Health and well-being

students walking on campus

Supports and Resources

On-campus supports

Mental health resources

Health and well-being offers confidential support for personal, academic, co-op, and mental health concerns.

Empower Me provides mental health counselling services for students, available 24/7.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) supports all members of the University of Waterloo campus community who have experienced or been impacted by sexual violence.

The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDI-R) works with students, faculty, and staff to advance anti-racism and equity through evidence-based policies, practices and programs.

Physical health resources

Health and well-being provides medical care, including appointments with doctors, nurses, and specialists.

UW Fitness Classes promote physical and mental health through a variety of programs.

Move Your Mind is a referral-based wellness initiatives designed to eliminate barriers that may prevent students from staying active and participating in recreational activities.

Spiritual health resources

The Multi-Faith & Spirituality Resource Team is made up of spiritual and religious leaders from different faith traditions, providing support to students, faculty, staff and the community.

Multi-Faith Spaces consist of multiple, functional, accessible locations around campus that can be used by students for prayer, reflection, and other faith-based activities.

Academic supports

Academic Advisors in your home department/school are available to assist with course planning and a variety of other needs.

AccessAbility Services offers support and accommodations for students with disabilities, illnesses, conditions, or mental health concerns.

Community supports

weCONNECTu is a student mentorship program offered for students by students. Upper-year mentors offer a variety of programs to assist first-year students in Health including workshops and review sessions.

MATES (Mentor Assistance Through Education and Support) promotes student well-being by offering a safe space for students to speak with a mentor one-on-one or participate in wellness activities at their lounge.

Wellness Programs and Student Groups offers a collection of wellness workshops and groups for students to learn coping strategies, mindfulness techniques, and other mental health skills.

International Peer Community is a peer-support program aimed at helping international students settle in and feel at home at the University of Waterloo.

Living Learning Communities gives students the opportunity to live with fellow students in their program.

Off-campus supports

Mental health resources

Good2Talk is a confidential helpline for post-secondary students in Ontario, available 24/7.

Here 24/7 provides crisis intervention, mental health, and addiction support services. They perform intake, assessment, referral, waitlist and appointment booking work for those with addictions and mental health challenges.

Progress Place offers a friendly ear if you are feeling lonely, isolated, anxious, or depressed. You can chat online, text, or call a Warm Line peer support worker.

Spectrum affirms and supports the well-being of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Waterloo region.

Kind Minds Family Wellness is a culturally grounded counselling education and research advocacy organization that addressed anti-black racism and systemic oppression.

Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7 to all indigenous people across Canada. The service is offered in multiple languages including: English, French, Cree, Ojibway (Anishnnaabemowin), & Inuktitut.

Suicide Crisis Hotline offers 24/7 mental health support, just call or text 988.

Sexual health resources

Shore Center is Waterloo Region's trusted source for accurate sexual health education and confidential pregnancy options support.

Community support

211 Ontario is a free and confidential service that connects people to the social and community supports they need.

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources they need to survive and thrive. They can be reached at 877-330-6366.

More resources are available on the Faculty of Health's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism webpage.

Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being

The Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being was established in 2017 with a mandate to gather information about challenges, barriers, facilitators, and resources for supporting health and well-being.

The committee works toward the development of tangible recommendations and resources for supporting health and well-being among students, staff, and faculty from across the Faculty of Health.

For further details about our initiatives and activities, please visit the Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being page.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please email the committee.

Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being.

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is a balance between nine interconnected dimensions, which is what we call the Dimensions of Wellness. Wellness goes beyond physical health to include an individual’s ability to identify and achieve goals, satisfy needs, and the ability to change and cope with the demands of our environment. Each dimension is equally important as the others, and we must pay attention to each one individually. If one dimension is out of balance, the others are affected.

  1. Physical Wellness
  2. Intellectual Wellness
  3. Emotional Wellness
  4. Relational Wellness
  5. Vocational Wellness
  6. Cultural Wellness
  7. Spiritual Wellness
  8. Financial Wellness
  9. Environmental Wellness

Memoirs of Wellness

Everyone navigates very individual experiences that impact their well-being. That said, we acknowledge that there is a need to normalize both negative and positive well-being journeys in an effort to de-stigmatize mental health, mental illness, and adversity in general. Through our Memoirs of Wellness, we want our community members to know they're not alone in their struggles! The goal of the Memoirs of Wellness initiative is to highlight the personal wellness journeys of our students, staff, and faculty!

If you would like to contribute your story to our Memoirs of Wellness, please connect with health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca. All stories are welcome and all stories matter!

Have Your Say

This initiative provides the opportunity for you to Have Your Say in how the Faculty of Health supports and enhances the health and well-being of all our students, staff, and faculty. Submit your thoughts and ideas for new activities, workshops, seminars, and resources that the Faculty of Health can offer or provide us with your feedback for how the Faculty of Health can improve your health and well-being. Please email health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca to submit any feedback you have.  

Events

Wellness Bingo

All members of the Faculty of Health are encouraged to download the newly redesigned Wellness Bingo card and play along for a chance to win a prize every term!

Going forward, Wellness Bingo cards will be released once per term, rather than once every month.

Review all the activities that are provided within the 24 boxes (the 25th box is a Free Space) and aim to complete as many as possible! Each completed set of 5-boxes in any row, column, or diagonal sequence throughout the term will earn you an entry for the $50 prize. The more sequences you complete, the higher your chances of winning!

All submissions must be made prior to 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the day final examinations end by sending a picture of your card to health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca. Once you submit your card, it will be reviewed and verified. All eligible submissions will be entered into the draw.

Download your Fall 2024 Wellness Bingo Card or email us for an accessible Bingo list.

Deadline for Fall term submissions: Thursday, December 19, 2024

Training Opportunities on Campus

QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer

Training content:

  • How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be having thoughts of suicide
  • How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
  • Common causes and warning signs
  • How to get help for someone in crisis

safeTALK

Training content:

  • Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss, or avoid the topic of suicide
  • Identify people with thoughts of suicide
  • Learn simple yet effective TALK steps: Tell, Ask, Listen, and KeepSafe
  • Apply the TALK steps to connect a person with suicide thoughts to life-saving first aid resources

More Feet On The Ground (virtual or self guided online)

Training content:

  • Comprehensive information about common mental health and addiction concerns
  • Overview of signs/symptoms, treatment options, mental health stigma
  • Facts, statistics, and stories of lived experience
  • Campus and community resource information
  • Opportunity to receive a certificate following successful completion of a brief on-line assessment of learning

See Mental health training opportunities for current offerings.

The Sanctuary
  • The Sanctuary is a non-denominational space open to all members of the Faculty of Health to participate in prayer, mediation, yoga, or any other introspective practices, spiritual or otherwise. Located at BMH 3023, the sanctuary is available at all times and has a sliding meter to indicate if the space is in use.
  • Our wellness space is equipped with yoga mats, prayer mats, prayer beads, salt lamps, adjustable lighting and comfortable chairs. We invite you to bring any of your own items into the space but please be advised that it is a public space that is not traditionally locked and materials may go missing.
  • If you have any feedback on your experience with the space, please fill out our Sanctuary Enhancement Survey.