News & Updates – Best Practices

CACUSS 2021 Conference: Now More Than Ever

Wednesday, June 2 AND Thursday, June 3 | 12:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET
Wednesday, June 9 AND Thursday, June 10 | 12:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET

Pre-Conference will take place on Monday, May 31, 2021, in both half-day and full-day sessions.

The 48^TH annual CACUSS Conference is going virtual! This new format not only allows us to address ongoing uncertainties during the pandemic, but also allows us to continue to provide an accessible, content-rich and value-packed opportunity for to share best practices, research, procedures and programs related to student learning, success and wellness.

Campus Mental Health in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges & Opportunities

Tuesday, June 1st, 2021 | 12:00 – 2:30 PM EST

This pre-conference workshop, offered by CACUSS and the MHCC, will explore the latest trends in Canadian campus mental health, and discuss strategies to implement the New National Standard. The final portion of the session will have a panel discussion including campus mental health professionals, students, and community organizations.

National Dialogue on the Impact of COVID-19 on Campus Mental Health

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM EST

This webinar, hosted by the Campus Mental Health Community of Practice from the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) in collaboration with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) aims to continue exploring the evolving needs and trends of Canadian post-secondary institutions (PSIs) since the start of the pandemic. This national dialogue brings together multiple stakeholders to discuss current campus mental health needs and potential implications for the upcoming academic year.

Student Athlete Mental Health Webinar

This webinar hosted by the Center for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH) provides an unofficial kick-off to the development of the CICMH Student Athlete Mental Health Playbook. This resource will be a key area of focus for 2021 as CICMH looks to support the ongoing development of athletic and academic programming that prioritizes the mental health and wellness of student athletes.

Assessment as a Starting Point to Support Student Mental Health and Well-Being

March 24th, 2021 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM EST

The third workshop in the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) Webinar Series will lead participants through the new Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students related to the recommended components of a successful evaluation and reporting strategy.

CICMH 2021 Virtual Conference: Call for Abstracts

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Crafting Connections in a Landscape of Uncertainty

As our world continues to respond to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, our campus communities are continually adapting and transforming to stay connected. These are unprecedented times that have emphasized the nuanced mental health needs of our diverse populations. Despite these challenges, the continual creativity and dedication of our campus communities demonstrate that times of uncertainty can lead to the most innovative solutions to complex issues. This year’s theme, “Crafting Connections in a Landscape of Uncertainty,” challenges all of us to reflect on and potentially redefine our relationship with our current environment. More specifically, this theme encourages us to embrace feelings of uncertainty through connection, openness and shared accountability. Through this lens, we will be exploring topics that embrace a whole campus approach – bringing together student service professionals, teaching staff, students, campus mental health champions, and community mental health organizations.

Abstract Submission Deadline: May 10, 2021.

Building Supportive, Safe, and Inclusive Post-Secondary Environments Workshop

Thursday, February 25, 2021, 1:00 EST – 3:00 PM EST

Hosted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in partnership with CACUSS this workshop is part of a series of webinars for participants to continue learning about the new National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students. In this session, participants will consider aspects of the Standard that provide guidance to institutions to create supportive, safe, and inclusive post-secondary environments for everyone in their community.

Grief & Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Friday, February 12, 2021, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, this webinar will explore how experiences of grief and loss may be impacting members of our campus community and how a deeper understanding of these concepts can help us move forward. The discussion will revolve around:

An understanding of how disruptions to traditional ‘rights of passage’ and uncertainty around the future course of life have affected both students and their families.
An explanation of how the grief and loss from these experiences can turn into something more complicated and the ‘6-month window’ that is connected to this.
Some pragmatic steps to take to help members of our campus community (students and staff) move forward.

Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP) Conference

Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 8:15 AM – 4:00 PM EDT

The Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP) conference, Quality Improvement Innovations: Understand – Pivot – Change, is a day-long virtual space for Quality Improvement and Data within the community mental health and addiction sector in Ontario and Canada.

The goal of Excellence through Quality Improvement (E-QIP)’s conference, Quality Improvement Innovations: Understand – Pivot – Change is to bring together these agencies to highlight quality and innovations. The conference will give all participants an opportunity to discuss relevant topics, to hear from experts in our field and to learn from one another.

Enabling Better Student Mental Health Through Teaching and Learning Practices

Thursday, March 18, 2021, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, this webinar builds on the December 2020 webinar, “Supporting faculty and staff to create a healthy and engaging learning environment,” by considering the University of Saskatchewan (USASK) as a case study.

The webinar will explore the multidimensional USASK response from three perspectives – faculty, teaching and learning enhancement, and student affairs – with a particular focus on a stone that is typically left unturned by such initiatives, teaching and learning practices. We will explore teaching and learning practices for student mental wellbeing rather than those about mental wellbeing.

