International Community Outreach. SMCSU also provides funding for student-led groups such as St. Mike’s Wellness Council and SMC Inclusive.
The Office of the Registrar and Student Services makes available academic success learning strategists, accessibility advisors, and career educators to every St. Michael’s student. The office’s ask.smc@utoronto.ca email address provides a single point of access to these and other services through the office. For students who need help with writing papers for their classes, the John M. Kelly Library offers one-on-one appointments through the Writing Centre. More focused research assistance is also available.