Mental Health Resources
At Laurier, you have access to a wide range of resources to promote and maintain good physical, emotional, and mental health. There are resources to help you in times of crisis, and resources to help you take a proactive approach to help protect you from mental illness, and to help you enjoy life to the fullest.
If you require immediate mental health assistance, contact:
Waterloo
- Call Here 24/7 at 1.844.Here.24.7 (1.844.437.3247);
- Call Laurier's Special Constable Service at 519.885.3333;
- Call 911; or
- Go to the Emergency Department at Grand River Hospital (835 King Street West, Kitchener) to access the Grand River Hospital Crisis Services and Extended Assessment Unit for mental health crisis services.
SafeTALK training is available on campus, and many staff and volunteers have been trained.
Brantford
- If you are suicidal or do not think you can keep yourself safe right now, call the Special Constables Service at 519.756.8228 x5888;
- Call 911;
- Crisis Line (24/7): 519.752.CARE (2273).
- St. Leonard's Community Services: 519.754.0253.
- Family Counselling Centre of Brant: 519.753.4173.
The Student Wellness Centre
The Student Wellness Centre provides counselling and mental health support to registered students. Mental health services at the Student Wellness Centre include assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, using short-term, goal-directed counselling, crisis intervention, and crisis management. We offer a limited number of walk-in appointments for students who need immediate support. Call or drop in any time to schedule an appointment.
Accessible Learning
Accessible Learning is available to students who have a permanent or temporary disability. This includes full and part-time graduate and undergraduate students. ALC is committed to helping students with disabilities reach their full academic potential. By offering a variety of services and resources – and delivering them in a respectful, confidential and professional manner – we support and encourage students’ independence and self-determination. Students must registered with ALC to receive accommodations.
Additional Resources
- The Delton Glebe Counselling Centre
- Wellness Together Canada
- Bounce Back Ontario
- Mind Your Mind
- Good2Talk
- OK2BME A set of support services for youth in Waterloo Region
- KW Counselling Video Counselling
- CMHA
- Coping with Grief and Loss
- Woebot from Carizon Family and Community Services
Wellness Education
Wellness Education offers resources and a variety of programming led by peers and professionals to promote and encourage students at Laurier to make healthy choices and engage in healthy behaviours.
I Move My Mood
The Athletics Department and the Student Wellness Centre on the Waterloo campus have partnered to create I Move My Mood, an opportunity for students to improve their mental health and well-being through exercise or a recreational activity. Students who are using services at the Student Wellness Centre, are experiencing anxiety or depression, and are currently not engaged in recreational activity or exercise can be referred through their counsellor, physician, or the mental health nurse.
More Feet On the Ground
This online mental health education program teaches you how to recognize, respond to, and refer individuals experiencing mental health issues on Laurier’s campuses. Completion of this program is eligible for recognition on the Wellness Education Certificate and the Laurier Experience Record.
SAFEHawk App
SAFEHawk is a free app for iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices that connects you to telephone helplines such as Good2Talk, Here 24/7, and other community-based mental health resources in Waterloo Region, Brantford and Toronto.
Counselling Resources
The Student Wellness Centre offers counselling services in person, by phone or by video. Book an appointment to access these services.
Wellness Together Canada is an online service funded by the Government of Canada in response to the unprecedented rise in mental distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BounceBack is a free skill-building program offered through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress, and worry. Service is delivered over the phone with a coach and through on-line videos.
MindShift CBT from Anxiety Canada uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
Empower Me is a mental health and wellness service that seeks to contribute to a resilient student community by supporting existing on-campus and community mental health resources. It is a confidential service that is available 24/7. 1.833.628.5589
Indigenous Students: If you're in need of personal support, connect with Indigenous Student Services.
Finding Mental Health Support Outside Ontario
If you are outside Ontario or outside Canada and are not sure how to find local resources, the following steps may be helpful:
- In Canada, search "Canadian Mental Health Association" + your current city.
- Check BeSafe to see if your area is covered (BeSafe covers all of Ontario and some other regions in Canada);
- If you are in Canada or anywhere in the world, search ‘mental health support’ or ‘crisis support’ and the name of your city or region to find a list of local supports;
- Remember that you can call the Student Wellness Centre on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. We are here to help.
We understand the current situation can create or exacerbate worry. We also believe we can support each other with our sense of community, kindness, compassion (for ourselves and others), as well as good common sense and great self-care.