On February 9, 2021, the government of Ontario announced through a news release that they will be providing $7 million for post-secondary students to access mental health and addiction services during COVID-19 for both on-campus and virtual facilities.
The funding is said to be part of the Ontario Ministry of Health’s $147 million funding plan, which was announced on December 17, 2020. Through the investment, the government hopes to increase staff, accommodations, and virtual or physical support while addressing the needs of marginalized groups, including students who identify as part of Indigenous or LGBTQ communities.
Today, I had the pleasure of announcing an additional $7M in #mentalhealth funding to support students at Ontario’s colleges and universities. Funding will enhance the delivery and accessibility of mental health supports and services for students pursuing their studies online. pic.twitter.com/tTkTippWpQ
— Ross Romano (@RossRomanoSSM) February 9, 2021
The government also announced $19.25 million in mental health support services in October 2020. This included funding for the Good2Talk/Allo j’écoute helpline, which provides professional counselling to all students by telephone, text, and live chat. These processes are all part of Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness plan.
“We know that college and university can be a difficult time for our students and that the COVID-19 outbreak has only increased pressures on their mental health,” said Ross Romano, Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities. “That is why it is so important that we recognize the need for added support by investing more in mental health services.”
Even before the pandemic, mental health needs for students have increased dramatically. According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario, the 18-24 age group scored the highest rate of moderate to severe depressive symptoms, per a study conducted in 2015/16. The same report says that since the pandemic, “forty-two per cent of young adults aged 18 to 24 years experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms.”
And recent statistics from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations indicate that 62 per cent of students feel that the pandemic has negatively impacted their academic experience.
“We continue to hear from mental health professionals that our youth are under more pressure and more stress than any recent generation,” said Michael Tibollo, the associate minister of mental health and addictions.
Tibollo hopes this decision responds to students’ concerns.
“In these unprecedented times, this investment will help to ensure that the mental health services they [the students] need are going to be there to support them when they need it,” said Tibollo.
