Dear editor,
Re: “SFU’s Health and Counselling Services need to provide better service”
We are writing in response to this article from The Peak’s previous issue. We sympathize with the hundreds of students like Sarah who have faced barriers to accessing support services, and know that there are many more out there who still aren’t able to access the support they deserve, let alone have the courage to talk about it. We don’t have all the answers, but as students who also struggle with mental health, we hope this offers folks more insight to the complexities faced by our institution and provide more information about the resources available to all of us.
The Situation:
Prior to 2013, there were no wait-lists for counselling. Thousands of students are served each year but past years have shown increases in demand for counselling services. While counsellor to student ratios should be 1,500 students per counsellor, it remains at approximately 1 per 4,000 students. With 37,000 students (Fraser International College included) to serve, the recommended number of counsellors should be 25. As of now, there are only 9 counsellors at Health and Counselling services (HCS).
The lack of capacity of HCS is ultimately why we have wait-lists and 6 session caps today.
Only those from HCS will be able to tell you exactly how long it’ll take to get an appointment. If you are in crisis, at risk or in an urgent situation you will be seen by a counsellor immediately.
Six appointments:
There is a 6 session cap per semester, but these sessions are covered through your tuition payments not through your student insurance. Students who are enrolled in the SFSS extended health and dental plan can receive up to $500 a year in coverage for a registered psychologist or clinical counsellor. Therefore every undergraduate student enrolled in our plan has access to the 6 sessions in addition to the $500 in coverage.
Alternative resources:
You can check out some of Health and Counselling’s drop-in groups, workshops and seminars. For instance, there’s drop-in mindfulness meditation every Wednesday at 12:30pm and a craft collective every Thursday at 2pm. You can find an array of online services available through the HCS website under “our services.” There is also currently a group of students working to create a sexual assault support centre on campus, which would not only help free up counsellors, but would provide targeted support for survivors or sexual assault.
What the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) is doing:
We are currently researching the possibility of implementing a student-led peer support program and are hosting a mental health first aid workshop through the Canadian Association for Mental Health on February 27 to 28. If there is interest we can continue to offer this workshop on a more regular basis. The SFSS offers staff-led peer support, which is different from counselling, at our LGBTQ+ centre Out on Campus and at our SFU Women’s Centre. You can also find peer support at the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG).
Sincerely,
Enoch Weng, Kathleen Yang, Larissa Chen: SFSS president, VP external relations, and Health Sciences Representative
