National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students

Learn about the Standard, and find out how you can support the uOttawa in improving mental health and wellbeing in our community.

Why is uOttawa implementing the Standard?

The University of Ottawa’s Strategic Plan Transformation 2030 underlines the importance of creating a sustainable campus culture that promotes overall wellbeing, embraces diversity and fuels employee engagement.

Implementing the standard has also been recommended under two key processes, including the Roadmap to Wellness produced by the Campus Action Group, as well as the findings and recommendations of the President’s Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Wellness. It aligns with the university's Transformation 2030 strategic plan.

Last, but not least, the Standard aligns well with the commitments of the Okanagan Charter, which is also being implemented at uOttawa in order to become a health promoting campus.

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Learn about the Standard
Keeping Student Mental Health at the Heart of Post-Secondary Education
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National Standard Working Group Action Plan and Report

The National Student Standards Working Group is pleased to present our final report, recommendations and suggested operational action plan to the University of Ottawa, and the Mental Health Steering Committee. The National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students is the world’s first standard to help post-secondary institutions support positive mental health and well-being for students.
Click here to access the working group report

What are the highlights of the uOttawa working group?

uOttawa National Standards Priority Areas:

Data Management

  • Better collaborating coordinating and maintaining shared data.
  • Using collated data effectively and transparently to communicate shared progress and challenges with the community

Framework

  • Implement a cross-university MH and wellbeing framework
  • Systematically embed MH & W into uOttawa’s core business
  • Plan for, seek and allocate funding that is directly allocated to mental health and wellness

Safe & Supportive Learning Environment

  • Equip the uOttawa community with skills & tools to support equity and accessibility

Multi-faceted communications

  • A systematic communication strategy for MH & W throughout the student life cycle
  • Support the ongoing growth of students’ health literacy
  • Ensure uOttawa views health communication as a core component of university business

Community Engagement & Literacy

  • Community Engagement & feedback
  • Streamline & expand training opportunities for the uOttawa community
  • Incorporate the uOttawa community’s format & informal knowledge to inform initiatives
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Community Consultation – Methodology Summary

Three streams of Consultation

Key Informants:

  • Direct 1 to 1 interviews with stakeholders with expertise on specific Campus Action Tracker Tool questions (i.e. Manager, Academic Accommodation).

Topic Expert Groups:

  • Working group members attended regularly scheduled meetings of other existing working groups or experts (i.e. BIPOC support group) to ask questions relevant to their expertise.
  • These topic expert groups included staff, profs, students.

Student Focus Groups:

  • Student focus groups were facilitated by a grad student.
  • The recruitment emphasized student representation from targeted and minority population groups (i.e. international students)
  • Each group also submitted mini polls on their allocated Campus Mental Health Action Tracker Tool questions
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Learn what sparked the development of the Standard
An Overview of the National Standard for Mental Health and Well-being for Post-Secondary Students