In survey after survey, UBC students say mental health and wellbeing is their No. 1 priority.
“Exam stress, financial stress, global events and challenges unique to individuals all contribute to what can be tough times for students working towards degrees at universities across Canada,” says Andrew Parr, Vice-President, Students.
“Addressing those needs as an institution by employing a timely and holistic approach can, and does, make a difference for students. That’s why, over the past five years, UBC has invested $10 million to both build out counselling options for students and to integrate the Student Health and Wellbeing (SHW) care model. The new Gateway Health building is a crucial step in that process.”
“At UBC, we’ve seen a 40-per-cent increase in the number of counselling appointments and more than 11-per-cent more student health appointments booked since 2022,” said Noorjean Hassam, associate vice-president of Student Health and Wellbeing.
“With the new team-based care approach and the systems and physical integration we’ve been able to achieve in the Gateway Health building, students can now get everything they need related to health and wellbeing in one place rather than going to multiple offices. That means less wait time,” she said. “For example, if a student sees a doctor for a physical health concern, and mental health issues are identified, the student can easily book an appointment with a counsellor at the same welcome desk at that location, and their health record will already be there. This is one less location that the student has to visit, and fewer forms for the student to complete. It saves time and it’s easier all around.”
Moving to this new model has taken time, collective effort and engagement to ensure UBC is providing care that meets the needs of students, a key priority of the VP Students portfolio and the Student Strategic Plan.
When Hassam arrived at UBC in 2020, students were getting good care, but health and counselling services were not coordinated and one service might refer a student to the other, causing time delays and confusion.
Removing the siloes and implementing management systems and workflows that are the foundation of team-based care, as well as shifting the culture to the new model, took time.
“Crucially, we needed to get to student-centered care,” said Hassam. “This means we needed to put students at the centre of our practice. To support their academic and personal growth we promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing while they are students.”
From 2024-2025, SHW saw 57,452 appointments booked by undergraduate and graduate students accessing services, including Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing, faculty-embedded counsellors, the student recovery community and the ADHD Skills Support Group.
From 2022-2025, the counselling team grew to 52 from 35, the medical team to 29 from 21, and the health promotion team has doubled to 10 from five.
Counselling alone saw 17,450 appointments with 5,325 students in 2024-25. Mental health and sleep issues were the most common reasons for booking an appointment with SHW.
With the opening of Gateway Health, SHW has physically centralized with integrated clinical and health promotion activities under one roof, marking a milestone for the provision of care.
“Gateway Health welcomes the community to campus and welcomes students to access the supports they need, when they need them,” said Hassam.
