Overview
Imagine a safe but convenient space where students can drop in for confidential, compassionate support in times of stress. Through the Office of the Associate Vice President Student Health and Wellness, such a space now exists: the Wellness Desk on the main floor of Carleton’s library.
At the Wellness Desk, students can speak with one of our Student Wellness Ambassadors about their thoughts and emotions, explore relevant resources with the team, and walk away with a better understanding of some steps to take to feel better.
The Background
The purpose of the Wellness Desk is to provide highly accessible mental health and wellbeing support and resources to students in a safe, familiar and central location. Not only does it allow more students to access the supports they need—which may in turn alleviate some of the pressures on community mental health services —its prominence puts wellness on display and contributes to our shared efforts to destigmatize mental health challenges.
The generosity of caring donors is critical to its success. Over the long term, donations will ensure the Wellness Desk is sustainable and available to future generations of students. Gifts will also help fund short-term needs and critical resources—tools that promote wellness and improve services.
The Rollout
With the funds we hope to create a comprehensive “Wellness Library” including self-help books, journals, workbooks, puzzles. The funds would also help to support a more sensory-friendly environment for students with therapeutic tools such as light therapy lamps, weighted aids, noise cancelling headphones and meditation materials. Additionally, funds would also help with the procurement of resources for student wellness events.
The Impact
The Wellness Desk strives to be a safe, inclusive environment where students are given the space to prioritize their wellness. In doing so, the hope is for students to gain a lasting understanding of the importance of positive self-care throughout their university experience and beyond.