Hi everyone, welcome.
My name is Pratik Nair, 
I use he/him pronouns,
and I am part of the Health Promotion
team at Health & Wellness.
Hello everyone,
my name is Swati Naidu,
I use she/her pronouns
and I’m also part of the Health Promotion
team over at Health & Wellness.
[Pratik] Over the next few minutes we’re going to
answer five common questions
you may have about how Health &
Wellness will operate in the fall.
You also have an opportunity to ask any
questions you may have in the chat.
[Swati] And just as a
very quick reminder,
this isn't your only opportunity
to ask questions.
And if you have any
specific questions,
we do encourage you to
get in touch via email.
So our email is
health.promotion@utoronto.ca
which is a good place for you to
reach out to seek clarification
from the Health Promotion team,
so that's us.
Or you can reach out to the
Health & Wellness Centre
at info.hwc@utoronto.ca.
[Pratik] Mhmm.
So, with that said,
let's dig in to our five questions
for the day, today.
The first is, 
"What does Health & Wellness do?"
The second is, "How can I access services
and programs at Health & Wellness?
And how has it changed in the fall?"
The third is, "How can I help slow
the spread of COVID-19
as classes start up
again in the fall?"
The fourth is, "How can I access
mental health support this fall?
And the last one is we're
going to share
some quick health
and wellness tips,
Swati and I.
And that's how we'll round out the
five questions for this presentation.
[Swati] Great! And with that I'll tackle
it off with the first question.
So what exactly does
Health & Wellness do?
So, Health & Wellness 
is here to serve
both undergraduate and graduate students
who have paid the appropriate
incidental fees.
What this essentially means is that
Health & Wellness services are
already included in your student fees
and that these services are available
to you when you start in the fall.
So Health & Wellness
offers primary care
and mental health care
to students,
along with information,
education,
outreach and peer programming
for students.
So we're made up of an interdisciplinary
and highly collaborative team
of health care professionals
which includes our physicians,
which also includes our medical
and mental health nurses,
psychologists, psychiatrists,
social workers,
registered dieticians, admin support, and us– 
the Health Promotions team!
And together, we offer health care services
which range from immunizations
and TB testing– that's Tuberculosis,
and physical health check ups as well.
As well as workshops and programs
like the Community Support Group,
Breathe Well, Sleep Well,
Better Coping Skills,
and 5 Ways to Wellbeing
which you must have
seen on CLNx already.
So whether you're feeling sick or
not sleeping well,
or maybe you want to chat with other
students about managing productivity,
Health & Wellness is always-
has something available
for you.
So check out our website, 
drop us an email,
or even give us a call
if you want to learn more.
[Pratik] Mhmm. Big ol' team.
Lots of programs and services.
So like things may have changed for you
as a result of COVID-19,
things have changed over
at Health & Wellness as well,
as a result of COVID-19
and that means we're changing
the way we deliver services in the fall.
So, that brings us to
our next question--
How can I access services
at Health & Wellness,
and has this process changed
as a result of COVID-19?
If there is one thing you should take
away from this presentation,
it’s that the Health & Wellness Centre
is still open
and it is serving students 
at this time.
The Centre is physically located at the
Koffler Student Services Centre,
with the mental health clinic
on the first floor
and the primary health care clinic
on the second floor.
The second floor is also
the main reception area.
Normally, the centre is open
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and we have evening hours where you
can access the Centre by appointment
between 5 to 7 p.m. 
on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Now to talk about those fall changes
that we were talking about earlier.
For starters, we're still open 
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
We don't have evening hours anymore
on Tuesdays and Thursdays
for the time being.
This may change as the fall progresses,
so keep abreast on our site,
and we'll update you if there are any changes to those evening hours.
And while we would normally
love to have you drop in,
we’re asking now that you
call in ahead of time
if you'd like to make an appointment
at Health & Wellness.
All requests are processed
on a case-by-case basis
and we'd like to see if we can manage
the appointment by phone,
by video chat, or if we do need
to have you in-person.
For incoming students, who have never
accessed Health & Wellness services before,
you do have to register with us first.
You can do this pretty easily by calling us
and you can call us at
416-978-8030
or by filling out a
new patient registration package
and emailing it to
our email address
and that's
info.hwc@utoronto.ca.
In fact, all of our forms are now online
so you can access them all
at a central location,
and we'll share that link with you.
[see description]
You may also be asked to
create an online account
to make any future appointments on our online Electronic Medical System (EMS).
After you’re set up on the EMS,
you can make some future
appointments online.
Although, you do have to call in
for some other appointments.
All that is very clear,
and you can sign up on the EMS to
make certain online appointments.
