THE PULSE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS
NOVEMBER 2015
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY Hamilton, Ontario
THE PULSE
Board of Directors PRESIDENT
CONFERENCE DIRECTOR
Julie West
Sara Wills
University of Guelph jwest@uoguelph.ca
Carleton University sara.wills@carleton.ca
PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTOR
CORPORATE PARTNER RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Daryl Nauman
Jordon McLinden
York University dnauman@yorku.ca
Carleton University jordon.mclinden@carleton.ca
PAST PRESIDENT
SENIOR-LEVEL MEMBER AT LARGE
Laura Storey Carleton University laura.storey@carleton.ca
Chris Alleyne
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR
MEMBER AT LARGE
Brian Cunha
University of Windsor rawlin1@uwindsor.ca
Western University calleyne@housing.uwo.ca
Diane Rawlings
University of Toronto brian.cunha@utoronto.ca
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
MEMBER AT LARGE
Melissa Steadman
Humber College meaghan.mcneil@humber.ca
Western University msteadma@housing.uwo.ca
Meghan McNeil
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATION MANAGER
Andrew Quenneville
OACUHO info@oacuho.com
Western University aquennev@housing.uwo.ca
Carol Ford
The Communications Committee DIRECTOR Brian Cunha
SPECIAL PROJECTS Meaghan McNeil
THE PULSE EDITORS Rebecca Mudge Andrea Pape Cory Coletta Jonathan Amanatidis Brittany Reifenstein
SOCIAL MEDIA Mary Stefanidis Brian Millado Thomas Crowhurst RESEARCH TBD
Table of Contents 3
10
president’s message
winding down
6 Convenience and Connection
November Editors Cory Coletta Trent University
Brian Cunha University of Toronto
8 An Interview: How Implementing a Behavioural Intervention Team Can Support Student Mental Health
Historical Building Renovations
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
I
t’s a busy time in housing! And it’s a busy time for OACUHO!
Now to be honest, I can’t think of a time that is not busy in housing – it often switches between what area within housing might be busiest. This is the time of year that many of your will be looking at capital projects, engineering reports, financial forecasts and planning, purchasing furniture, staffing structures to meet the needs of future students, increases in student fees and staff development. And of course with mid-terms and papers, comes stress, anxiety and community discord that takes the time of others to mediate and problem solve. OACUHO is about to embark on a busy week with our Fall Business Meeting and Residence Life conference at weeks’ end. Thanks to Carleton University and McMaster University for the collaborative approach to make this smooth for attendees-I look forward to seeing everyone at Mac. We hope it encourages others to think about perhaps hosting in conjunction with another institution. I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday and for those who can’t attend, we will try to get minutes of the FBM out to you in a reasonable time so that you are informed of all that went on.
Julie West OACUHO President
“
We hope it encourages others to think about perhaps hosting in conjunction with another institution. -3-
”
Promoting Generationed City research to understand our students better Glen Weppler Director, Housing University of Waterloo
Tweets
Learning can happen in a living environment. As campus housing professionals we know this can happen. We see it every day inside our residence communities. In Canada, little research has been published to demonstrate that learning can happen where one lives. Researchers from the University of Waterloo School of Planning are presently conducting research which could provide some much needed insight into the living/learning connection along with insights into a host of other factors such as: employment prospects, earnings and residential location. This research project is called Generationed City.
- Is student housing too expensive for young adults? uWaterloo researchers want to hear from you: generationedcity.uwaterloo.ca/survey #generationedcity - Help us improve student housing! uWaterloo researchers want to learn more about you: generationedcity.uwaterloo.ca/survey #generationedcity
By helping to promote completion of the Generationed City survey by students on our campuses we can gather data which can lead us to better understand our students. Markus Moos leads the Generationed City research team. He is prepared to share his research findings with OACUHO if sufficient data is gathered to conduct meaningful analysis of post-secondary students in Ontario/Canada.
