Students demand better mental-health services at Okanagan College

The students' union at Okanagan College says the school needs to do a better job of providing mental-health support at its Kelowna, B.C., campus.

A union spokesperson told the college's board of directors this week that there is an insufficient number of counsellors to address students' needs.

Some students are even being sent off campus to seek treatment for ongoing issues.

"Right now, if you need to see a counsellor, you're looking at about a two- to three-week wait," said Nancy deMelo, internal director with the Okanagan College Students' Union.

"It's not an acceptable amount of time, especially if you're having an emergency."

School says number of counsellors 'not ideal'

DeMelo said students are coping with financial stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety among other personal issues.

She says the campus is currently operating at a ratio of one counsellor for every 3,600 students, while the B.C. Post-Secondary Counsellors' Association suggests a standard of one for every 550.

The students' union isn't expecting to meet that target, but would like to see an increase in counselling staff.

"Our counsellors have said a satisfactory ratio would be one to 1,500. So that's what we're pushing for to be more realistic," said deMelo.

"I don't think it's been made a priority. Hopefully it will be made a priority now."

For its part, the college said it is aware of the staffing challenge and said the current radio "is not ideal."

'Students aren't just a bunch of whiners'

"I can empathize," said James Coble, director of student services with Okanagan College. 

"We work with students every day and we understand a lot of the struggles that they go through."

He said the school is considering a "whole suite" of preventative mental-health measures, but did not say specifically that the campus would be hiring additional counsellors.

"I don't know that just adding more counsellors is going to solve the whole problem with mental health," said Coble.

"I'd like to say that mental health is a priority for us for sure and we're always looking for ways to improve that."

The college's Penticton campus currently operates a program called Flourish, which offers drop-in workshops addressing mental-health issues. The program is not available in Kelowna.

The school also offers "Stressbusters" events once each term with therapy dogs, games and coping tips.

DeMelo said those measures do not go far enough to help Kelowna students and she plans to continue to push the school to hire additional counselling staff. 

"Students aren't just a bunch of whiners. There's a lot students have to deal with on an ongoing basis," she said.

With files from CBC's Daybreak South and Chris Walker.