MONTREAL – Bell Let’s Talk today announced that $3.07 million in grants from the Bell Let’s Talk Post-Secondary Fund have been awarded to 123 Canadian colleges and universities to support them in the initial implementation of the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students.
“Bell is committed to supporting student mental health and we were pleased to see so many post-secondary institutions apply for funding – such a great response in fact that we increased total funding for the initiative by almost 25% to more than $3 million,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “These grants will help colleges and universities across the country accelerate the important work they’re doing to support student mental health and well-being. We look forward to building on their progress with more funding later this spring for schools implementing new initiatives aligned with the Standard.”
In June, Bell Let’s Talk will launch a second phase of the Post-Secondary Fund with implementation grants for institutions that have used the Standard to identify specific gaps or needs in their mental health support services and are building new initiatives to address them, says the press release.
“The National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students provides a set of guidelines to help increase awareness, reduce stigma, improve life and resiliency skills, and create a healthier and safer educational environment overall. Bell Let’s Talk funding helped enable the creation of the Standard, led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA),” reads the release.
According to the 2019 National College Health Assessment, about 16% of students have seriously considered suicide, and almost 3% attempted suicide in the past year. And over the past year, Covid-19 has affected the mental health of students at every post-secondary institution in Canada.
“If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that taking care of our mental health is essential. That’s especially true for students, who, even in the best of times, find themselves at a critical point in their lives, making tough decisions that will shape the rest of their careers, often in the face of uncertain outcomes,” said Denise Amyot, president and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada. “That is why the National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students is so important. It is a valuable resource for colleges and institutes as they strive to promote mental health and support their students as best they can.”
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