As educators of Indigenous youth, we understand the unique challenges that our students face and the ways in which the transition to college makes them particularly vulnerable. The CUUB program strives to be particularly sensitive to the mental health support needs of its students, given the rigors of the program, the impact of intergenerational trauma, and the unique difficulties that many of our students face in their daily lives.
Summer support on campus
During the Summer Academic Institute, CUUB offers all of its participants free counseling sessions through its partnership with the Raimy Psychology Clinic. We also have our own on-call school counselor who can help students in a variety of ways. These resources are tremendously helpful and encouraged for all participants. Even if we think we don't need it, or if we are hesitant to try it, everyone needs someone to talk to. The trained specialists who partner with CUUB each year can provide students with the tools, practices, and support they need to deal with anything from homesickness to traumatic events.
Finding help at home
There are certainly other organizations that can offer support but download our mental health resources list for a helpful starting point. We will be updating this list periodically.
Our partners at Raimy have also worked with us on developing workshops and doing outreach into the communities that we serve during the academic year. CUUB hopes to expand its work with Raimy and discover new ways to advance conversations of mental health access and advocacy when it comes to getting ready for college, specifically for our indigenous youth.