Niagara College counselling services affected by strike

While much of the focus has been on teaching staff at Niagara College and the other 23 colleges involved in a provincewide strike, counselling services have also been affected.

Michael Wales, Niagara College communications manager, said in addition to teaching staff and librarians, college counsellors are a part of the bargaining unit represented by Ontario Public Service Employees Union. OPSEU and those it represents have been on strike since Monday after being unable to reach an agreement with the College Employer Council in regards to several issues, including job stability.

“While we have had to modify the delivery of some of these services because of the strike, we do continue to offer health, wellness and accessibility services to students,” Wales said.

Eight full-time counsellors at Nigara College are among striking workers, but Wales said the college’s three part-time counsellors are available and can offer students help, including for mental health, learning strategies and disabilities.

The college’s three nurses can also respond to student concerns about mental health as they deal with personal health and wellness issues.

These services, as well as appointment-based clinics run by three independent physicians, are a part of the college’s health, wellness and accessibility services available at both Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses.

He said contact information, when these services are available, and how the strike has affected them are available on the strike information page the college has set up at niagaracollege.ca/strikeinfo. The information is available under the FAQ section, and provides times, phone numbers, room numbers and additional resources for students to use, such as the postsecondary helpline Good2Talk.

Wales said staff are also still able to make referrals for students when necessary.

He said approximately 250 students use the health, wellness and accessibility services in a typical week. He said it’s too early to determine how many students might still try to access those services during the strike.

“We have not had any issues in meeting the demand for health, wellness and accessibility services (during the strike),” Wales said. “We remind students that they can contact these offices directly to access services as required.” lbarton@postmedia.com twitter.com/LBartonTribune