Mental health on campus

This year, Mcgill Mental Health (MMH) and Counselling Services introduced reforms to improve capacity and response times. The reforms introduced two major reforms; the adoption of a ‘stepped care model’, and specialized assessment through a Client Care Clinician (CCC).

The stepped care model introduced multiple intermediate treatment options towards one-on-one psychotherapy, the treatment students typically received under the old system. Intermediate treatments included group therapy, online self-help and referrals to other organizations such as the Peer Support Network. Prior to determining the type of treatment, students are referred to ‘treating professionals’ as a triage to guide students. This model was replicated after a system in Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The implementation of the CCC was designed to give students a point of contact to follow up after therapy sessions and request supporting documents when needed. This changed how medical notes were obtained. Previously, students needed to drop by daily drop-in hours for a same-day appointment to receive a medical note. The reforms divided same-day medical notes into two categories: students in imminent danger of harming themselves or others, or students who have already been assigned CCC. However, SSMU VP University Affairs Erin Sobat raised serious concerns over the medical note process. Students not in need of emergency care but not followed by the CCC do not fall into either category. In order to receive a medical note, students would need to wait for a CCC appointment. Sobat criticized this, as Mcgill professors do not accept medical notes that retroactively justify past absences.

Despite efforts for inclusivity and anti-oppressiveness, Counselling and Mental Health Services (CMHS) remained inaccessible to trans students experiencing mental health issues. The lack of knowledge and resources on trans care fostered a sense of distrust of service providers. Students noted discomfort in discussing issues deeply connected to their experience of mental illness, such as queerness and racialization.

Independent from Mcgill Mental Health, QED Journal hosted a panel around suicide prevention and conflict resolution in the queer community in the fall semester. The event was held in response to the suicide of the trans writer activist Bryn Kelly.

SSMU Mental Health Awareness Week, held during the winter semester, was designed to break down stigma around mental illness. Panel discussions were aimed to promote open discussion and provide a safe space to discuss lived experiences. SSMU also partnered with Life After your Degree (Life AYD) to address the potential mental health issues that could arise from graduation stress.

While the stepped care model is effective in removing the strain on CMHS, the demand for mental health services still outweigh capacity. Changes in the medical note process meant to improve response time, fails to account for students who are not paired with a CCC. Most importantly, trans students still face barriers to adequate mental health services. Improved access and trans specific services must be implemented not only to better serve patients, but to address racism and classicism.