About Us

Community of Practice

Healthy Campus Saskatchewan (HCSK) is a Community of Practice that brings together 19 post-secondary institutions (including staff, students, and faculty), and 2 community organizations to create shared opportunities that support the health and wellbeing of students enrolled in post-secondary education programs.

Our vision is to create healthy, resilient campus communities where students feel safe, supported, and have the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to achieve their personal, academic, and future career goals.

HCSK is passionate about student health and wellbeing and is using this provincial platform to:

Research, create, and share evidence-based information and resources
Build relationships and innovative partnerships to mobilize knowledge
Improve collaboration and problem-solving between campuses
Celebrate successes and help navigate challenges
Use resources efficiently and effectively to achieve maximum impact on measurable goals

JOIN US

Join our community of practice forum to access resources and information, learn from others, share your knowledge, and contribute to the community. Send an email to info@hcsk.ca and she will forward you an email invitation to join.

About Us

Community of Practice

HCSK is passionate about student health and wellbeing and is using this provincial platform to:

Research, create, and share evidence-based information and resources
Build relationships and innovative partnerships to mobilize knowledge
Improve collaboration and problem-solving between campuses
Celebrate successes and help navigate challenges
Use resources efficiently and effectively to achieve maximum impact on measurable goals

JOIN US

Our Work

Strategic Priorities

Data-Driven Collaboration

Healthy Campus Saskatchewan and 17 post-secondary institutions deployed the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) to over 3,000 students in the Spring of 2021. This data provides baseline information around the mental health and wellbeing of our Saskatchewan post-secondary students. The CCWS assesses the overall campus climate and various factors that contribute to student mental health and wellness. Our goal is to repeat the survey every two years to measure changes and trends.

Data from the survey indicated most students felt their campus provided a respectful, inclusive climate and a supportive learning environment. The majority of students knew where to access mental and physical health services on and off-campus, and believed there was a good support system for students who were going through difficult times. Students indicated they had high levels of social support and risky alcohol use was comparatively lower than in previous surveys.

However, concern for student mental health remains, with 32% of students reporting severe mental distress and 28% reporting low mental wellbeing.

Community Engagement

Advancing post-secondary student health and wellbeing will be enhanced by reaching out to each other and the broader community. We actively seek partnerships with organizations that share our vision for healthy and resilient campus communities. Through our online Community of Practice forum to our outreach efforts to the broader community, we support collaboration, innovation, and co-creation in the post-secondary education sector.

Health Education, Training, and Awareness

Bringing attention to and advocating for post-secondary mental health and wellbeing is core to our mission as a Community of Practice. Through social media, awareness campaigns, Peer Health Outreach Networks, mental health training, discussion forums, and online education opportunities, HCSK will promote and advance student wellness in post-secondary institutions across the province.

“Since our College does not have in-house crisis counselling or a student
wellness centre, this program helps us fill the gap between student health needs and students accessing other community supports”.
Staff member, Parkland College

Newsletters

December 2021 Newsletter June/July 2021 Newsletter May 2021 Newsletter

Canadian Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), in collaboration with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group, has developed a set of voluntary standards that post-secondary institutions can use to measure how they are doing in terms of student mental health. Work toward meeting the Standard will influence, shape, and set benchmarks for post-secondary institutions to create healthy and safe environments for students.

The Standard was developed with input from experts, scoping research, and cross-country dialogue with students, administrators, health agencies, governments, and people with lived experience of mental illness. This work was funded by Bell Let’s Talk and the Standard is the first of its kind in the world.

Healthy Campus Saskatchewan will work to support our Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions to adopt and meet the Standard. Email bev@hcsk.ca to join our Standard Committee and begin working on the Standard at your campus with the help of our HCSK community. You can find the Audit Tool on page 36-53 in the downloadable Starter Kit below. The Audit Tool will help your campus assess where you are already meeting the Standard and where to focus some attention.

Summary of the Scoping Review of current literature related to post-secondary student mental health

Download your copy of the Standard

Download a copy of the Starter Kit that will help you begin

Download Stages of Implementation Infographic

Download FAQ Resource

To view past webinars we have hosted about the Standard, please go to Upcoming Events and check under Recorded Webinars.