York University's Health Education and Promotion officially opens a Wellness Hub on Sept. 17, offering drop-in support, resources and referrals to students, staff and faculty on all aspects of wellness, including nutritional, sexual and mental health.
Located in the Ross-Vari Link, the Wellness Hub is staffed by a team of peer health educators and student nurses who are using this experiential education opportunity to bridge their classroom knowledge with practice to complete their community placement requirement.
Steph Francis, health education coordinator, has spent two weeks training peers and student nurses for this role.
"They are excited and ready to go," she said. "Not only have they been trained in various aspects of health, but they are also equipped with the knowledge and skill to connect students with the most current and appropriate resources."
York University's Mental Health Strategy, now in its third year, outlined the need for increased accessibility to health promotion services and making resources more readily available. The opening of the Wellness Hub addresses this need, as it is located in a high-traffic area that sees thousands of students, staff and faculty walk through daily.
Helen Lee, manager of well-being and health promotion, is looking forward to the impact that the Hub will have on individuals and overall student health.
“Not only will the Wellness Hub make significant contributions to York’s holistic and integrated approach to campus health, it will help York advance its vision of becoming a mentally healthy campus," she said.
The Wellness Hub was made possible through the Ministry of Colleges, Training and Universities’ Mental Health Services Grant and through partnerships between Health Education and Promotion, the School of Nursing, Community Safety and Toronto Public Health.
To learn more about the Wellness Hub, visit thewellnesshub.scld.yorku.ca.