SGS Orientation Grad Minds Student Association

1. SGS Virtual Orientation:
Grad Minds
Presented by Jeffrey Lynham, Grad Minds Co-Chair
Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
The University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union

2. I. What is Grad Minds?

3. The University of Toronto Graduate
Students’ Union and Grad Minds
Ø Mental health education and awareness events
Ø Mental health speaker events
Ø Annual Mental Health Conference
Ø Mental Health Magazine “Elemental”
Ø Collaborate with other mental health groups and initiatives on campus
https://www.utgsu.ca/
16 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, ON., M5S 1C1
Telephone: (416) 978-2391
Email: info@utgsu.ca
The UTGSU represents graduate students and lobbies national and provincial issues on your behalf. The
UTGSU Committees and Caucuses engage students through community building events and campaigns. The
UTGSU also offers services such as bursaries and gym access.
The University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU)
Grad Minds: The Official Mental Health Committee of the UTGSU

4. “Our mission is to promote mental health awareness and wellbeing among the University of
Toronto graduate student population through education, advocacy, and collaboration.”
Through our mission and purpose, we aspire to:
• Create programming to improve mental health literacy (i.e., knowledge of signs and
symptoms and when to reach out for help).
• Reduce stigma towards mental health and mental illness in order to encourage self-care
practices and help-seeking behaviors.
• Increase awareness of mental health resources within UofT and in the community.
• Provide support for those who are experiencing a mental health struggle or illness.
• Collaborate with other UofT groups or community initiatives that share similar values.
Grad Minds Mission Statement

5. II. Current Events, Projects, and Initiatives

6. Monthly Townhall Meetings
Meetings will be a chance to:
• Create an organized dialogue between graduate students and
the administration on mental health
• Identify emerging issues regarding mental health
• Identify and address barriers related to seeking care
Will be held on the first Wednesday of every month:
• October 7th
• November 4th
• December 2nd
All meetings be through Zoom and will begin at 5:30 PM

7. Bi-Weekly Workshop Series
Our bi-weekly workshop series focuses on improving student mental
health literacy and providing actionable coping strategies.
Fall 2020 Workshop Schedule:
• September 23rd – 5 Ways to Wellbeing COVID 19 Edition
• October 6th – How Feeling Like an Imposter Impacts Your
Learning
• October 20th – Surviving Grad School: A Toolkit for Flourishing
Mental Health
• November 2nd – Suicide Prevention and Mental Wellness
• November 19th – #SafeSocial: Social Media’s Impact on Mental
Health
• December 1st – Mindfulness Training for Emotional Resilience

8. Annual Open Minds Conference
• We host our annual Open Minds Mental Health Conference each year
around March/April.
• The conference is our most attended event, with ~150-200 students, staff,
and faculty attending each year.
• The conference will take place on Thursday, March 25th, 2021.
• The conference theme will be about building community and cultivating
meaningful connections.

9. EleMental Magazine
• EleMental is the official mental health magazine at
the University of Toronto, with contributions from
students, staff and faculty.
• The initiative is aimed at promoting mental health
awareness and fostering a strong community of
support.
• Previous editions are available at elementalmag.ca
• The theme for Issue 7 will be COVID-19 & Mental
Health
• We are still recruiting journalists and editors for this
edition! No prior experience necessary!

10. Community Outreach
• Our aim here is to expand our partnerships with
UofT and community-based mental health groups
• We have collaborated with UofT departmental
wellness groups to help us on our mission
• We also act as a hub for promotion mental health
and wellness by providing a platform for student
groups to share their messages through our social
media and website
• At this moment, we are developing partnerships
with UTSC and UTM in order to have more
inclusive and collaborative events with them

11. Mental Health Resource Initiative
• Our aim here is to simplify pathways to care to
increase accessibility to resources and supports
• Last year, we complied a list with all mental health
resources provided by UofT and the community
www.gradminds.ca/resource-list
• This year, we are collaborating with several of these
services and designing infographics that will give
students a step-by-step walkthrough of what to
expect using their services
• We are also building an online web portal to make
resources easier to navigate

12. Logo Design Contest
• Entries must be submitted by Tuesday, October 13, 2020 @ 11:59 PM
• Online voting of logo designs will take place online between October 26th and November 22nd
• The three logos with the most votes will move onto the final review by the Grad Minds Exec
• The designer of the winning logo will receive a $100 gift card while the two runner-ups will
each receive a $50 gift card
• Submission details can be found at www.gradminds.ca/logo-design-contest

13. III. Tentative Events, Projects, and Initiatives
* More volunteers needed

14. Share Circles
• Share Circles are student-led learning
environments where students can learn from
each other through discussion about a
particular topic
• Topics From Last Year:
Ø Stress in Graduate School
Ø Developing a healthy student-supervisor
relationship
Ø Dealing with Uncertainty
• We are looking for Share Circle Facilitators to
organize, advertise, and run these events!

15. Online Destressing Activities
• We would like to have events that act as outlets for
students to de-stress and to develop connections
with other graduate students beyond their own
department
• We are looking for people to help organize and run
these events on a regular basis. Some ideas include:
Ø Arts & Crafts - Colouring, Drawing, Painting
Ø Game Nights - Trivia, Online Games (e.g., House
Party App)

16. Advocacy Campaign
• Advocating for student mental health is an area
we are lacking in
• We would like to assemble a team of student
advocates to:
Ø Help students understand how to access and
navigate insurance benefits for coverage of
external mental health supports
Ø Promote mental health awareness and well-
being for graduate students through
awareness and anti-stigma campaigns

17. Peer Support Initiative
• We would like to start a program where we have a team of trained graduate student
supporters who can provide a judgement-free, safe, and inclusive environment for students
who simply need to talk or seeking referrals to additional mental health resources
• Students would fill in a brief online form to match them with a peer supporter that best suits
their preferences (e.g., discipline, year of study, male or female, etc.) within a few days

18. Web Pages to Create and Manage
• We aim to create a hub on our website for other
mental health resources such as:
Ø Books
Ø Websites
Ø Apps
Ø Resources on how to support others
Ø Signs & symptoms of various mental illnesses
Ø Other UofT Student Groups
Ø Community Initiatives

19. If you want to get involved in any of the current or
tentative events, projects, or initiatives, then please send
us an email at mentalhealth@utgsu.ca. Let us know how
you would like to contribute!
We would also love to hear your ideas and suggestions on
how we, as a community, can help improve the mental
health and wellbeing of all U of T graduate students.
Get Involved with Grad Minds!

20. How to Stay Up-to-Date with Grad Minds
Thursdays @ 9:00 PM
Weekly Listserv
Grad Minds Instagram Account and Facebook PageGrad Minds Event Calendar
Sundays @ 9:00 PM

21. IV. Questions & Suggestions?

22. Thank You!
Connect with us!
Facebook: Grad Minds
Instagram: @grad_minds
Twitter: @grad_minds
Website: www.gradminds.ca
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