This fall marks the third anniversary of a unique partnership between Algonquin College and The Royal.
Officially announced at a special event hosted by Algonquin College in 2019, the partnership paved a pathway for students to connect with clinical staff at The Royal via state-of-the-art telemedicine technology and opened up new learning and professional development opportunities for college staff.
The Royal hosts eight mental health lectures for Algonquin staff each year.
“Over 900 students, counselors, doctors, nurses, social workers, guidance counsellors, and residence facilities managers join our sessions every year. It’s a great success,” says Sarah Joynt, the telemedicine business development coordinator at The Royal.
“This partnership is about expanding access to care for young adults and building the capacity of the health team at Algonquin,” she says. “We are so grateful for the collaboration in mental health.”
Ben Bridgstock, director of student services at Algonquin College, says while college campuses are a snapshot of the wider community in many ways, college students have unique mental health needs.
“You have young people who are at a critical age, a vulnerable age, many of them leaving home for the first time, many of them managing a budget for the first time, trying to manage their classes and make new friends in a city far from home,” says Bridgstock.
Dr. Kelly Mascioli, a psychiatrist in The Royal’s Youth Psychiatric Program, has been involved in the partnership since 2020.
Mascioli provides psychiatric consultations and treatment recommendations, and has delivered virtual education sessions for Algonquin staff. She’s also involved in psychotherapy supervision and consultation to college counselors.
She says many mental illnesses – particularly depression and anxiety – can first develop at a very young age.
“In the transitional age group, so that’s 16 to 24, is when many mental health problems begin,” says Mascioli.
“I see a lot of mood issues, anxiety issues, substance use, and disordered eating. And with the stresses of the pandemic, it’s made young adults even more isolated than they would be normally and hence makes them more vulnerable to developing mental health issues,” says Mascioli.
In Canada, youth suicide rates are among the highest in the industrialized world, with suicide accounting for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15-24 year olds.
“There’s a unique need for this age group – coupling that with the unique needs or vulnerabilities of being a new college student – this partnership improves access to psychiatric consultation and care that would otherwise be extremely challenging to accommodate.”
Dr. Gail Beck, who was clinical director of The Royal’s Youth Psychiatry Program and a member of Algonquin’s board of governors at the launch of the partnership, describes it as a project very close to her heart.
“The idea that young people can go off to college and get mental health support from skilled professionals such as they have at Algonquin College is phenomenal,” says Beck, who is currently the interim chief of staff at The Royal.
“(The Royal) added the opportunity for psychiatric consultation. That, combined with our annual education series for Algonquin staff, we are building capacity where it’s really needed. We are helping another group of professionals to look after students – and there's so much synergy in that. I am so proud of our partnership.”
