Certificate in Multidisciplinary Studies in Mental Health and Well-Being

It may be taken concurrently with any degree (except for psychology students with the Stream in Mental Health and Well-Being) or following the successful completion of any undergraduate degree. Two groups of students should be especially interested: current students who wish to combine it with any other Carleton degree or returning students whose area of expertise is distant from psychology and who want to get a tailored introduction. Students who already have degrees in psychology (or have work experience in the area of mental health and well-being) may not benefit as much from this certificate, however. They would be advised to seek more specialized training if they wish to further develop their knowledge base and skills.

An important note about residency. Section 2.2.2 of the Undergraduate Calendar states that students must obtain at least “new” 4.0 credits from Carleton to earn any certificate. Hence, degree students who are returning to Carleton for this certificate and who have already completed some of its courses may be required to take additional credits to fulfill this residency requirement. Students in this situation are strongly encouraged to seek advising. Contact psychology@carleton.ca.

The certificate provides you with many choices to fulfill its multidisciplinary aspect, so you should choose courses that look interesting. Naturally, you also need to verify that you meet the prerequisites for any course that you take and that you also meet your program requirements. Hence, it may be strategic for you to include courses from your program if that is a possibility. In the end, there is no correct answer. It is up to you. All the listed courses have been selected because they fit the theme of the certificate.

Unfortunately, no. The course must be listed here to count towards this certificate. Each unit must approve the inclusion of its courses in this certificate. If it does not appear here, then the course may not have been added for a variety of possible reasons (e.g., the course has limited space, the course is reserved for program students, the program is currently under review, etc.).

In addition to the course work, the certificate requires you to complete 12 hours of non-credit training from the approved list given below. Please follow these steps to complete this requirement.

1 – Select and complete any non-credit training offered in the list given below.

2 – Each time you complete non-credit training, make sure that it is added to your Co-Curricular Record (CCR). This document will make the completion of your training official. General information about the CCR may be found here.

3 – Once you have completed all your course work (i.e., the 3.0 mandatory credits in psychology and the 2.0 credits from other programs) and 12 hours of non-credit training, please email a copy of your CCR to the Psychology Department so we may verify that this requirement has been completed. The Department will not verify your CCR if you have not completed the 5.0 credits of coursework first.

Important note. Non-credit training is subject to available space and resources. Offer may vary or change without notice. Also, some training is only offered during the academic year. Hence, all students are strongly encouraged to complete this aspect of the certificate as early as possible.  You are ultimately responsible for meeting this requirement.

The 12-hours of non-credit training are meant to give students a breath of knowledge in different areas related to mental health and wellness. As such, in cases where a single non-credit training course and/or workshop is equivalent to 12 hours or more, students will have to take another single non-credit training course or workshop to fulfil the non-credit training requirements for the certificate.

Approved list of non-credit training for the 2024-25 Academic Year

SafeTALK training. SafeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper. SafeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations to talk about suicide and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources. Email mentoring@carleton.ca for more information and training availability.

Living Works Start. A fully online 2 hour module, you will learn a powerful four-step model to keep someone safe from suicide, and you will have a chance to practice it with impactful simulations. Participants will be able to recognize when someone has thoughts of suicide and take action to connect them to an intervention provider. Email mentoring@carleton.ca for more information and training availability.

Skills for academic success. (Approximately 3 hours).This development series will aim to encourage you to participate in a variety of learning and writing support workshops to develop skills to be a successful student both inside and outside of the classroom. Email csas@carleton.ca for more information and training availability.

Techniques for time management. (Approximately 3 hours). This development series is targeted towards helping you build learning skills and strategies surrounding effective planning, time management, and organizational skills that can support you in achieving academic success. Email csas@carleton.ca for more information and training availability.

Non-Credit Student Success Certificate. In collaboration with the Office of Associate Vice President Student Health and Wellness, the Centre for Student Academic Support (CSAS) has launched the Non-Credit Student Success Certificate. This Certificate includes Academic and Wellness modules that aim to help students become equipped with learning, academic, and mental health supports and resources as they navigate through their academic journey at Carleton. Email csas@carleton.ca for more information and training availability.

Psychology Mental Health Day – Mental Health and Well-being Research and Training Hub (carleton.ca). (Approximately 3 hours). This annual event was created to raise awareness on mental health issues and highlight efforts to promote well-being at Carleton. A series of talks from expert speakers are given each year. Email psychology@carleton.ca from more information. Participation may be counted toward the certificate each year.

Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence: If someone discloses an experience of sexual violence, would you know how to help them? Equity Services offers a 2.5 hour workshop to increase student, staff and faculty knowledge in supporting individuals who disclose sexual violence. This innovative method helps you build skills to support students and colleagues through listening, as well as through doing, making and storytelling. Please note, this course is NOT recognized for CCR credit; students who complete this course and want to submit it towards the Certificate in Multidisciplinary Studies in Mental Heal and Well-Being, will need to have their participation confirmed through the Department of Equity and Inclusive Services (please introduce yourself to the facilitator during the workshop). Students interested in registering for this training session should email equity@carleton.ca. 

Kinàmàgawin Indigenous Learning Certificate: The Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement proudly presents the Kinàmàgawin Indigenous Learning Certificate. Within the series, four sessions will discuss: (1) anti-Indigenous racism in Canada; (2) institutional anti-Indigenous racism and education; (3) Indigenous student experiences and the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement; and (4) practicing allyship and righting relations. The workshops are three hours in length. They will run monthly and will be offered in the fall, winter and summer terms. The cohorts are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are currently held on campus (unless noted otherwise). Please note, this certificate is NOT recognized for CCR credit; students who complete this certificate and want to submit it towards the Certificate in Multidisciplinary Studies in Mental Health and Well-Being, will need to submit the certificate they receive upon completion and have their participation confirmed through the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement.

If you took non-credit training at Carleton, but it does not appear on the list of approved activities, you may email the Department at psychology@carleton.ca to inquire if it can be counted towards the 12 hours that you need for this certificate. Note that it must appear on your Co-Curricular Record. The Department will review your submission and inform you of its decision. To avoid any surprises or disappointing decisions, however, it is best to select non-credit training from the list of approved activities only.

Unfortunately, no. Only non-credit training given by Carleton that appears on the Co-Curricular Record will be approved. We recognize that that excellent training in mental health and well-being is offered in Ottawa and across Canada, but we do not have any mechanism to vet it. Moreover, we want to encourage students to discover the many great resources available at Carleton. Finally, we know that the non-credit training that students take on campus will not incur additional costs. Hence, the certificate will only count relevant non-credit training offered at Carleton for these reasons. One last note. Each year, a variety of non-credit training is provided to students on campus. Therefore, it should not be difficult for you to find something that complements your existing knowledge base if you have already received mental and well-being training elsewhere.

You can add the certificate by emailing the Registrar’s Office at registrar@carleton.ca from your Carleton email account. Please note that when making adjustment to your program elements, we strongly encourage you to meet with your department’s undergraduate academic advisor.

You can add this certificate at any time, but the earlier the better. As a first- or second-year student, it should not be difficult for you to fit the 5.0 credits of coursework needed into your eligible program elements. All degrees offer some room for elective courses. If you add the certificate later, however, it might be challenging for you to integrate the courses into your schedule. We strongly encourage you to meet with your department’s undergraduate academic advisor if you decide to add this certificate to your studies.