NUlistens is a campus wide outreach and prevention program focused on promoting student’s mental and emotional well-being, delivered in partnership between Mental Health & Wellbeing and Student Intervention Services. Our primary goals are to increase understanding of mental and emotional challenges that students may face during their time at Nipissing University and to increase their knowledge about the support services available.
NUlistens is the umbrella brand for all mental health outreach and prevention at Nipissing University.
Campus Community:
NUlistens works towards fostering a supportive campus culture through awareness and educational programming and providing access to vetted resources including the supporting students folder.
Students:
NUlistens engages students in awareness of services and skill building events that are designed around campus needs. NUlistens events provide opportunities for campus wide dialogue about positive mental health, safety and wellness.
This includes initiatives such as REAL TALK and MENtal Strength.
What is an NUlistener?
An NUlistener is a faculty or staff member who provides supportive non-judgmental listening to a student and will refer them to appropriate services if needed. All NUlisteners will be identified to students by an NUlistens desk sign in their office space.
Listeners must attend a 1.5 hour in-person orientation session hosted by the NUlistens team. The session will review best practices for supporting a student in distress, where to refer for specific student needs, and what additional support/training is available for NUlisteners.
You can identify faculty and staff who have been trained to respond and refer you to resources by an NUlistens sign in their work-space.
NUlistens Events
NUlistens events and programming are designed to make students aware of the importance of their wholistic well-being, and the of variety of support services available to them on campus.
Students can identify events coordinated through the NUlistens program by the logo displayed alongside event information and materials.
The role of a NUlistener
What is included in the role:
- Engaged in the wellness of the campus community
- Provide supportive non-judgmental response to students who requires support
- Provides information and referral to the student regarding appropriate resources
- Engages in ongoing learning regarding supporting students
What is not included in the role:
- Does not provide crisis services
- Does not provide counselling, therapy or treatment to a student
- Does not provide advice (unless an emergency)
- Does not promise confidentiality
Emergencies
What is an Emergency?
- Student is planning to die by suicide
- Student plans to harm others
- Student is experiencing an acute mental health crisis
- Student requires medical attention
What to do:
- Stay with the student until help arrives
- Get Help
- Call 911
- Campus security – ext 5555 or 705-498-7244
- Call Mental Health & Wellbeing –ext 4507(office hours)
- Seek support from a sexual assault nurse at the hospital
Listener Development and Support
Listeners will have exclusive access to a mailing list for tips & tricks, FAQs sheets, and articles on best practices in supporting students. Listeners can engage with each other in a group conversation about pressing issues and themes they are seeing with students.
Listeners will have access to mental health training such as Mental Health First Aid, safeTALK, and more. Additionally, listeners can speak one-on-one with the Student Intervention Specialist, who is a practicing Psychotherapist and Registered Health Professional, for guidance and debriefing around student situations.
How to become an NUlistener?
Listeners must attend an in-person orientation session hosted by the NUlistens team. The session will review best practices for supporting a student in distress, where to refer for specific student needs, and what additional support/training is available for NUlisteners.
Faculty and Staff who are interested in learning more about becoming an NUlistener can contact us at mhwellbeing@nipissingu.ca for future NUlistens Orientation dates.