- Tell us how to improve student housing! uWaterloo research study needs participants: generationedcity.uwaterloo.ca/survey #generationedcity - Tell ur friends, someone is listening: uWaterloo researchers want to hear about your housing situation https://www.facebook.com/ GenCityWaterloo/ Complete the survey to help shape the future of housing generationedcity.uwaterloo.ca/survey
You can help promote completion of the survey by sharing one of more of the following messages to students on your campus.
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Student Mental
 Health One of the most talked about topics in our field today. What can we do? What is being done? How can we support our students? We try to at least scratch the surface in this issue. -5-
Convenience and Connection
Freeman Woolnough | Queen’s University
W
ithout a doubt, convenience plays a large role in our decision-making processes. It’s what makes fast food so appealing, long-distance relationships so difficult, and binge watching on Netflix so darn accessible. Convenience is also what makes embedded/ residence counselling positions so successful throughout the country.
considering over 200 participants tuned into a webinar about these and other practices earlier this spring (which can be found here for those of you who missed it), it is still obviously a hot topic in the field. The convenience of having a counsellor (or three) devoted to residence students, in many cases physically located in residence space, cannot be overstated. Not only beneficial for the students, there is also an aspect of convenience for residence life – having an in-house connection to other services on campus can be a huge boon for student and professional staff, as well. clinical and group supervision around specific cases.
Embedding counselling services within other departments on post-secondary campuses, such as in residences, is not a new idea; many institutions in both Canada and the US have been seeing success with this model for over five years. However,
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FEATURE The emphasis on connection is probably one of the most important parts of my job. Here’s how I connect:
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With students, one-on-one. The nature and physical location of my office means that students can connect in-person easily, and also serves double-duty as a ‘de-stigmatizer’, having visible mental health supports in residence. I’m also able to use our ResLife management system (eRez) to see peer helping situations of concern and occasionally use my ‘Residence Life hat’ to reach out to students directly. With students, in groups. Both Nadia (my fellow Residence Outreach Counsellor) and I are connected with a number of professional and student groups on campus who tend to reach out to us first when looking for training or presentations. Our perceived expertise in first-year transitions, peer-topeer helping, and mental health makes us a hot commodity!
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With other departments. Due to all of the above, embedded counsellors seem to be the first point of contact for many of our campus partners when looking to support a student in distress. We also
collaborate extensively with other staff whenever we are planning or coordinating a larger project. At this point in the academic year, when we are beginning to get into the routine busy-ness that makes our jobs our jobs, it can be difficult to remember the importance of these connections. Sometimes, despite the convenience of having somebody’s office just down the hall from us, we are so focused on our own to-do lists that we forget there are others who may be able to help and support us. However, it is important, not just from a mental health perspective, but from an overall well-being perspective, that we take advantage of these connections. Take a few moments today to connect and/or re-connect with a colleague – in your office, on your campus, or across the country – our jobs can feel tough sometimes, but it’s always easier if you’re not alone!
With the Residence Life team. Weekly staff meetings (with management, coordinators, conduct, programming, and administrative staff) help keep everybody in the loop about what is going on. These meetings facilitate planning and consultation about any students of Themes and concerns that present concern – it’s worth noting that being most often during this time of year housed in the main administrative residence hub allows for in-person Stress/Anxiety/Low Mood: These are almost always in the front consultation with professional and student running for students (as well as the general population). Interestingly, staff throughout the week, as well. academics is typically not the underlying factor in many of these cases. With Counselling Services. On our campus, we have weekly meetings with the full counselling team as well as a separate meeting with all other embedded counsellors across campus (there are eight of us altogether!). The departmental meeting provides us professional development opportunities and check-ins, and the embedded meetings allow for clinical and group supervision around specific cases.
Relationships (Romantic): There’s something about Thanksgiving that seems to bring out both the best and the worst in our romantic lives (hence why this time of year is sometimes referred to as the ‘Turkey Dump’). Relationships (Peers): Most students seem to have very high expectations around finding their bffs within the first month of university, and as we all should know, it is rare for lasting friendships to develop this quickly. Homesickness: Did you know that when asked to rate what they miss most about their homes, students will consistently rate their house pet as number one? Longing for home is a common concern throughout our lives, but at this point in the year we do tend to see some of the more intense cases. Exploring all options (including a return to home) is an important part of managing homesickness.
