VICTORIA, BC - The Alliance of BC Students (ABCS) was pleased by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training’s announcement today regarding their development of a 24/7 mental health counselling and referral service, in partnership with Morneau-Shapell.

“We are very happy to hear that the concerns student advocates have been bringing forward are being validated by the provincial government.” said Gurvir Gill, the Chairperson of the ABCS. “The ABCS has been pushing for the mental health of students to be a primary focus for our post-secondary institutions and the Ministry, and it’s great to see the issue being addressed.”

An estimated half of all students living with a mental illness will experience the onset of their illness during their time at post-secondary. Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for this age group, after accidents.

“There is a mental health crisis on our campuses,” noted Grace Dupasquier, Director of Research and Campaigns for the Alliance. “Recent surveys show that both depression and anxiety are reaching record levels in students, and we are glad to see action being taken.”

The ABCS looks forward to working with the government to help further develop this service and ensure it meets the diverse needs of BC’s student population. With the full launch of this program in Spring 2020, the government will be making it easier for students to receive the help they need and further destigmatize addressing mental health concerns.