Wellness Resources

This is a centralized location for information and links to wellness resources for the benefit of graduate students and faculty.

• Mental Health U of Toronto
• Graduate and Life Sciences Education Faculty of Medicine Counsellors
• GradHub Resources and Supports
• SGS Wellness Services
• Health and Wellness at U of T – access of individual, group, and drop-in psychotherapy
• My Student Support Program App
• Good to Talk – crisis hotline for postsecondary students in Ontario

Wellness and Positive Spaces:

• Yoga, meditation and mindfulness
• UTM Mindfulness Walks (UT to UTM shuttle)
• Hart House Farm – holds low-cost excursions to the farm throughout the year. *Events are posted through the FB page.
• University of Toronto Outing Club – rediscover the great outdoors! Cabin, climbing and hiking trips.
• Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Indigenous Student Services
• Sexual Gender and Diversity Office
• Centre for Women and Trans People
• Student Groups:
  • UTGSU Race and Ethnicity Caucus
  • Healing Hearts through Art

Indigenous Resources:

• https://indigenousstudies.utoronto.ca/sage/
• https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/fnh

Acknowledgement of Traditional Land 

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

UofT Land Acknowledgement

 

BWell’s Compiled List of Resources

Navigating your relationship with your supervisor: 

• Supervision Guidelines provided by SGS
  • Contains guides to understand both expectations and responsibilities for both students and supervisors
  • Also recommendations for academic accommodations, conflict, and finishing up
  • Updated with COVID-19 related recommendations
• Quick Links Available from the above link:
  • Best practices for working with your supervisor
  • Graduate supervisor‐student relationships: resources & supports

Medical resources:

• UofT Health and Wellness
• Nearby walk in clinics and medical labs (for blood work, etc.)
  • LifeLabs
  • Bay College Medical
• Link to Graduate Student Union’s (GSU) insurance policies
• Information on UHIP (insurance for international students)

Where to go when in a crisis:

• Don’t want to talk to a person on the phone/just need to message someone?
  • Download the MySSP app and message them saying you need help; someone will message you back immediately (and will also offer to call if you change your mind)
• Need to talk to someone on the phone, immediately?
  • Call 1-866-925-5454 (Good2Talk Helpline)
• Education program to recognize when someone is considering suicide and how to help

Meditation and mindfulness:

• Mindful moments
• UofT’s multifaith center
• External mediation communities
  • True Peace Toronto
  • Wake Up Toronto

Racial and sexual discrimination:

• Anti-black racism task force
• Center for indigenous studies
• Disclosing or reporting sexual violence

Getting involved with community-level wellness resources:

• Link to GradMinds’ Wellness Collective
• Healthy Labs Initiative
  • or contact faculty member, Dr. Reinhart Rheitmeier
• Graduate Representation Committee (GRC)
  • Please contact your BGSU to speak with the GRC reps (yourbgsu@gmail.com)
• UofT offers a peer support program to help navigate resources (among other things)

Learning how to support others (individually):

• Identify, Assist, Refer
  • 30-minute online training, teaching you how to recognize student distress, begin supportive conversations, and make effective referrals
• SafeTALK
  • 4-hour training session where you will learn practical steps to help activate a suicide alert, connecting people having thoughts of suicide with helpers who are prepared to provide first-aid interventions
  • Certificate & CCR provided upon completion

Counseling and therapy resources:

• UofT Health and Wellness
• Faculty of Medicine’s appointed wellness counselors
• External counseling service
  • Stella’s Place

Conflict resolution:

• Departmental resources, someone who will be happy to talk to you
  • Graduate coordinator: Alex Palazzo alex.palazzo@utoronto.ca
  • WIDE committee faculty: Nana Lee nana.lee@utoronto.ca
  • Department chair: Justin Nodwell justin.nodwell@utoronto.ca
• Graduate conflict resolution centre
  • * dissolved as of July 2020 (will be replaced by Supervisor and Mentorship Centre Jan 2020?)
  • * please contact the Vice Dean sgs.vdeanstudents@utoronto.ca in the interim
• Personal strategies resource

Financial help:

• SGS: Financial Aid and Financial Advising
  • Book an appointment for financial advice from SGS Financial Advisors
  • Available by in person, via email, or over the phone. Monday-Friday, 10AM – 4PM

Improving communication:

• Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC)
  • Provides training in academic writing and speaking through non-credit courses, single-session workshops, individual writing consultations, writing intensives, and other resources
  • For both native and non-native English speakers
• Quick links from above:
  • The Writing Center
    • Book an appointment for one-on-one consultations
• Communication & Conflict: An article from the Office of the Ombudsperson (by Thomas Jordan)
  • SEVEN GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING CONFLICTS CONSTRUCTIVELY

Sports/activities:

• UofT Outdoor club
  • Feel free to connect with others part of the outdoor club through Facebook and Instagram
• UofT Come Sweat With Us
  • Run by UofT Sports & Recreation
  • Online workouts & meditation; join via zoom link
  • Schedule is on the website (scroll all the way to the bottom)

Preparedness for the future:

• Nature’s Career Feature
• Life Sciences Career Development Society (LSCDS)
  • Considering Industry? Check out seminars, networking events and more at LSCDS