A $25,000 grant from Bell Let’s Talk will officially launch Carleton’s newest initiative in support of mental health and wellness—a comprehensive evaluation framework to better address the needs of the Carleton community and effective ongoing implementation efforts. Led through the Office of Student Affairs and Department of Psychology, this partnership will help support the hiring of graduate research assistants to conduct surveys, focus groups and a file review, with a central aim to reduce systemic barriers that exist for students in need of mental health support.
Prior to her current role as Manager of Mental Health Strategy and Initiatives in the Office of Student Affairs, Shannon Noonan worked as a residence life professional, which she credits as providing her with a well-rounded approach to thinking about mental health. Her front-line experience working in the helms of student life shed light on the diverse needs of the student population, so much so that she spearheaded the Carleton Therapy Dogs program to help break barriers for those in need of support.
Shannon will partner with Joanna Pozzulo, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology, who felt compelled to expand mental health programming and advocacy after working with students, faculty and staff in need of support in her current role. With a passion for making our community a better and healthier place, Joanna is looking forward to dedicating more of her time to this area.
“I am really excited about using an evidence-based approach to tap into those systemic barriers. Being able to hear directly from the students in regards to what they need and being able to see how that aligns with what we already provide will be transformative in helping us make changes that make sense given the data,” says Joanna.
To read the full story, please visit the Hub for Good here: Carleton to Launch Mental Health Evaluation Framework with Support from Bell Let’s Talk – Hub for Good