Change is healthy: Learn all about improvements being made at Student Health & Wellness

Dalhousie endeavours to create an environment where students can thrive and lead healthy and fulfilling lives.  

In 2017, Student Health & Wellness introduced the interprofessional collaborative health-care model to increase access to mental health support. Building on this success, the department has continued making changes — both big and small — aimed at improving access to resources and information, and better meeting students’ needs.

Learn more: Student Health & Wellness website

Read up on some of the most recent changes below:

Improving access – online booking now available

Online booking is now available for appointments with nurses, doctors, the social worker and same-day counsellors.
 
Online booking was originally launched as a pilot project in April 2019 and included just three doctors. Since its launch only six months ago, it has expanded to include appointments with 15 members of the interprofessional team. More than 2,500 appointments have been successfully booked so far, including over 1,000 since the start of September.
 
“We’ve received great feedback about the online booking service. It provides students with a convenient way to access an appointment when they are ready to book,” says Krista Cross, director of the Student Health & Wellness Centre. “It’s also an easy way to cancel an appointment you may no longer need without having to call in. Appointments are in high demand and so it’s a good way to ensure we are able to see as many students as possible.”
 
While you can still call the Centre or stop by to book, you now have the option of doing it yourself, on your own schedule. Students can book an appointment by visiting dal.ca/studenthealth/bookonline.

Increased mental health support

Student Health & Wellness has added more same-day counsellors to their interprofessional collaborative health-care team. This increases same-day counselling appointments by 50 per cent, with nearly 100 appointments now available each week.

“We are very excited to welcome new counsellors this year,” says Dr. David Pilon, director of counselling and psychological services. “With a fuller team of counsellors, we are able to provide more services to students and to offer a wider range of counselling programs and groups.”

New and improved website

The Student Health & Wellness website is an important resource for students looking to explore and access resources and services available. Recognizing that improvements could be made for a better user experience, the team decided it was time for a makeover.

Student Health & Wellness is creating a refreshed website aimed at ensuring students can easily access information, resources and services online. Over 4,000 Dalhousie and King’s students recently provided feedback through an online survey on how they use the Student Health & Wellness website, and how it could be improved. This feedback will be considered and incorporated when building the new site. The new website is expected to be unveiled in early 2020.

Increasing breadth of resources and health literacy on campus

While appointments at the Student Health & Wellness Centre are one solution to addressing health matters, an increasing variety of tools and resources are available for students as well.

Online platforms like Ask a Nurse and Ask a Chaplain allow students to ask health and spirituality related questions anonymously online. Good2Talk is a telephone counselling service that was launched last year. Students can phone 1-833-292-3698 at any time to get support for mental health, addictions and well-being. And the Q-Life Resiliency Project is an online program that helps students build critical resiliency skills. Group programs and peer support workers are also available for students looking for face-to-face support, without visiting the Centre.

Since August, Student Health & Wellness staff have also delivered more than 50 presentations and workshops to students and staff, to improve health literacy on campus and to increase overall awareness about where to turn when there are questions or concerns about health and well-being.

Naloxone training and pick-up spot

Student Health & Wellness, in partnership with Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Take Home Naloxone Program, is hosting free Naloxone and Opioid Overdose Response training for Dalhousie students.

By attending this training, participants will how learn to recognize an opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone, which is a temporary antidote to opioid overdose.

Dalhousie’s Student Health & Wellness Centre is also an official naloxone kit pick-up site for the Dalhousie community. If a student, staff, faculty or RA wish to pick up a free kit, drop by the centre during business hours.

Reminder - Flu shot clinics starting next week

Dalhousie Student Health & Wellness and the School of Nursing team up every year to provide flu shots to members of the Dal and King's communities. This year, 14 mobile clincis have been scheduled in various Dalhousie buildings and campuses, starting next week. Visit dal.ca/flu to find a clinic that works with your schedule and help keep our community healthy this year!

For info on these new initaitives and other services, visit the Dalhousie Student Health and Wellness website.