Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Treaty No. 1 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis Nation 

As part of its longstanding and ongoing commitment to prioritize and promote mental health and well-being, RRC Polytech is encouraging staff, students and community members to take pause and participate in Bell Let’s Talk Day 2022.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted all of our lives. In this time, it is critical that we continue to prioritize, and further expand, RRC Polytech’s mental health and well-being initiatives,” says Fred Meier, President and CEO at RRC Polytech. “Bell Let’s Talk aligns with RRC Polytech’s objective to cultivate an environment of support that provides well-being, belonging, connectedness and positive mental health for our entire community.  RRC Polytech is proud to join the Bell Let’s Talk campaign and support expanded and enhanced mental health initiatives in Manitoba.”

As part of RRC Polytech’s Strategic Plan, the College is successfully creating a culture that supports the mental health and well-being of students, staff and faculty. Building on the strength of the Healthy Minds, Healthy College strategy launched in 2014, the College recently unveiled its new Campus Well-Being unit, which strives to take a more holistic approach to physical and mental health, with the goal of benefitting even more people by providing opportunities to connect through sport, recreation, and wellness-based activities.

In developing the unit’s mandate and guiding principles, RRC Polytech used the National Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students as a foundational guide, a document developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Canadian Standards Association Group, with financial support from Bell Let’s Talk.

Additionally, a generous donation from Bell’s Post-Secondary fund is helping RRC Polytech implement this National Standard; this funding is being used to help Campus Well-Being work with students to co-design a peer support program.

“Bell’s commitment to student mental health is an ongoing priority especially as students continue to be impacted by the effects of the pandemic. We are proud to continue our support of post-secondary institutions’ efforts to expand, enhance or establish programs that support student mental health and well-being, and ultimately student success,” says Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk.

On Bell Let’s Talk Day 2022, RRC Polytech will host a live virtual workshop at 12 p.m. for students, staff and faculty that will include short film viewings and a discussion on ways to open up conversations about mental health and wellness.

“Hearing stories from others about their experiences overcoming and navigating mental health barriers helps us to normalize these experiences and minimize the stigma or shame that we may feel concerning our own mental health,” says Breanna Sawatzky, Acting Manager of Campus Well-Being at RRC Polytech. “Now more than ever, we need to show compassion to one another as we all do our best to care for our own mental health and wellbeing. Supportive conversations, acts of kindness, wellness opportunities, and access to professional supports when needed are all part of the College’s strategy to support our community.”

Register for the workshop and learn about additional Bell Let’s Talk Day 2022 activities

Launched in 2010, Bell Let’s Talk focuses on action to increase awareness around mental health and mental illness, and encourages Canadians and people worldwide to keep listening, keep talking and keep being there for ourselves and each other.

This year, Bell Let’s Talk and the Canadian Red Cross announced a $250,000 partnership to enhance access to crisis support for people living with mental health challenges in Indigenous communities within Manitoba through the expansion of the Friendly Calls program, which helps address feelings of isolation and loneliness that have intensified for many throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on Bell Let’s Talk, visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk

To learn more about mental health supports, students can visit: https://www.rrc.ca/wellness/supports/

Information about resources for RRC Polytech staff can be found here https://www.rrc.ca/staff/resources/healthy-minds-healthy-college/