An Interview: How Implementing a Behavioural Intervention Team Can Support Student Mental Health
by
Laura Mammone Residence Life Area Coordinator Wilfrid Laurier University-Brantford
with
Chris Eley
Adam Lawrence
Manager of Residence Wilfrid Laurier University-Brantford
Dean of Students Wilfrid Laurier University-Brantford
Who is on the Behavioural Intervention Team? Chris Eley: The Internal Group consists of the Dean of Students Office, Residence Life, The Wellness Centre, Special Constables, Accessible Learning and Academic Advising. We made a conscience effort to include academic advising at the table, although this is not also common amongst BIT's. Adam Lawrence: The external group consists of members of the community that may attend meeting if their role on the campus relates and/or impacts the student case. Why was the Behavioural Intervention Team (BIT) started? Chris Eley: The Behavioural Intervention Team was started as a way of ensuring students were getting appropriate support from all applicable areas of the University and not falling through the cracks. It also acts as a group that can triage severe student-related cases and elevate them to the Universities Threat Assessment Team.
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Laurier Brantford
people like our Special Constables or medical staff may have. An early challenge which we have overcome was knowing what cases warranted being brought to the team and which could be handled within our own areas.
What is the structure of the Behavioural Intervention Team? Chris Eley: The Team meets weekly to discuss any new or ongoing cases that need attention. The meetings are chaired by the Dean of Students Office who coordinates the Care Plans that are put in place for each student. This academic year we have launched a new student documentation system called Advocate to which all members have access, so we keep notes on students and case files in this internal documentation system.
Could you elaborate on how concerns of confidentiality are approached with this team?
What were the steps involved in organizing and implementing the Behavioural Intervention Team?
Adam Lawrence: We strive to maintain confidentiality at all times, and ensure that the student is engaged in the majority of decision making when it comes to support. Confidentiality becomes difficult to manage if there is a threat to a student safety - or the safety of the community - and those are tough conversations that we have as a group when the situation presents itself.
Adam Lawrence: Before the BIT was in place, Laurier had a Student Support Team which acted in a similar manner. Upon review of this original team, we wanted to engage a core group of student support individuals and really focus on students who were being supported by numerous areas of the campus, and could benefit from an integrated care plan.
Have you ever run into a scenario where there were conflicting strategies on how to navigate a situation? How was this resolved?
What are the advantages of using this type of system in supporting a student’s mental health?
Chris Eley: Rarely but they have occurred on occasion and in those scenarios we tend to give final word to whomever the subject matter expert would be. Or we would look to the Dean of Students to ensure we were making the decision that was best for the student and for the broader community.
Chris Eley: I would say the biggest advantage is that we become aware of more students that are struggling because we have so many different touch points from the University all sitting around the table, we are able to realize when a student has contacted multiple different areas looking for help. We are then able to coordinate that help and support rather than each area having to develop and implement a plan.
What would be the one piece of advice that you would offer in how to best support a student’s mental health?
Adam Lawrence: Engage the student in the decision making process, and utilize the campus and community supports available. What would be the one piece of advice that you would offer for institutions looking to begin a Behavioural Intervention Team?
What have been some of the challenges you have faced in supporting mental health based situations? How did you overcome these challenges?
Adam Lawrence: Research! There is a ton of research about BITs and many schools are doing it "right" - go to conferences and learn from those schools! This is a team that should be active at post-secondary institutions.
