Psychiatrist appointments are by referral only.

A Psychiatrist is a physician specialists who can be accessed for diagnosis, treatment, and direct patient care through a referral process from a consulting physician or Mental Health Team.

There is often a complexity of mental illness issues that requires an expertise onsite to provide specialized services to support the students' needs. This involves:

• complementing the work of the Mental Health Team by providing specific expertise
• enhancing the shared care approach of the multidisciplinary team working collaboratively in the best interests of patient as a consultant of the team
• expert leadership in therapeutic and mental health support groups

BHC appointments are by referral only.

The Behavioural Health Consultant (BHC) is a specialized mental health therapist who aids students in addressing a wide range of physical and mental health concerns with the goals of early identification, quick resolution, long-term prevention, and health promotion. The position works with the Mental Health Team to treat and manage patients with emotional and/or health problems efficiently and effectively using targeted, well researched techniques. BHC services are desiged to help you when your habits, behaviours, stress, worry, or amotional concerns about life problems interfere with your daily life and health.

Our BHC can help you with the following conditions/symptoms:    

• anger
• anxiety/panic
• grief and loss
• depression
• stress       
• headaches
• sleep problems
• high blood pressure
• chronic pain
• other lifestyle issues

What to expect from your BHC appointment:

The BHC will ask you questions about your physical symptoms, your emotional concerns and your behaviours - and how they might be related. Sometimes sharing your symptoms, concerns and behaviours can result in you feeling differently (sad, mad, tired) or thinking differently.

You can expect to be seen for a maximum of six sessions and for the BHC to have a close working relationship with your physician.

Each session last about 60 minutes and the BHC will provide you with a brief "solution-focused" assessment and treatment. If this type of therapy is not appropriate for your concerns, we will help refer you elsewhere. You and your physician remain in charge of your health care. Your participation in working with a BHC is voluntary and will not impact the medical services provided by your physician. BHC services help you and your physician develop and implement the best plan for you!

The Mental Health Nurse will conduct extensive intake assessments of those students requesting mental health services. This process involves administering a variety of screening tools pertinent to the student's presenting concern and coordinating care within the Mental Health Team and/or campus services. The Mental Health Nurse is involved with mental health promotion and education on campus in conjunction with other campus services. Medication education appointments are also available to students starting new psychiatric medications or with questions about existing ones.

If you are experienceing difficulties with addiction and require the services of the Addiction & Wellness Coordinator, please call the Health Centre at 403-317-2888 or visit us in the SU Building SU020.

If you would like more information on alcohol and drug awareness, click here

The Client Care Coordinator (CCC) is usually the first point of access for mental health services in the Health Centre. Students identifying with mental health concerns will complete a short pre-booking questionnaire which allows for the CCC to determine what the next point of contact will be . The CCC is also responsible for ensuring that active patients of the MHT have appropriate follow up appointments for continutity of care while they are registered students at the University of Lethbridge. The CCC will also help students when graduating to transfer care, upon patient requests.