Welcome to the BC Healthy Minds-Healthy Campuses Summer Conference 2009!
Promising Practices in Wellness and Mental Health Promotion, Reducing Harmful Substance Use, and Preventing Suicide on Campus
The purpose of this conference is to showcase leading edge initiatives, programs, and practices taking place on BC campuses related to wellness and mental health promotion, reduction of harmful substance use, and prevention of suicide on BC post-secondary campuses. The rationale behind the conference is to facilitate knowledge creation and transfer between student, staff, faculty, administrator, and community-based stakeholders around activities that have shown promise in the campus context. While the focus of the conference is BC, there promises to be presenters and participants from as far away as Nova Scotia. The conference will provide a space for collaboration, a witnessing of the diversity of practice on campuses, and an opportunity to build upon strength in our ongoing conversations about campus mental health.
Students, counsellors, student affairs professionals, staff, teaching & research faculty, administrators, and community-based professionals are all invited to attend what promises to be an exciting conference event. Conference highlights are included below to whet your appetite! We look forward to seeing you June 22-23, 2009 on the beautiful University of Victoria campus.
Conference Highlights
Keynotes:
· Dr. Nancy Hall – former BC Provincial Mental Health Advocate
· Bonny Ball – past Chair, Survivor Division, Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
· Dr. Connie Coniglio – Director, Health Literacy, BC Mental Health and Addictions Services
· Dr. Jennifer White – Assistant Professor, School of Child and Youth Care, UVic
Conference Themes
· International students
o Providing culturally responsive services for international students
o Exploring the intersection of cultural transition, relationality and mental health
· Post-secondary mental health collaborations
o A college’s journey toward creating a safer environment
o UBC Okanagan VOICES - focusing on creating a healthy campus
o Issues and support for faculty and staff supporting students experiencing mental health problems
o The Interior Health Authority and Thompson Rivers University partnership
· Student Service Initiatives
o Simon Fraser University’s Mental Heath Strategy
o Student led peer-support and mutual-aid efforts
o Psycho-educational, therapy and support groups in counselling services
o Canadian mental health literacy projects on post-secondary campuses
o Early intervention in mental health & addictions
· Health Promotion & Self-care
o Comprehensive health promotion to reduce alcohol-related harm
o Self care is caring for campus wellness
A Very Special Conference Event
· Stand Up For Mental Health – with David Granirer and colleagues