Mental health isn’t uOttawa’s strong suit. My experience went a little like this:
Day 1: Called the Mental Health Centre, got an answering machine. Left my name, number and waited for a call back.
Day 2: Received a call back where they informed me because I lived in residence I would have to use a separate mental health centre on campus. I called said resident mental health centre, another answering machine.
Day 3: I got a call back, answered some questions and I am given an appointment that is two weeks away.
Day 17: I went to my appointment (got lost while doing so) where I am told there is an eight appointment limit. If I want to receive more than this I have to seek treatment off campus. I have already been in therapy for four years or so, so I know eight appointments won’t cut it for me.
Day 18: I started my search for mental health off campus. My only options are a clinic which I have to pay with my private insurance and a Christian clinic. Neither of which sound super appealing, but I went with the paid clinic as they can get me in sooner.
Many students have had nothing but positive experiences with mental health services at uOttawa, however I know I am not alone in my experiences. Students all over uOttawa are living with a mental health issue, many of which are like me and need more than eight appointments, can’t afford the clinic I go to, and are uncomfortable going to a religious clinic.
There are gaps in uOttawa’s Mental Health Services, but not all of them may be their fault. Some might be seen as good ideas in the eyes of the university, others may be overlooked. Some of the main issues are: too many websites that are hard to navigate, long wait times, limited treatment options and a lack of student opinion.
There are honestly too many places to go to, or at least according to their websites there are. Including but not limited to: Health Services, University of Ottawa Health Services (yes, these are two different things) and SASS which has both Mental Health and Wellness and Counselling and Coaching Services. With too many places to go students can be overwhelmed. So despite efforts put in by students and staff, something is lost in communication. All of these websites are difficult to find on the uOttawa website without googling them or knowing how to find them.
In my situation I probably could have looked elsewhere on campus, but when I was already sent to a different service, and made to wait, I was overwhelmed and decided to use a simpler route. The fact that I was overwhelmed is part of the reason this can be inaccessible to students. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I get overwhelmed VERY easily. Because of this I avoid these situations as much as I possibly can. A very similar situation could occur for students that deal with things like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD or other illnesses that affect the ability to comprehend information at an average speed.
Another Student, Morgan L, says that “there’s a lot of work involved in going to university, and it’s tougher for students who are far away from home, and we all hit a wall. We’re told we can go see councillors but we won’t be able to see them for weeks if not months. Who are we supposed to turn to?”
Now, in my case it is understandable that the resources on campus cannot afford my need of long term treatment, but if I would have known that on day 1 not day 18; I could have been feeling better a lot sooner. I also wouldn’t have had to wait those two weeks for an appointment if the university made some changes. There are many students who can’t afford to wait two weeks for an appointment, I was one of them. By the time I eventually got my appointment I couldn’t open my mouth without crying. I couldn’t sleep, but I also couldn’t leave my room. It was really hard, and I felt like I had nowhere to go.
One student, Mikayla V, a member of Students Against Stigma, recommends “allowing students to give feedback and allowing them to be more engaged in the improvement of services” as well as “more councillors would allow for more accessibility for students”. The university needs to understand where the gaps are in the eyes of the students. Students Against Stigma wants students’ voices to be heard in a new accommodation policy.
To the University of Ottawa: less is more. Instead of putting funds into all of these services it might work better if all funds were streamlined into one larger mental health centre on campus. By streaming all the funds into one centre you can shorten wait times, allow for more treatment options and allow all students to access a well needed service. Listen to us, and please make some changes.
If you or someone you care about are struggling with a mental health issue here are some resources:
Crisis Line Ottawa 613-722-6914 or 1-866-996-0991
Ottawa Mental Health Crisis Line (24h) 613-722-6914
Ottawa Distress Centre (24h) 613-238-3311
Assaulted Women’s Helpline (24h) 1-866-863-0511
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa (24h) 613-234-2266
CAS Ottawa – Child Protection Issues 613-747-7800
Fem’aide – ligne de soutien 1-877-336-2433 (French only)
Tel-aide Outaouais (8am-Midnight) 613-741-6433 / 819-775-3223 (French only)
Kids’ Help Phone (24h) 1-800-668-6868
Tel-Jeune (24h) 1-800-263-2266
Picture Credit: IFA