Ontar io Associat ion of Col lege and Univers i ty Housing Offi cers

OACUHO

Mike Porritt, EdS Director of Housing and Conference Services

McMaster University

Professional Development

• Webinars for members• Conference sessions at any of the 3 Oacuho

conference/meetings each year• Drive-in intensive workshops• Access to Acuho-I library of resources• Networking opportunities amongst members • Tens of thousands of students live in residences -

often parents see living in residence as additional supports for their students with mental health issues so residences are dealing with at least 1 in 5 students experiencing mental health issues.

Training

• Student Staff - extensive training on these subjects, typically at least a full day on mental health related issues and often more

• Professional Staff - all training sessions for new staff involve the appropriate protocols and management for mental health issues and it is often a topic for professional development

• Campus Partnerships - whether there is a formally appointment "Counsellor in Residence" or not, Residence programs always have tight relationships with mental health resources on campus and in the community for consultations and referrals and emergency assistance.

Student Resources

• Student Staff member for the section• Student Staff member on-call in the evenings and

weekends• Professional, live-in staff member in the building or

area of residences• Professional, live-in staff member on-call 24/7• Senior Professional staff member on-call 24/7• Emergency access via residence staff and/or self to

campus security, counselling resources, hospital care, first aid...