Mental Health on Campus: Spotlight Series
Header: Agalia Joithe
This Mental Health Week, MUSE’s own Cayleigh Pratt (Online Contributor) and Alisa Bressler (Online Director) sat down with six wonderful clubs on campus to learn how they serve the mental health landscape at Queen’s. Below, you will find glimpses into the work of Proactive Minds, Student Mental Health Network, Step Above the Stigma, The Lilac Project, Jack.Org Queen’s, and Queen’s For The Boys. The passion amongst these groups is exceptional, with each incredibly committed to fostering community and reminding students that they are not alone in the face of mental health struggles. For our readers seeking resources, support, or a community to share their experiences regarding mental health, below are some remarkable spaces here on campus.
Proactive Minds
Interviewed By: Cayleigh Pratt
Proactive Minds aims to educate youth about the importance of mental wellness and illness at a crucial point in their development. As well as educating youth, they strive to educate parents and other adults about the adolescent period and the unique experiences that young people face. Proactive Minds provides workshops for adolescents aged 11-14 to learn about various mental health topics such as body image, identification of mental illness, grief, bullying, and so much more. . This age group undergoes a period of social reorientation — when social focus begins to shift away from parents and family towards peers and romantic relationships — involving intense social and biological changes. These shifts could potentially result in the emergence of poor mental health conditions and mental illnesses. Co-Founder Kate Cullen highlights the importance of mental health advocacy for adolescents, sharing that “at Proactive Minds, we believe that this period is when education for the promotion of mental health and interventions for the prevention of mental illness is essential.” The club aims to act as “Mental Health Advocates in the School” to provide adolescents with a safe and inclusive space to talk about their mental health and illness. Through their programming, Proactive Minds strives to create lifelong mental health advocates!
If you want to get involved with Proactive Minds, you can apply to be a General Volunteer. These members will be responsible for going into local schools and delivering the workshops created and curated by the Workshop Development Team and corroborated by our Science Communication Team. This is a great way to engage in meaningful community involvement, meet like-minded individuals, and reap the benefits of volunteering on your own mental health.
Social Media:
Instagram: @proactivemindskingston
Linkedin: Proactive Minds Kingston
STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH NETWORK
Interviewed By: Cayleigh Pratt
The Network is a one-stop-shop for mental health education, tools, and resources designed to serve as universal mental health promotion for post-secondary students across Canada. Developed using a "for-students, by-students" participatory approach, all content is created and curated by students like you, with subject matter experts (mental health researchers, healthcare practitioners) providing expert review to ensure content is reliable and valid.
The Network operates on three pillars: Learn, Access, and Connect. “Learn” provides original modules, curated video libraries, and a directory of training and courses to help provide mental health advocates with accessible education about a variety of mental health topics. “Connect” encourages students to form robust social support networks by providing links to resources designed to encourage peer connection and health relationships, such as online forums, groups at universities across Canada, and our podcast. “Access” aims to increase awareness of mental health resources by providing stress reduction strategies, a mental health services bank, and a mental health app library.
If you would like to get involved with the Network, they are always accepting new volunteers! Although started at Queen’s University, the Network is a nationwide initiative that welcomes students from all Canadian universities and colleges.
Social Media:
Website: studentmentalhealthnetwork.ca
Instagram: @studentmentalhealthnetwork
Linkedin: Student Mental Health Network
STEP ABOVE THE STIGMA
Interviewed By: Cayleigh Pratt
Step Above Stigma (SAS) was founded at Queen’s University in 2017 as a school club. Today, SAS is a CRA registered charity that has served more than 100, 000 young adults across Canada and has built a team of over 700 volunteers.
Currently, Canada is experiencing a mental health crisis and youth are struggling to access or seek mental health support due to the stigma that surrounds it. SAS is dedicated to empowering young adults to step above the stigmas that prevent them from having good mental health. At SAS, they believe that empowerment is the antidote to stigma. SAS President, Hailey Rodgers, notes that “the more that we talk about mental health and uplift others, the more capable we are of achieving good mental health.”
There are lots of ways to get involved with SAS, including becoming a volunteer! A sign-up form can be found at https://stepabovestigma.com/volunteer/. As well, they host events ranging from coffee houses, comedy nights, speaker panels, journaling workshops, workout classes, and so much more! These events are open to anyone.