[Swati] So with that being said, if you do
have an in-person appointment,
please bring-
make sure that you're bringing
either your UHIP or OHIP card,
so that's proof of
your health insurance,
along with your T-Card
to the appointment.
So for your first appointment,
make sure to bring updated
immunization records,
TB testing information,
and any other information related to ongoing conditions.
So additionally,  make sure to arrive five minutes before your appointment,
and the Health & Wellness Centre is open 
through the entrance on St. George Street.
And when you arrive, you’ll go through a very
basic and standard COVID-19 screening process
which includes a temperature check.
So with that being said,
let's go on to our next question.
How can I help slow the spread of COVID-19
as classes start again in the fall?
With that being said.
the University has taken
a number of measures
to keep students safe as
classes resume in the fall.
So this includes online classes,
and setting up classrooms and lecture halls
to encourage physical distancing.
So we are keeping in line with
Public Health Ontario guidelines
to disinfect and-
especially high touch surfaces
twice a day.
We also have protective
measures in place
like plexiglass, which will be used
in appropriate busy areas,
and masks are mandatory.
So they are to be used
in every public-
publicly accessible
indoor space at U of T.
And the University of Toronto
is providing
two free non-medical fabric masks for
all students, faculty and staff on campus.
So lucky for us!
[Pratik] Very fashionable!
In addition, there are some basic 
rules we should all be following.
And most of you are probably
doing this already.
Things like washing your hands
frequently with soap and water.
Especially when you're returning home
or you're sitting down for class.
Try and maintain a physical distance
of two metres with other folks,
whether you are inside
or you are outside.
And of course, remember to cover
your coughs and sneezes
with the bend of your elbow,
if it ever happens.
And if you do develop 
symptoms of COVID-19,
things like a fever,
cough or body aches,
call Telehealth Ontario
if you are in Ontario,
and if you are outside Ontario,
reach out to your
local public health unit
and self-isolate at home
while you're doing this.
We also recommend that you follow
the public health guidelines
in your province or jurisdiction.
And keep yourself updated
on these guidelines
because they change pretty often.
So in Ontario right now,
you are currently asked to limit
your social interaction
to one social circle 
of ten people.
And the way this works is your social circle
starts off with folks at home,
so whoever is living with you,
that's part of your social circle,
and you get to add friends and family
until you hit a cap of ten.
With this social circle,
you don't have to maintain
that two metres of
physical distance
we were talking
about earlier.
So you can do things
like shake their-
shake their hands 
all you want,
and you can you know, 
go hang out,
play tiddlywinks, UNO.
Any of those distance that don't
that doesn't require you to keep
two metres of space.
With everyone else, we do ask 
that you continue to keep
two metres of space in 
social interactions.
So video calls are still
appropriate with those folks,
socially distanced park hangs 
and all the rest.
And just a quick reminder that
if you are returning from
travel outside the country,
that you must quarantine for
a period of 14 days.
So quarantining doesn't mean
physical distancing.
It actually means that you
are staying home
for the full two week period,
so you are in a period
of self-isolation.
You're monitoring
your symptoms,
and you're contacting your
local public health unit
if you notice any symptoms.
[Pratik] Mhmm.
And another reminder that
while the Health & Wellness Centre
is happy to
answer any questions you 
have about COVID-19,
we are not able to provide testing
for COVID-19 at this time.
Testing is available at 144 different
assessment centres all over Ontario.
And the closest testing centre to (the St. George)
campus is at Women’s College Hospital.
Now in Toronto,
testing is available to anyone who
thinks that they might have COVID-19,
you have those symptoms,
or if you come into contact with
someone who has COVID-19.
If you are outside Toronto,
if you are outside the province, or
even if you are outside the country,
it's worthwhile checking in
with your local health unit
to find out what those COVID testing
guidelines are where you live.
[Swati] Great.
Now you've made it to
question number four.
So Pratik, how can students access
mental health supports in the fall?
[Pratik] Right.
So there are many
mental health resources
both on and off campus
that are available for students
to choose from.
On campus there’s the
Health & Wellness Centre.
And the Health & Wellness Centre
follows the Stepped Cared Model
for mental health support.
And this means that students work
with Health & Wellness clinicians
to discuss the different support options,
both clinical and non-clinical,
that are on and off campus,
that suit their unique needs.
So you get matched up with a resource
that really meets your needs.
The first step then is-
in accessing mental health support,
involves a brief initial assessment
with a Health & Wellness clinician.
And at the end of this assessment,
students may be referred to
a variety of resources.
