The province has announced a $1 million investment in a crisis text service to support student mental health on post-secondary campuses.
Colleges and universities minister Ross Romano, alongside mental health and addictions associate minister Michael Tibollo, made the announcement at Ryerson University Monday. The funds will go toward Good2Talk/Allo J’écoute services, which will enable Good2Talk to offer help through Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone – a platform that provides trained volunteer support through text message – and will also ensure students at Indigenous institutes in Ontario are aware of the free service.
Good2Talk is Ontario’s bilingual mental health support service, providing professional counselling, information and referrals for post-secondary students 24-7.
The Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health – based at Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division – helps Ontario’s colleges and universities enhance their capacity to support student mental health and well-being through resources on student mental health, webinars with experts, campus initiatives, building community partnerships and more. One resource developed by the Centre is More Feet on the Ground, an online platform developed to help faculty, administration, campus staff and student leaders learn how to recognize, respond and refer students experiencing mental health issues on campus.