Social Media:
Instagram: @stepabovestigma
Linkedin: Step Above Stigma
Facebook: Step Above Stigma
Tiktok: @stepabovestigma
Website: stepabovestigma.com
THE LILAC PROJECT
Interviewed By: Alisa Bressler
With all the change and independence associated with starting university, eating habits and nourishment can often suffer. In cases where disordered eating results, it can often be difficult to find helpful resources and support. The Lilac Project aims to provide a proper support system for those struggling with eating disorders by providing resources and creating an encouraging and inclusive environment where students can share their experiences. At The Lilac Project, it is key to open a safe environment to spark conversation and remind students that they are not alone. The club connects the community with helplines located both in Kingston and across the province. Additionally, the club hosts events such as “Lunch with Lilac”, where members can join to chat and eat lunch together. As well, they run an anonymous Google Form for any Queen’s student to report triggering content they’ve encountered in their academics, with the option of having The Lilac Project step in to speak to professors or provide additional support.
“A lot of students are struggling in secret,” shared Christina, the club’s president. The Lilac Project is passionate about dismantling the stigma surrounding eating disorders. They regularly post common myths about eating disorders on their social media — but rather than sharing facts from the internet, they amplify information from their “Share Your Story” forum, so that their community can hear authentic stories from one another. They are also committed to shifting the narrative that eating disorders are a female-only issue. “Mental health is important for everyone, and the prerogative of males and other genders often gets lost in the eating disorder space,” Christina emphasized.
To get involved with The Lilac Project, reach out through their social media, where you will find upcoming events, resources, the “Share Your Story” forum, the sensitive content forum, and more. During exam seasons, keep your eyes peeled for purple stickies around campus!
Social Media:
Instagram: @the_lilacproject
JACK.ORG
Interviewed By: Alisa Bressler
Jack.Org was founded by Eric Windler and Sandra Hanington in honour of their son, Jack, who lost his life to suicide while in first-year residence at Queen’s in 2010. Amidst the tragedy, it was realized that students like Jack did not have the mental health resources they needed or deserved. Since, Jack.Org has become Canada’s largest network of young leaders in the mental health space, with chapters at high schools and universities across Canada. Like its counterparts across the country, Jack.Org at Queen’s is youth-centered and youth-led, focusing on the facets of creating community, fostering advocacy, and promoting self-care. Jack.Org at Queen’s is especially focused on centering the voices of equity-deserving groups. They strive to design programming and resources that deliver on feedback from such groups. “With everything we run, we keep intersectionality in mind,” shared Sadie Hamilton, President of Members and Marketing.
Jack.Org at Queen’s runs events throughout the year such as Crafts and Conversations, and informative events on harm reduction. Their largest event is their annual Summit in the first weekend of February. The Summit welcomes a keynote speaker, an array of workshops, and a student panel — all designed to promote mental health literacy, support wellness and self-care, and support equity deserving groups.
Hiring for Jack.Org at Queen’s Member Team — a community centered around learning about barriers to mental health resource access — is currently open. Information can be found on their Instagram, where you can also find upcoming events and opportunities to get involved. The team encourages you to reach out with any interests or passions regarding mental health, or if you wish to be directed to relevant resources on campus and beyond.
Social Media:
Instagram: @jack.orgqueenschapter
Email: jack.orgqueens@clubs.queensu.ca
Facebook: Jack.org Queen's Chapter
QUEENs FOR THE BOYS
Interviewed By: Cayleigh Pratt
Queens For The Boys (QFTB) is a student-run club designed to provide a space for discussion and education regarding men’s mental health issues, and provide a forum to meet new people and create lasting friendships. They are an open space where anyone is welcome to come and share their stories, and participate in a number of fun activities and fundraising events.
At QFTB, everyone can participate; while the focus is on men’s mental health issues, anyone and everyone can feel comfortable in expressing their feelings and emotions, and they are open a wide variety of topics and issues pertaining to any demographic. The club recognizes that mental health is not unique to a single group of people, and that anyone can benefit from a platform like this.
They are immensely passionate about combatting the ongoing stigma associated with men’s mental health. Men are often uncomfortable in addressing issues regarding their mental health due to this stigma, which surrounds self-expression and a desire to seek out help. Their mission is to provide people with the confidence to talk about any mental health struggles they deal with and provide people with knowledge of resources to go and seek help if needed. An open and comfortable space can often be the first step in someone’s decision to seek out aid.
QFTB hopes to be the space for people to turn to when they are looking to discuss their feelings and make connections with others. They collaborate with other clubs, such as Proactive Minds, to find solutions to the epidemic of mental health struggles. Encouraging people to seek help through like-minded organizations is just one way in which we can help fight this battle. QFTB also runs a number of fundraising activities throughout the year, where funds are raised for organizations who study mental health and create important resources.
Social Media:
Instagram: @officialqftb