Frank O'Dea brings his unique story of hope, vision and action to UCalgary

On Thursday, Feb. 15, more than 300 people attended A Story to Hear, celebrating the Campus Mental Health Strategy’s second year of progress. 

Amy Li, student at Cumming School of Medicine and emcee, shared her personal involvement with mental health, including her role as the co-founder and director of non-profit Outrun the Stigma. Dru Marshall, provost and vice-president (academic), presented an informative update on the current progress of the strategy, most notably that all 28 recommendations are currently underway or complete. And Andrew Szeto, director of the Campus Mental Health Strategy, shared his plans for the coming year, including a second round of CMHS grants available to the campus community

The keynote speech was delivered by Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank O’Dea, who shared his inspiring and deeply personal journey of resiliency and highlighted the importance of mental health initiatives.

During the event, attendees participated in an interactive painting led by Jaclynn Phillips from Prospect Studio C. On-campus organizations including the SU Wellness Centre, Staff Wellness, WellBeing and WorkLife, the Canadian Mental Health Association and RenewFest, among others, hosted a Wellness Fair to distribute mental health resources and information.

The University of Calgary’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is a bold commitment to the importance of mental health and well-being of our university family. Our vision is to be a community where we care for each other, learn and talk about mental health and well-being, receive support as needed, and individually and collectively realize our full potential. If you think you need help, please visit resources here. If you think someone you know needs help, find more information here. 

Psychological Support is one of 13 factors illustrated by the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (National Standard). The University of Calgary is a recipient of the Excellence Canada Mental Health at Work Silver Level Certification in this area. Visit WellBeing and WorkLife to learn more about the implementation of the National Standard at the University of Calgary and to learn about existing programs and resources that support each of the 13 factors.