Like many campuses across Canada, U of T is experiencing a mental health crisis. Year-after-year the UTSU has lobbied for more mental health supports but students still face significant barriers to accessing help, from long wait lists for free on-campus support to insufficient insurance to access private care (your UTSU health and dental plan covers up to $100 per appointment with 15 visits per year).
In response to this urgent need, we’re testing Empower Me, a free, unlimited and confidential mental health and wellness service provided by our current health and dental provider, StudentCare. Students can access Empower Me through an app or over the phone 24/7 for free during the pilot period. If you like the program and we adopt it next year, the cost to implement it would increase student fees by just under $7.
In addition to being convenient and accessible, Empower Me is meant to be multilingual, culturally sensitive, gender- and faith-inclusive. You can access support for issues of any kind, such as:
- Stress or anxiety
- Depression
- Relationships or interpersonal conflicts
- Family responsibilities
- Substance misuse/abuse
- Disordered eating
- Time management
- Career counselling
- Financial planning or financial insecurity
- Nutrition, and more
How Does It Work?
By Phone In Canada and the US (for international access see the Empower Me FAQ here)
EAP Optima Mobile App
You can also connect with Empower Me through the EAP Optima mobile app, available for download from the App Store and Google Play. With the app, you can:
- Chat with a counsellor
- Consult professionals via videoconferencing appointments
- Call the 24/7 helpline
- Access other health and wellness resources
To create your account on the app, use the access code: 45295GQ70
For a step-by-step guide to creating an account, click here.
