MacEwan students with complex mental health needs now have another layer of care on campus through a new partnership between Wellness and Psychological Services (WPS) and Recovery Alberta, an agency that provides comprehensive and accessible recovery-oriented mental health and addiction services.
Occupational therapist Fiona Cameron provides support services to students on campus at MacEwan.
“With Recovery Alberta on-site, our students are able to fit appointments into academic schedules a lot easier,” Cameron says. “Students are not missing class; they just have to come down the hall.”
Recovery Alberta sees this partnership as an integral connection point for MacEwan students to access timely, safe and confidential mental health and/or addiction care during an extremely demanding part of their lives.
“We are so grateful to have Recovery Alberta helping us create a broader safety net for our students,” says Allison Drew-Hassling, MacEwan’s associate vice-president, Student Support and Accountability. “This is another element that shows how committed we are to ensuring our growing student population can get the help they need when they need it.”
For students already receiving Recovery Alberta services, the partnership may also allow them to access care at MacEwan rather than travelling to an off-campus clinic.
Students will continue to enter Wellness and Psychological Services through its existing triage process and, when appropriate, connect with Cameron. Additionally, Recovery Alberta services can also extend for up to a year after a student finishes their studies, providing continuity during the transition out of university.
“We really want to make sure that we have a support system that also bolsters academic success,” Cameron says. “Life isn’t always predictable. For those students who have really complex needs, we want to make sure that we can fortify that part of our support network.”