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HomeWhat We DoChildren and YouthNational Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students

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

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What is the Standard?

The National Standard of Canada for Mental-Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students — the first of its kind in the world — is a set of flexible, voluntary guidelines to help post-secondary institutions support the mental-health and well-being of their students.

Where to start?

Make connections and access practical guides within CORE

The Centre for Outreach, Resources, and Engagement (CORE) is an online community with even more resources to help you implement the Standard. Along with a Q&A and calendar of upcoming events, CORE features a series of compendiums with practical advice on the Standard’s recommendations. The range of topics includes privacy and confidentiality, data gathering and evaluation, crisis management, how to examine policies through a health and well-being lens, and more.

  • Join the community to access supportive resources. Create a separate account to access the CSA Community, where related resources are available in the Centre for Outreach, Resources, and Engagement (CORE).

How does the Standard work?

The Standard is adaptable, so each post-secondary institution can decide what is achievable based on their situation, resources, and community context. And because it’s grounded in a commitment to continuous improvement, each can determine its own priorities for improving student mental health and well-being over time, no matter where they start.

  • Watch this video about the importance of working with the Standard.

Key outcomes the Standard supports:

  • raise awareness about mental health and decrease mental illness-related stigma
  • provide healthier and safer institutional environments
  • improve opportunities for student success and flourishing
  • promote life and resiliency skills that students can use at school, at work, and in daily life

Additional information

Student resources

Get early access to resources to help you align your implementation journey with the Standard. Send us a request to join our mailing list.

Resources

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) created a number of resources to support the mental health and wellness of children and youth across Canada. Click on the links below for more information.

What am I getting wrong about mental health? While people in Canada are talking about mental health more than ever, misconceptions in the media and elsewhere are keeping the stigma…

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Serious impact from COVID-19 on mental health and substance use continues, especially among youth A new report from the series of Leger polls commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of…

Watch our discussion of the recent policy brief about the impact of the pandemic on families and early childhood mental health with co-author and co-host: the Canadian Paediatric Society. In…

The CSA Z2003:20 National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students (the Standard) — the first of its kind in the world — is a set…

Returning to school after summer break is always an adjustment, but this year marks a return unlike any other. After more than a year of physical distancing, virtual learning, home…

We know that having an in-person Summit is not always possible, but we believe that it is important to let every young person in Canada know it’s OK to Be Brave, Reach Out, and Speak Up for mental health

HEADSTRONG is an initiative built to inspire youth to become leaders in their schools. HEADSTRONG leaders challenge stigma, raise mental health awareness, and promote mental wellness and early help-seeking. The…