Chris Eley: One key challenge was confidentiality and ensuring that we were upholding student privacy and the professional standards that different
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Winding Down
C
Melyssa Kerr
Molly Raffan
Queen’s University
Queen’s University
ongrats! It's November and you made it, relatively in one piece. Summer is a beautiful, sunshine-filled figment of our imaginations; September and October are a blur. Winter break is the seemingly untouchable light at the end of the proverbial tunnel but we will get there! It's no surprise that our own lives often take a back burner to those of our students, direct reports, and fellow team mates. We talk a lot about self-care and balance to others, but taking our own advice when it comes to that can be a tough thing to do. Fear not! These ten tips may help give you some ideas to take twenty-minutes to chillax and relax all cool:
1
Say no
"Yes" is a word housing professionals tend to compulsively say without a second thought to how it will impact whatever else we've got on our plates. Of course we're here to help those who come to us, but consider challenging yourself to think about the power of no in peak times, especially when it comes to your workload and social life.
2
pop the bubble
"Residence Bubble", "Campus Bubble"...whatever you choose to call it; take a pin and pop it! Liberate yourself and revitalize your social life. Balance is a beautiful feeling, it is what makes everything else feel manageable. Do what you can. Grab a coffee with a friend. Date yourself. Reconnect with a friend you haven't seen in a while. Call a loved one. Go to a movie.
3
eat popcorn
Kernels Popcorn makes any day, tough or not, SO much better. Melyssa and I bonded over our blind and overwhelming love of popcorn and as our colleagues at Queen's can attest to, we tell anyone who will listen that the magical chemistry of Kernels Popcorn is where it is at. In a nutshell...indulge. Go for it. Treat yourself to something you love. Find your “Kernels" and throw caution to the wind.
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4 5
…But Don't Eat All of Your Feelings
8
Indulgence occasionally is a beautiful thing but it's important to avoid indulging in all of your feelings. Again, it comes back to the whole "balance" thing. Everything in moderation.
Change the scenery and let your hair down! There is always a reason to be uber responsible, but every once in a while, it can be great for your head and heart to, as Sia says, "swing from the chandelier". You define how hard and how high you swing, and even what the "chandelier" may be (we're not suggesting that alcohol is the number 8 tip for winding down, but if it is included in your swing, please be safe!)
sweat
Dragging your hiney off of the couch when you've had the world's longest day is probably the last thing on earth we want to do, but breaking a sweat really does boost energy and makes even a bright world a little brighter. Sweating doesn't always need to involve going to the gym. Be creative! You know yourself the best. Do what you can fit into your schedule and try to make it part of your routine. If it becomes a habit of sorts, you'll be more likely to stick to it. The good old buddy-system is always a solid plan. Accountability is a beautiful thing and can make magic happen.
6
Hug a tree
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Pixelate Your Thoughts
Along our travels we found a website that we thought might be an amusing but oddly useful website for those who are looking to let go of a thought and watch it float away. It's a bit cheesy, but hey...we're housing professionals. We all have a Masters in cheese. Check it out: www.pixelthoughts.co
Fresh air is a beautiful thing and actually can help us clear our cloudy minds. Vitamin D, bird songs and feeling the nature happening around you can help you find perspective, make sense of whatever is going on in your world or even just let the day fade away and help you relax. Drink coffee on a patio, go for a hike, sit by water (also a soothing activity), read in a park, people watch from a bench somewhere. If there is something you can do outside, go do it!
7
Swing from the (Metaphorical) Chandelier
laugh it out
Finding one thing that makes you belly laugh per day is good for the heart and soul. Reddit is a goldmine for hilarious stories and pictures, as is this thing called "YouTube"; call a funny friend; have lunch with a colleague and challenge yourselves to only share funny, non-work related stories. If all else fails, google the Reddit subreddit "Hold My Juice Box". Hilarious. Do what you need to do to find a belly laugh every day.
Flick it off…or on
This might come a surprise, but these tips are not scholarly, nor are they rooted in any particular theory or research. Big surprise, right?! But we work in an amazing field full of wonderful people, so out and continue rocking the worlds of lives you impact every day, and don't forget to say no sometimes, pop the bubble and make time for you.
Some people gain energy and unwind by feeding their brains and some people achieve the same result by powering their brains down. Watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, take a nap, play video games, or do a crossword, whatever works for you!
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Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers 312 Oakwood Crt, Newmarket Ontario, L3Y 3C8 
 Telephone: 905-954-0102 Fax: 905-895-1630