Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing
Student Integrated Health & Wellbeing (SHaW) strives to build up its stepped care model and pathways to help strengthen our ability to provide personalized and scalable support to our diverse population of students. The model recognizes that students require varying levels of support and intervention, and tailors our services accordingly to ensure resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.
Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing (SHaW) is a diverse team of staff, healthcare professionals and students/learners working across three areas: the Centre for Student Development and Counselling, Health Promotion Programs and Medical Centre.
SHaW & International Student Services Collaboration
In 2024–25, SHaW and International Student Services (ISS) collaborated to expand access to health and mental wellbeing support for international students at TMU. Recognizing the complex and overlapping stressors international students face—including cultural adjustment, academic pressure, and social isolation—the two teams launched a streamlined referral process in Winter 2025 to reduce barriers to care.
Through this new pathway, ISS staff were oriented on how to refer students directly to CSDC and Care Pathway Specialists, who now guide students through the registration process and provide an initial care planning session. The goal was to move away from a “revolving door” model, where students often had to retell their stories across multiple services, toward a more coordinated, supportive, and trauma-informed experience.
To complement this system change, SHaW and ISS co-developed a Wellbeing Series for International Students, co-facilitated by ISS’s International Student Retention Facilitator, a SHaW Care Pathway Specialist, and a CSDC counsellor. Delivered over four sessions during the Fall and Winter terms, the series supported 59 international students, offering space to explore wellbeing, reduce isolation, and build community. The sessions were culturally responsive and peer-focused, empowering students to strengthen their social networks and coping skills.
This partnership has laid a strong foundation for more coordinated, culturally aware mental health support for international students, with continued efforts underway to streamline referrals and deepen engagement.
“This is my first ISS event, and I really get that everyone who came was interested in meeting other international students and making friends. Everyone opened up and talked about their struggles, and I related to all of them.”
“I felt a sense of community after this session, because everyone shared their experiences as international students studying at TMU.”
Integrated and Coordinated Student Supports
The Integrated and Coordinated Student Supports, consisting of 1.5 FTE (Care Lead and Care Pathway Specialist), have been working collaboratively across SHaW to provide integrated support to the team as well as directly supporting students with complex needs who are accessing SHaW services. The team provides intensive case management, care integration and coordination to students accessing SHaW services while simultaneously building connections with on campus and community partners.
The addition of the Integrated and Coordinated Student Supports program to the services at SHaW has had a number of positive impacts on the health and wellbeing care provided to our TMU community, including: facilitating movement towards a truly integrated care approach for our students, providing stabilization and wrap-around care to the growing number of students experiencing concurrent and complex health and psychosocial challenges; and advancing engagement with community partners to strengthen student access to more specialized care.
Through the 2024-2025 academic year, the care team directly supported 134 unique students, 98% of whom were experiencing multiple, complex, psycho-social challenges. Referrals to the care team came from multiple units within SHaW as well as from various OVPS partners, including: Student Care, Consent Comes First, International Student Services, Indigenous Student Services and Residence.
“I received excellent support from case management. They are incredibly helpful and understanding people. I would not be continuing my education without them.”
88% found the case management support provided to be helpful and overall satisfactory
90% reported that the case management support provided helped them to find resolution for the challenges they were experiencing
89% reported that the case management support provided was integral to their ability to stay enrolled and continue with their studies
“They are very helpful, understanding, and caring towards my situation. I made it past a semester of hard times thanks to her letter and showing me the important resources around the university I was unaware of. The university needs more of these people!”
Eating Disorder Wrap-Around Care
85 students with eating disorders served, in partnership with the Waterstone Foundation
589 individual hours and 55 group hours provided
Wait times were lower for students with eating disorders than for the centre as a whole
(4.9 versus 6.4 weeks)
Further Development and Integration of Stepped Care Model
In 2024–25, the Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing (SHaW) and the Athletics and Recreation (REC) department expanded their partnership through integrated wellness messaging, student-focused events, and skills-based learning. The academic year kicked off with strong engagement during Orientation Week, where we connected with over 3,600 students through events such as Chill Lounge Tabling, Art Lounge, and SLC Live. A standout activation was the Eat Well, Feel Well, Do Well Cooking Demo, which introduced students to our Registered Dietitian and upcoming nutrition-focused initiatives.
Nutrition literacy was a major focus this past year, with six webinars drawing 114 student attendees. Topics included "Eating on a Budget", "Ditch Diet Culture", "Understanding Metabolism: The Key to Your Body’s Energy" and "Nutrition for PCOS: Insights from a Dietitian." These webinars provided accessible, evidence-based health education, with practical takeaways for students managing specific health conditions or looking to improve their daily energy, mood, and focus.
We hosted eight Learn to Cook workshop series which gave students hands-on experience to build skills in the kitchen and improve their cooking literacy skills for example knife skills, reading recipes, food storage all while learning how to make easy nutritious food to support physical and mental wellbeing. 163 students participated, many of whom were learning to cook on their own for the first time.
Additionally, we ran multiple sessions of The Body Project, an evidence-based group intervention that helps students challenge cultural appearance ideals and build body confidence. One participant noted,
“There were great analogies discussed that helped to provide support against the 'body ideals' promoted within society and marketing—like the example of poodle science.”
Through these initiatives, SHaW and Recreation continued to meet students where they are—with approachable, skills-based, and judgment-free opportunities that promote confidence, in nutrition and wellbeing. These offerings reflect our shared commitment to whole-student health, supporting students in building lifelong habits that enhance both academic and personal success.
In 2024-25, the SHaW team committed to strengthening our student-centered and equity-driven approach to wellbeing—expanding specialized care pathways, developing peer programming, deepening hospital and community partnerships, and enhancing access for our Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+ and international students. Together, our team is building momentum toward a better integrated and holistic care environment that supports students that come to us seeking help at any point in their wellbeing journey.
Clara Tam, Director, Student Integrated Health and Wellbeing