Sustainable Access and Support Model (Acceleration in 2024):
Building upon the established Health Care Services framework, 2024 saw an acceleration and expansion of efforts specifically dedicated to mental health promotion. The on-campus VCare Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre provides free access to essential psychosocial support for all VC and VIHS students and staff, as outlined by policy. This sustainable model guarantees a continuous, long-term flow of available consultants, ensuring the reliable depth of our free mental health service is available to the entire community.
Active Promotion and Community Outreach:
In 2024, ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ actively engaged in a series of dedicated internal and public-facing initiatives to proactively promote good mental health among staff, students, alumni, and the general public:
Staff Well-being Focus: In conjunction with World Mental Health Day (October 10th), VCare hosted a dedicated workplace mental health screening, providing free services to all staff members to promote well-being in the work environment.
Student and Alumni Engagement: The annual student-led Psychology Exhibition and Mental Health Awareness Week brought mental health to the forefront. This public event created awareness on handling emotions, self-understanding, and brain function for the student and alumni community.
Public Outreach: VCare extended its services to the general public by participating in the Dhaalan Expo: Higher Education Fair (November 15th and 16th), where it provided free mental health screening and psychosocial support to non-College students and the public.
Impact and Utilization:
The combination of the free access model and active promotional activities resulted in significant community utilization in 2024. Over 15% of students accessed free mental health information, screening, and psychosocial support through various VCare initiatives. Additionally, over 25% of staff members sought and utilized counseling services within the year. Furthermore, the College extended its reach to the wider community, with 150+ members of the public gaining free access to mental health screening and psychosocial support through outreach efforts at the Dhaalan Expo.
This strategic acceleration of mental health programming, built upon a strong policy and services foundation, demonstrates ÃÜÌÒÊÓƵ's heightened and measurable commitment to delivering comprehensive well-being support to all stakeholders.