Like Swati said initially, we have
things like coping workshops,
grief circles,
or you may be referred to group
or individual counselling
with a mental health professional.
If the student is referred
to counselling services,
appointments are booked in a priority sequence
based on A. urgency
and B. availability.
While counselling services are offered out
of the Health & Wellness centre centrally,
counselling is also offered 
on-location at over-
over 25 different locations
across campus.
So this means that students are able to access counselling
at the School of Graduate Studies,
Hart House,
and Trinity College
for example.
And of course, there is free real-time 24/7 counselling support available
through the U of T My Student Support Program
or that's MySSP for short,
where you can access both
immediate and ongoing support,
over phone or through chat, and
even through web browser.
When you first call,
you are able-
we are able to offer immediate
support through MySSP
in 35 different languages,
and if you would like to request 
ongoing support,
you can access this support in 146 different languages.
I don't know if I can even
name 146 different languages.
[Swati chuckles]
And you can my access
access MySSP remember,
through downloading
the app for iPhone and Android,
or calling
1-844-451-9700 in Canada.
If you are joining from outside Canada,
you can call 001-416-380-6578,
and of course, you can also
use the web browser link
and chat with a counsellor
over chat.
Wherever you are,
whenever you want,
MySSP is able to provide you
mental health support.
[Swati] Awesome.
Yeah, I don't know if I know
all 146 languages either,
but what I do know is that
for students who are
currently living outside Ontario,
there are limits and restrictions to
clinical services that you can access
through the Health & Wellness Centre.
But one Health &Wellness resource that
you can always access is MySSP
which Pratik had just mentioned.
So whether you're outside of Ontario
or outside of the country,
just like Pratik had mentioned,
you can access MySSP
any time of the day or night
and speak with a
mental health counsellor.
So with that being said,
just remember that whether you
are in Ontario or elsewhere,
you can sign up for any
workshops posted on CLNx,
so that's the Career Learning Network.
And this includes a whole host 
of virtual offerings
like the Coping Skills workshop,
the Breathe Well and 
Sleep Well workshops,
5 Ways to Wellbeing,
Staying Mentally Health
During COVID-19,
as well as the
Community Support Group.
[Pratik] Mhmm.
And with that,
we are now at
our final question.
So if you could pass on one
Health & Wellness tip, Swati,
for incoming students in the fall,
what would it be?
[Swati] Yeah, so we just discussed a
whole bunch of different resources,
and it can be really really tricky to
navigate all of them on campus.
And in fact, I work here
and sometimes it can be hard for me
to keep track of all that's offered.
So to help you navigate all those
resources in the fall,
Health & Wellness is launching a
Peer Support Program,
where a trained student,
so just like you,
can help student-
can help understand your needs
and help you find you
a resource to help.
So if you are struggling
with school,
having a hard time financially,
or just need someone
to listen to-
the Peer Support Program
is here to help you.
There are online drop-in
sessions,
which will be taking place
in the fall.
So keep an eye out
for more information.
[Pratik] Mhmm.
And here’s another pro tip:
remember that going into the fall,
the University has suspended
the need for sick notes.
So now you can now self declare
illness on ACORN directly.
You are responsible for recording
each day of inactivity on ACORN,
and also for contacting your instructors
and your registrar’s office
to notify them for
each day of inactivity.
Also as another reminder,
you can retroactively, 
log on your sick days on ACORN,
so if you were sick 
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
and it's Thursday now and you didn't log
your Tuesday, Wednesday dates,
you can go back on on Thursday
and log those on.
Another tip for some of you as
you start online classes
is take regular screen breaks.
I've been doing this personally.
One rule that I’ve learned is
the 20:20:20 rule.
For every 20 minutes
of screen time,
take a 20 second break to stare
at something 20 feet away.
This gives your eyes a break
and stretches them out
because you're staring at
something far away.
It also, I think, makes you
look more intelligent than you are,
if you sort of look off
into the distance.
[chuckles] It's also worth
keeping in mind that
if you’re ever confused
or if you’re unsure who to talk to
about your health needs,
please reach out to Health & Wellness.
We’re happy to answer
any questions you have
and connect you with
the appropriate supports.
So, that brings us to the end
of our five questions
we’ve planned to answer today.
And if you have any further
questions again,
feel free to pose them
in the chat
or also send it to us
via email.
I'm going to check to see if we
have any questions in the chat.
And it doesn't look like we do.
So, with that said, again
lots of opportunities to ask different questions through our email
if you'd like to reach out.
And also feel free to call
the Health & Wellness Centre.
We'll be sharing a list of different
resources that are available to you.
So thank you very much
for joining today!
[Swati] Thank you so much!
