Niagara College is expanding its suite of mental health and addiction services for students through new funding from the provincial government.
Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced NC would be one of 10 postsecondary institutions to receive funding to support mental health projects in underserved communities across the province. As one of the selected recipients, NC will receive $868,625 in dedicated funding over two years to address extensive primary care and addiction service gaps and offer tailor-made supports for Indigenous students in partnership with Community Addictions Services of Niagara (CASON).
“We are grateful to the Ontario government for this funding that will allow us to expand our mental health and addiction services available to students at both Niagara College campuses,” said Dr. Chris McGrath, Vice President, Students. “Through this funding Niagara College is able to respond to the ongoing healthcare crisis in Ontario while addressing addiction and mental health service gaps experienced by NC students living in the Niagara region.”
This new project will be led by NC’s Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services and Indigenous Education departments and is expected to begin in winter 2024 and will address the following needs:
- Reduce wait times and increase access to physicians on campus;
- Create tailored pathways for Indigenous students, including culturally appropriate bridges between Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Western approaches to mental health;
- Create wraparound health, wellbeing and education supports for students with complex mental health needs; and
- Create tailored pathways for students needing addiction counselling.
“This funding will allow us to expand the College’s already comprehensive list of wellness services available to students,” said Dr. Karen Csoli, Director, Health, Wellness & Accessibility Services, Welland Campus. “Together with CASON, we look forward to addressing the need for preventative complex care intervention and the limitations of western medicine to support mental health and substance abuse for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.”
Through this partnership, representatives from CASON will be on-site at both NC campuses one day a week to meet with and offer resources to those struggling with addiction.
“Students who are struggling with addiction are part of a vulnerable population,” said Dr. McGrath. “By partnering with CASON, we will be able to provide access to specialized, ongoing support in a safe and familiar environment where students can ask questions and seek help without fear of judgement.”
This new funding will complement previous NC projects in the mental health space including the creation of a Student Mental Health and Well-Being Framework in 2023 and a recent gift from the McCall MacBain Foundation that is providing mental health supports to more than 200 first-year healthcare students this fall. This funding will also support several pillars outlined in the College’s Together Campaign – the largest fundraising campaign in NC’s history which demonstrates our unique position to lead economic, social and cultural development and innovation in our community.
