CREDIT: PROVIDED BY ASHLEY COCHRANE
Fanshawe students are able to get the extra support they need during midterm season with the crisis support centre.

For the month of October, Fanshawe students will be able to access the crisis support centre run by Fanshawe’s counselling & accessibility services with the Canadian Medical Health Association (CMHA). The service is a pilot project in its second year running, said Ashley Cochrane, case management counselor at Fanshawe and Peer Support Lead for the crisis centre.

The evening crisis support centre is way for students to get access to help when other services are not available.

“We’re offering service on campus to students who are experiencing distress, are in crisis, who are having an emerging mental health issues. We want to make sure there are supports in place on campus in the evening when other services may be closed. We know that early intervention is extremely important for mental health outcomes and so having the crisis support on campus is extremely important,” Cochrane said.

The crisis centre is being held right outside the Fowler Kennedy Clinic in J1004. According to Cochrane, students who feel under stress can enter and take a seat in one of the comfy chairs or couches. The can eat snacks or play with the little games books or other items placed there to help them relax as they wait to talk to a crisis worker. Trained peer support students are also available to chat.

When asked why peer support is helpful to students in need, Cochrane had positives to share.

“I think that peers offer a different kind of support that maybe crisis support workers and counselors can’t. We’re not in the same position as them. We’re not experiencing the exact same or similar life stressors to what students are experiencing. I think it also destigmatises accessing support when you see other students greeting you.”

This time of the year, midterms, has been found to see an increase in the stressors added on to student obligations.

“We all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform, and there are so many stressors out there that are impacting students from relationships to school stress to finances to housing and so many other things. We want students to have the support that they need when they are more likely to be stressed out and maybe prevent them from spiralling and needing a potential hospitalization,” Cochrane said.

Alongside the crisis centre there are other ways for students to find support for their unrestful minds. Cochrane explained that students who want help and cannot make it to the centre can call the 24/7 phone line to talk or visit the crisis centre at 648 Huron St. As well, there is a mobile crisis team that will come to you specifically for times when you are at home filled with worry.

Cochrane said that no matter who you are or how much you are being stressed, you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to someone if it will help you.

“Everyone’s crisis is different. A crisis is very personal and subjective. We want people to be accessing support and reaching out if they are in distress. We want to be proactive. We want to intervene early before things spiral and potentially get worst. It’s okay to reach out for support. It doesn’t mean you are weak or giving up, it actually a huge strength to be reaching out for support,” Cochrane said.

The crisis centre will be open from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 in J1004 from Mondays to Thursday at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Walk-ins will only be accepted until 8 p.m.