SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University will host “From Survive to Thrive: Atlantic Canadian Conference on Student Mental Health” on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. Organized by the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) and the Medavie Health Foundation, the event will welcome mental health educators working at universities across Atlantic Canada, as well as senior university administrators, and mental health professionals and researchers.

“We are pleased and proud to be hosting the AAU’s Atlantic Canadian Conference on Student Mental Health,” says Mount Allison University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Campbell. “Canadian society and universities have been working hard to provide improved support in the areas of mental health and wellness - but there is still much to do for our students and staff. This conference provides an opportunity to take stock of what we have accomplished and to plan targeted improvements for the future. We look forward to welcoming participants and to hearing and participating in the conference discussions.”

“Mount Allison hosted the AAU’s first regional student mental health conference in 2012. That gathering really kick started greater inter-institutional collaboration and sharing of best practices among our universities on this critical issue.” said Peter Halpin, Executive Director, AAU. “It also marked the beginning of the AAU’s partnership with Medavie Health Foundation.”

The conference will include a panel discussion on the current state of student mental health, as well as presentations on student strengths based resilience, and the AAU’s student mental health strategy.

From Strive to Thrive follows a number of mental health-directed initiatives by Atlantic-Canadian universities, including Mount Allison. In 2012, Mount Allison hosted “Making the Connection: Developing a University Team Approach to Student Mental Health Care” conference, presented by the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) and the Medavie Health Foundation. The conference was designed to create greater awareness and focus on student mental health across the region’s universities.

In 2017, the Medavie Health Foundation, in partnership with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, announced the expansion of Pathway through Mental Health Care for Postsecondary Settings at Mount Allison. The student mental health initiative, led by Dr. Stan Kutcher, is working to ensure postsecondary students in New Brunswick will have access to improved mental health literacy and on-campus mental health care.