Post by the BCcampus editorial team
A set of newly adapted, asynchronous open educational resources (OER) focused on supporting post-secondary student mental health and wellness, with funding from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, is now available from BCcampus. The two new self-paced courses, Starting a Conversation About Mental Health: Foundational Training (for Students) Course and Implementation Guide and Capacity to Connect: Supporting Students’ Mental Health and Wellness (for Faculty and Staff) Course and Implementation Guide, were adapted by BCcampus and piloted by University of Victoria faculty and staff as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate Indigenous students from LE,NOṈET Campus Cousins. Many improvements were made to the courses through feedback from participants.
“Post-secondary school can be both an exciting and stressful time for students,” said Minister Selina Robinson, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “We are taking real action to make sure that students are well supported with open learning courses like these as well as with services like Here2Talk, the Province’s free mental health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students.”
Amanda Coolidge, interim executive director at BCcampus, shared, “The mental health and wellness courses are important for reducing the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness while encouraging learners to develop the skills and knowledge to support themselves and other students.”
“These courses are necessary for reaching faculty, staff, and students who engage with institutions online and require asynchronous learning options,” explained Michelle Glubke, senior project manager of Collaborative Projects and Indigenous Engagement at BCcampus.
Like all OER at BCcampus, the new courses are openly available through a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which allows for the reuse, revision, remix, and redistribution of the learning materials with attribution to the authors.
These two open courses join a growing selection of mental health and wellness resources available via BCcampus, including:
- Nanihtsulyaz ‘int’en (Do things gently) ʔes zuminstwáx kt (We take care of one another)
- Starting a Conversation About Mental Health: Foundational Training for Students
- Starting a Conversation About Suicide: Foundational Training for Students
- Capacity to Connect: Supporting Students’ Mental Health and Wellness
- Let’s Talk About Suicide: Raising Awareness and Supporting Students
Learn more:
- BCcampus: Mental Health and Wellness
- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
- All B.C. post-secondary students have access to a free, 24/7, confidential, and immediate mental health counselling and referral service through Here2Talk at Here2talk.ca
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