As a psychology student, I have used my education as a tool to advocate for students’ mental well-being. I started working within the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre at UFV just over a year ago, and I have gained an abundance of knowledge regarding post-secondary students’ mental health. My work within the HM|HC will be to ensure that students are being heard, while ending the stigma surrounding mental illness that often acts as a barrier for those seeking help. This will be my first year on the leadership committee, and I can’t wait to get started! [UFV]

After my experience as a first-generation student, I became passionate about the intersection of post-secondary student well-being and population health. It’s an honour to learn, work, and serve alongside a community of colleagues who share similar interests. I hope to provide a perspective from a polytechnic institution when supporting identified provincial priorities. [BCIT]

My work with HM|HC is dedicated to furthering the community of practice’s capacity and promoting post-secondary community wellbeing focusing on mental health, substance use, and consent/positive relationships. I have been involved in volunteering with HM|HC since my undergrad at UVic, worked on the Steering Committee, and now represent students on the Leadership Committee. I aim for my experience in health promotion and environmental sciences to provide a unique perspective for the LC. [UBC]

I am beginning my journey with HM|HC; I was drawn towards a community of practice that supported empowering dialogue, worked to reduce stigma, and encouraged help-seeking behaviours in all members of the campus community. I look forward to contributing to the HM|HC Leadership Committee and working towards building thriving and compassionate campus communities that prioritize well-being. [NIC]  

As a lifelong learner, I learn best by feeling a sense of belongingness and connection with others. My journey with HM HC began when I was a graduate student many years ago, and I am grateful to continue to be involved today. It’s a wonderful way to be part of community while working with a like-hearted group to grow a community. [SFU] 

My experiences with HM|HC are just starting. I am very excited to contribute to the organization and I can’t wait to see what I learn. I am passionate about reducing barriers to post-secondary institutions. I intend on using my experiences as a peer mentor to provide perspective into student wellbeing and how it could be improved. [OC]

Liisa has found the work of Healthy Minds | Healthy Campuses to be a vital support in her work both as a Counsellor and as Manager of Counselling and Student Wellness.  Liisa has been learning with the members of HMHC since the very first conference!  She deeply values the learning that happens when folks come together with shared intention and is honoured to serve on the Leadership Committee. [CC] 

It has been an honour to be involved with Healthy Minds | Healthy Campuses over the past few years.  I believe support for the whole person is crucial to meeting one’s academic goals and I see Healthy Minds | Healthy Campuses as an integral part of this work in our province. This group has been an active part of: promoting campus wellness initiatives; encouraging and empowering students;  offering opportunities for dialogue amongst students, staff, faculty, senior administration, community groups and government; and expanding all of our ideas about what it means to be well and stay well on post-secondary campuses in BC. [UVic]

I am currently enrolled in the Social Services Worker Diploma program. There are a couple of reasons why I decided to apply for an LC position with HM|HC. One is that the North is at a loss for mental health supports, for everyone. I thought it might be beneficial to get some focus on this area, especially in regard to minority populations. [NLC] 

As I begin my journey with HM|HC, I am looking forward to being a part of this community dedicated to promoting and supporting campus well-being. I hope to connect with all members, with aim to learn, establish better understanding and communication so we can build upon the great initiatives of HM|HC.  [TRU]

Mahboubeh is HM|HC Co-lead. She is passionate about bringing dialogue and inquiry to campuses, schools, communities, and other settings to support (mental) health and healthier relationships with substances. [CMHA BC​] 

Tim has been involved with HM|HC in a support role since 2007. With a concern for consistent implementation of a robust health promotion, culturally attentive and dialogic approach, he has especially sought to contribute to appropriate initiatives promoting healthier relationships with psychoactive substances on our campuses and has co-authored various resource guides relating to that endeavour. [UVic] 

Sarah has been involved with HM|HC for more than 10 years and worked with every HM|HC coordinator or co-lead since its inception in 2004 and its transformation to a community of practice a few years after. She has worked in mental health and substance use literacy and knowledge translation, including in settings-based approaches, for over 20 years. Sarah first disclosed her own history of mental illness and recovery during her valedictory address in 2000 in an effort to bring more conversations about campus mental health out into the open—and she’s been committed to that goal ever since. [CMHA BC​] 

Dan has been a visionary for HM|HC from the initiative’s outset in 2004. As his retirement allows, he continues to help us reflect more critically about assumptions and practical implications in various aspects of our endeavour. These include a humanistic perspective on health promotion that upholds agency and social responsibility, a phenomenological approach to substance use and to responsively capturing the meaning and value of interpersonal experience, and the challenge of engaging in genuine dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and support inclusive collaboration.