TIMMINS, ON: Northern College is pleased to announce its partnerships with TalkCampus, an international peer-to-peer mental health support provider to offer increased mental health services to students at Northern.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shape the way that Canadians live their lives, the need for tangible and accessible mental health supports have become increasingly obvious, especially in the world of post-secondary education as students face a number of challenges beyond what could be deemed as normal stressors as they pursue their education.

“These past two years have been incredibly difficult for everyone, especially our students,” stated Nichole Roy, Northern College’s Mental Health Advisor. “Pursuing your education is a stressful time in anyone’s life, but these students are facing isolation even as they connect digitally, working hard to complete coursework and balancing work and school life, and adjusting to an ongoing pandemic, with supports that aren’t always immediately available to them.”

TalkCampus aims to address the issue of availability, providing instant support for students through a peer-to-peer network which connects those in need with those willing to help, from anywhere around the globe.

“The pandemic has dramatically changed student life over the past 18 months, and prioritizing student mental health and wellbeing is crucial in helping students to succeed and benefit from their higher education,” stated Andrew Welch, Head of Partnerships with TalkCampus. “TalkCampus is proud to work with institutions like Northern College who are adaptive to the times, and are responding proactively to the needs of their students.”

TalkCampus is a welcomed addition to Northern College’s existing student support services, filling a gap in the current framework by providing students with instant support from the ease of their phone, wherever they are, whenever they need it. 

“It is in times like these that we rise to the challenges presented to us as a College and counter them with the resources and tools that will help offset the compounding stressors we know await us,” stated Dr. Audrey J Penner, Northern College President & CEO. “We are only too pleased to welcome TalkCampus to our bank of rich resources to support student and campus mental health here at Northern College. TalkCampus compliments our current support services using a peer model of support, and is already making a difference in the lives of students,” she added.

The supportive platform keeps students safe through the use of unique machine learning classifiers, trained peer supporters and a team of professional and clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This powerful combination of support allows TalkCampus to provide real time escalation and moderation at a massive scale of 500,000 learners worldwide, enabling students at risk to be identified within milliseconds and connected with timely, relevant support to be there for them when they need it most.

The platform is available immediately at Northern, with plans to hear feedback from students on how they like it in the future. See more at:https://www.students.talkcampus.io/northern-college

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Media Contact: 
Kyle Gennings (he/him)
Communications & Government Relations Officer 
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