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WUSA Student-Run Services including MATES, Glow Centre, The Women’s Centre, and RAISE are offering online peer support sessions during the spring term. These sessions will be one-on-one with a trained undergraduate student who is here to help. All sessions will be confidential and a maximum of 1 hour in length. Please see below for the specifics that each service offers.
MATES is a peer-support service for the undergraduate student population. MATES Peer Support Volunteers support students experiencing stress, social, and academic challenges as well as low-level mental health concerns. The MATES team consists of trained student volunteers who are knowledgeable about various on and off-campus resources and can assist students in navigating these services. A MATES session lasts for one hour maximum.
*Support sessions available in the following languages: English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Spanish, Punjabi, Russian, Taishanese, Telugu.
Support Platforms: Skype
Hours: Mon-Fri: 10:30am - 9:30pm; Sat & Sun: - 10:30am-5:30pm
The Glow Centre provides peer support for queer, trans, and questioning students. If you would like to talk to someone who is familiar with lgbtq+ concerns and issues we are here for you. Our volunteers are not professional counselors and do not provide advice. Through active listening, they provide a space for you to be heard, validated, and understood.
Support Platforms: Skype
Hours – Mon-Fri: 4pm - 8pm
The Women's Centre aims to create a positive and safe space for students of all genders, with a special focus on women and trans folks. Our volunteers are trained to provide peer support with an intersectional lens and can help connect you with resources about sexual health, healthy relationships, mental health, and more. We're here to listen, support, and help connect students with helpful resources within the university and the community.
Support Platforms: Skype
Hours – Mon, Wed, Thurs: 12pm - 6pm; Tues: 10am - 6pm, Fri: 10am - 12pm & 4:30pm - 6:30pm
RAISE stands for Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity, and Equity. We are the undergraduate racialized service on campus, formed in Winter 2019, with the aim of addressing and dismantling systems of xenophobia and discrimination on our campus. With the presence of COVID-19, RAISE has moved online for Spring term but would like to reassure students of our continued presence. As we quarantine in place and continue to physically distance, RAISE understands how easy it is to become disconnected and feel alone. We recognize how difficult it is for many of us to comprehend the "new normal" and the challenges that poses for our student lives. Though physically our office is closed, we are still available to provide support. Please fill out the form below or reach out to us through our social media (@uwraise) if you would like to chat with us. Together, we will get through this.
Support Platforms: Google Hangouts/Meet
Hours – Mon & Wed: 10am - 2pm; Tues & Thurs: 2pm - 6pm
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