First Mental Health Fair at Dawson

Dawson held its first Mental Health Fair last Wednesday, Nov. 13, which brought together a diverse array of community-based resources to promote and support the well-being and mental health of our student population. Support in the following areas were present: disordered eating, crisis intervention, addiction, sexual and gender identity, sexual violence, suicide prevention, life skills, physical and psychological disorders, social polarization, and caregiving.

Fourteen external community organizations attended and commented on the incredible level of student interest and engagement. The event was a rousing success with an estimated total of 1,100 student attendees; this estimate is based on the number of passports distributed by volunteers at the event. In order to encourage participation, students were provided with passports listing all participating organizations and suggested prompts; after visiting an organization and receiving a “stamp”, students were able to redeem for various prizes!

Here are some survey responses from the organizations, collected after the event:

“Student engagement was incredible! I had planned to set up an activity at my table although I didn’t have time before the event started. However, I found that it was so busy and students were so engaged that an activity was not really necessary.”

“A lot of students took the time to ask me pertinent questions about our organization.”

“This was by far the most interaction I have had at this type of event.”

The event was organized by the Counselling Department in collaboration with Julie Gosselin and the support of Campus Life. Both the organizers and the community organizations are looking forward to future editions!