Community Helpers Program
Open to all U of A staff and students, the Community Helpers program provides practical skills that you can use in your day-to-day life help the student community. The goal is to build on your natural helping ability by providing you with the skills and knowledge necessary to support your peers' mental health and well-being. The Program:
- bridges "formal" and "informal" support for young people,
- focuses on prevention and early identification for young people who may be at risk,
- provides extensive training in resources, linkages, and support,
- provides a model for community capacity building related to the issue of youth mental health promotion,
- reduces stigma by increasing community awareness,
- expands knowledge on mental health issues, and
- improves interventions for those who may be at risk of suicide.
All training sessions are online and attendance of all dates listed are mandatory.
Important note: The Community Helpers program includes content from both the Suicide Prevention and How to Have a Supportive Conversation training sessions.
Presentation Request
We draw from modules in the Community Helpers program to customize content for individual groups on campus. If you are interested in working with us to create and facilitate a training session and have a group of 10 or more, submit a presentation request.
Consultation for Supporters
We provide consultation to U of A students, staff and faculty who are supporting others by:
- Increasing awareness and navigation of on- and off-campus resources
- Developing and enhancing support strategies
- Strengthening confidence in supporter role
- Decreasing supporter distress
Employees, Students