“Time to Talk about Mental Wellness at Vic.”

The new Mental Wellness Commissioner’s plans for this year

The Mental Wellness Commissioner is a new role on VUSAC this year, created to advocate for better mental wellness programming at Vic and to host events aimed at decreasing the stigma surrounding mental illness. To learn more about the position, The Strand sat down with Ali Kehl, the newly elected Mental Wellness Commissioner, to get her thoughts on the role and find out what is in store for the position this year.   

TS: What do you consider the main role of this position, and how will it benefit the students of Victoria College?

AK: To me, the main role I see myself fulfilling is the personalization of mental health services and events at the college! This idea was at the forefront of my platform as we cannot continue to treat people as if they fit a specific mold. In my opinion, it is only through personalizing Victoria College’s approach to mental wellness that we can really start to make an impact on our students’ lives. This is not a goal that will be completed in full by the end of the year, and end of my term, but I believe we can begin to make headway in what will hopefully become a changed atmosphere at Victoria College. 

TS: The description of your position details that you will be running programming focused on mental wellness and that you will be hosting events to promote mental wellness. What do you have planned for this school year?

AK: This is a great question as working on programs and events is something I’ve been happily doing quite a lot in the past week! One of my main priorities right now is assisting the Dean’s Office in their Minding Our Minds conference happening on October 29! This year the focus is on substance abuse and its implications on and for mental health. As well, I am currently working on a collaborative event with the Equity Commission for Women’s History Month. We will be holding a Healing Workshop on October 17 in Wymilwood Lounge that will hopefully act as a space where female-identifying students can support one another and gather resources for further healing opportunities. Finally, I’m very much looking forward to working with Vic Graduate Sabrina Bilotta on an essential oils workshop and make-and-take, which will allow students to learn about the use of essential oils in reducing stress and anxiety, and give them a chance to create their own! Beyond these three projects, there are many others in the works and I look forward to seeing new ideas come to fruition as the semester unfolds!  

TS: A big issue facing mental health is the stigma surrounding it. In your new position, how do you intend to decrease this stigma and promote awareness?

Stigma, in my opinion, stems from a lack of education. When people are uninformed, they make ignorant and hurtful comments. Therefore, I believe the first step in trying to eradicate the problem of stigma is by providing the students and faculty at our college with the resources that would help them become more educated. I would hope to have speakers, and conferences available to the student body and staff that would help them to continue to learn and continue to become more informed. I don’t believe that—even with the best programming—we will be able to beat stigma in a year, but I fully believe that we can try and that we can at least start the process. 

TS: Are there any challenges that you are facing in your position? If so, how do you intend to deal with these challenges and move forward?

A challenge I have faced, and I foresee potentially being an issue in the future, is the confusion over the actual role of the Mental Wellness Commissioner. Some people see this position as a counsellor adjacent-like role, but I think it would be a disservice to the students of this college if I treated this position as such. This position, in my eyes, is meant to work with the people who are trained and qualified to give help and advice to students by sharing with them what students are looking and asking for! Beyond this, I’m sure more problems will arise as is expected with any new position, but I feel very lucky to be working with such a wonderful and accommodating team, and know that I will have the support of VUSAC if something new does come about.  

TS: Finally, are there any other things that you plan to implement this year, or is there any additional information you would like to share about this role?

Other things I am excited about include creating a comprehensive and easily accessible resource booklet which will hopefully engage our students with the resources available to them at Vic, UofT, and Toronto-wide! As well, I am hoping to create a grief workshop which would be aimed at helping students with their own grieving process as well as opening up a discussion on how to effectively help others with their grief. Beyond this, I am most excited about opening up a dialogue with the community to see what they are looking and hoping for from this position! 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.