Healthy Minds | Healthy Campus 2021 Virtual Summit

Monday, February 22, 2021 – Thursday, February 25, 2021

Healthy Minds | Healthy Campus invites campus stakeholders and community partners to attend the 2021 Summit, We Belong to Each Other: Cultivating Campus Communities for Mutual Well-Being. This Summit will be an opportunity for our community of practice to come together once again in our collective pursuit of mental well-being and healthy relationship with substances on post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. Healthy Minds | Healthy Campus plans to host a week of Summit events with interactive sessions, thoughtful keynotes, invigorating panels and reflective breakouts. There will be plenty of opportunities for co-learning and collaboration with the hope to build collective momentum to strengthen our campus communities.

Canadian Post-Secondary Mental Health Conference Call for Proposals

We are pleased to advise that we are now accepting conference proposals for the Canadian Post-Secondary Mental Health Conference, Collaborations for Change: Connecting Research and Practice in Post-Secondary Mental Health.

Please submit your proposal via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/528VQBV

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 11:59 PM MST.

The Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey Webinar

Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

Professor Guy Faulkner and Kelly Wunderlich (School of Kinesiology, UBC) will be presenting on the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) with a focus on results from the cohort of British Columbian institutions participating in the winter/spring of 2020.

The presentation will provide an overview of provincial results, demonstrate the feedback mechanism through which data is communicated to institutions, and highlight examples of how the CCWS research database is being used. A final discussion on the potential to use CCWS to inform institutional practices and programming will be facilitated.

The New National Standard & Self-Assessment Tool Webinar

Tuesday, January 19, 2020, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), in collaboration with CSA Group (a global leader in standards development), has championed the development of the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students. This voluntary Standard is the first of its kind in the world; it builds on the exceptional work of Canada’s post-secondary institutions and seeks to inspire further actions through principle-led approaches. The MHCC has also designed a Starter Kit to support post-secondary institutions as they begin aligning with the Standard, as well as a Self-Assessment Tool so they can understand their strengths, gaps and opportunities for action.

Exploring Challenges, Opportunities and Storylines Heading into the New Year

Friday, January 22, 2020, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, this webinar discusses the disruption caused by the ongoing pandemic, and the challenges faced by students, faculty, service staff and administrators.

Graduate Student Mental Health Webinar

Wednesday, November 4, 2020, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, this webinar aims to provide a meaningful approach to offering guidance on how to support graduate students, whether in need of mental health and addictions supports or not. The suggestions provided are meant to enhance campus experiences for graduate students in the long term.

2020 Youth Mental Health and Addiction Services Publicly Available Specification

HSO’s Youth Mental Health and Addiction Services Expert Panel is now seeking feedback on the draft PAS/HSO 22005:2020 Youth Mental Health and Addiction Services. HSO is looking for input on its comprehensiveness, appropriateness and feasibility to implement. All feedback received will be presented to HSO’s Youth Mental Health and Addiction Services Expert Panel for review and deliberation to inform its content.

This targeted consultation will remain open until midnight EST on Friday, October 9, 2020.

Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health – 2020 Needs Survey

CICMH is inviting all campus mental health stakeholders (e.g., service providers, faculty, administrators, community organizations, students, etc.) to complete their annual 10-minute survey to learn how CICMH can best be of value to you and your campus or organization. Your survey responses will remain confidential.

Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health For All (MH4A) Conference

Date: Monday, October 20, 2020

Location: Online

This year, the 5th annual MH4A Conference will be held LIVE on an online, customized conference platform. The theme of this year’s conference is Hope in an Age of Uncertainty.

Conference attendees will have access to the experience anywhere they are, LIVE on the day, and on-demand for a full year after.

This conference will deliver engaging keynotes and panel discussions, lively workshops and opportunities to virtually network with colleagues and friends from across the country.

COVID-19: How Campuses are Navigating Student Services Delivery

Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

This panel presentation hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health will showcase three different campuses and their model for supporting student mental health during these unique times.

The discussion will focus on exploring alternative service delivery models, as well as how we can best keep our students safe and well.

Grade 12 to Post-Secondary: Transitions during COVID-19

Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 1:00 EST – 2:00 PM EST

This webinar hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health will discuss how transitioning into post-secondary may be a difficult process for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on engagement with both grade 12 and first-year PSE students, this webinar will provide front-line staff with a framework on how to build and bridge support for students.

Delivering Virtual Counseling and Care to Post-Secondary Students

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST

This three-hour webinar, hosted by CICMH, will provide the opportunity to discuss system and practice level changes that can support the transition to virtual care in the post-secondary setting.

More Feet on the Ground: Recognize, Respond, Refer and Reflect Trainer Workshop

Wednesday, July 15, 2020, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EST

Presented by the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, the More Feet on the Ground (MFOTG): Recognize, Respond, Refer and Reflect Trainer Workshop is aimed at trainers who want to learn how to deliver MFOTG course on their campus. The MFOTG course prepares campus staff and student leaders to support students on campus who may be living with mental health concerns.

CACUSS ON-line

Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 – Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Location: Virtual Live Webinars