Health and Wellness

Alexander College students are eligible for up to 10 free Health and Wellness Counseling sessions each calendar year. These sessions are designed to provide students with a safe, supportive, and confidential space in which to discuss issues that may be causing distress and personal struggle, and supportive ways to manage stress.

Alexander College’s Registered Clinical Counselors provides Health and Wellness Counseling services with the option of meeting in-office, or virtually. Students can choose the appointment type they prefer at the time of booking the appointment.

Please make a counseling appointment on the Jane App scheduling software by clicking the “Make an Appointment” button.

Make an Appointment

Appointment

Some examples of common issues that are discussed with a Health and Wellness Counselor include: Anxiety, Depression, Relationships, Stress, Loneliness, Academic concerns, Adjustment to new surroundings.

In addition, the college provides workshops on topics such as stress management, body image, and healthy relationships. As well as providing referrals to off-campus resources for ongoing services.

Workshops

As another part of our approach to Health and Wellness at Alexander College, we are able to schedule in workshops which deal with a variety of relevant and useful topics affecting students.

Current workshops include: Nurturing Mental Health Among Students, Stress Management for Students, Test Anxiety, Emotional regulation, Navigating Romantic Relationships.

Keep an eye out on our notice boards for dates, times, and locations of upcoming workshops, or simply email our Health and Wellness Counselor.

Here2Talk

Alexander College students can access free, 24/7 single session mental health support through phone or chat with Here2Talk. Students who use Here2Talk still have access to existing campus counselling services.

Download the Here2talk App: Apple App Store | Google Play

Telephone and Chat Support: Download Here2Talk Poster [PDF]

Here2Talk is an additional support service that offers the following features:

• Confidential – Here2Talk is a confidential service. No one- including family, friends, or instructors- will know you have accessed these resources.
• 24/7 call or chat – Here2Talk is available 24/7. You can reach a clinical counsellor through App or phone anytime of the day, from anywhere in the world!
• Relationships
• No appointments needed – You do not need to book an appointment. You can just use the App, call or use the website to immediately reach a counsellor.
• Multiple Languages – You can request counselling and support in multiple languages, including French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, Arabic and more!

Students can reach out for support for issues like: Relationship Concerns, Isolation, Anxiety, Communication Skills, Homesickness, Loneliness, Depression/Low Mood, Stress, Time Management, Balancing Work & Life.

How does it work:

1. You can talk to a counsellor either through phone or chat.
2. Your call/chat will be answered by a clinical care representative, who will ask you some basic information about your identity and your needs. Your personal information will not be shared with Alexander College.
3. You will be transferred to a clinical counsellor who will provide you with support.

You can access support in one of the following ways:

Download the free Here2Talk App on your phone (Apple Store or Google Play Store)

Call toll free number 1-877-857-3397 or 604-642-5212.

Visit www.here2talk.ca to chat with a counsellor online or browse student related resources.

The Learning Modules

Watch

Drug Overdose Awareness and Resources, Including Access to Naloxone

Alexander College’s Drug Overdose Prevention and Response Safety Plan [PDF]

Emergencies

If you suspect an overdose, call 9-1-1 right away and inform the Front Desk and Campus Security, The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects those responding to an emergency, even if you have substances on you.

There are no academic repercussions for asking for help with addictions or during an overdose.

A public health emergency has been issued in response to the rise in drug overdoses and deaths linked with Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be fatal when obtained illegally. Fentanyl has been detected in cocaine, crack, MDMA (ecstasy), meth, heroin, fake Oxycodone, and fake Percocet. So far this year, over 1,200 people have died in BC as a result of illicit drug use. The Fentanyl crisis is extensive and devastating – it’s important to make a plan to stay safe and know how to recognize the signs of an overdose.

Reduce your risk

Never use alone

Instead, stagger your usage with a friend’s by waiting 5 to 10 minutes before the other person uses. Download and use the Lifeguard app. Also, remember to look out for your friends and stay alert for signs of an overdose, including severe sleepiness, unresponsiveness to being roused, and shallow breathing.

Go slow

Use low doses of the drug to start. If the drug contains fentanyl, even small doses could cause an overdose within 10 minutes.

Don’t mix drugs with each other or with alcohol

Mixing drugs is more likely to cause an overdose.

Carry naloxone – it’s confidential and free

Kits are also available for purchase at participating BC pharmacies.

Know the signs of an overdose

• Person cannot stay awake
• Can’t talk or walk
• Slow or no breathing, gurgling
• Skin looks pale or blue, feels cold
• Pupils are pinned or eyes rolled back
• Vomiting
• Body is limp
• No response to noise or knuckles being rubbed hard on the breastbone

Know what to do in case of an overdose

If you suspect an overdose, call 911, then follow the SAVE ME steps:

S – Stimulate. Check if the person is responsive, can you wake them up?

A – Airway. Make sure there is nothing in the mouth blocking the airway or stopping them from breathing.

V – Ventilate. Help them breathe. Plug the nose, tilt the head back, and give one breath every five seconds.

E – Evaluate. Do you see any improvement?

Use naloxone if available:

M – Muscular injection. Inject one dose (1cc) of naloxone into a muscle. Learn more about how to use Naloxone, including nasal naloxone.

E – Evaluate & support. Is the person breathing on their own? If they are not awake in five minutes, give one more 1cc dose of naloxone.

Naloxone is proven to work for opioid overdoses. Other remedies may be harmful.

Naloxone is the antidote to drug overdoses caused by opioids, including fentanyl.

Overdose prevention sites are managed by health authorities in co-operation with community partners across the province. These designated spaces, which are integrated into existing social service or health care settings or in newly established locations, provide on-site monitoring for people at risk of overdose and allow for rapid response when an overdose occurs. 

Additional Resources:

• Toward the Heart: Naloxone quick-learn
• Toward the Heart: How to Use Naloxone Video
• BC Pharmacists: Naloxone Brochure(PDF)
• Stop Overdose BC
• Download the Lifeguard app
• Harm Reduction Site Finder
• Information for Alerts
  Sign up for text messages from local health authority apps with warnings about alarming instances of toxic drug risks in their local community. Toward the Heart provides such a service province wide that can be accessed through personal mobile devices

Take-Home Naloxone kits

Take-Home Naloxone kits are available from local distribution sites and self-help materials available through Toward the Heart and StopOverdose.gov.bc.ca.

Where to access take-home fentanyl test strips

Vancouver

• ACT/AOT/Car 87
• Covenant House
• Foundry Vancouver
• Get Your Drugs Tested (website)
• Vancouver Coastal Health (directory)

Self Help Resources

Meet the Team

How to Contact

By Mail & Phone & Email

Burnaby Campus

Emergency Numbers