Need someone to talk through a concern or a dissappointment? Trained Peer Health volunteers are available for confidential, non-judgemental listening and support.   

Looking for supports on campus but not sure where to go, or how to access them?  Peer Health volunteers can accompany you.

Looking for a safe place to ask questions?  Drop-in student volunteers will help you find the answers.

Visit during drop-in hours or email peerhealthdropin@gmail.com

Location:  Usask Community Centre across from the University Bookstore in Marquis Hall

Self-care resources

• Promote a better and safer quality of life by helping students develop health knowledge and skills
• Provide evidence based promotion programs built around current science, research, and practices
• Enhance student leadership, development, and personal growth

Encouraging and supporting healthy decisions and lifestyle

• Creating and sharing social media posts on health topics
• Developing hallway displays and infographics
• Making videos, writing blogs, and organizing podcasts
• Having conversations with other students
• Through presentations, webinars, and panels
• Sharing evidence-based health information and resources
• Offer campaigns, incentives, and give-a-ways 

Encouraging community

• Providing a safe place for students to visit and connect
• Organizing meet-up events and games nights that encourage socialization
• Collaborating with other campus teams on events and initiatives

Through advocating for and supporting students

• Providing a place for student parents to meet, share, and learn
• Organize panels and information sessions to help students understand their own or other disability
• Attempts to be a voice for all student health concerns to the greater campus
• Supporting student diversity with programs for select groups such as student parents 

Develop leadership skills

• Providing and promoting student trainings and opportunities
• Providing opportunities and supports to organize, develop, and create events, campaigns, and other initiatives
• Providing opportunities to reflect on personal leadership

Peer Health is primarily run by students dedicated to promoting health to USask students on all of its campuses. Peer Health volunteers and student leaders are passionate about the health issues that impact student well-being. Peer Health is an initiative for the Student Wellness Centre. Peer Health volunteers works within the Be Well Strategy framework in the following teams:

Healthy Mind

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The Mental Wellbeing team focuses on keeping one’s mind healthy and reducing the stigma that is associated with mental illness. Stress management, anxiety, and men’s mental health are addressed through presentations, campaigns, and student blogs about their own lived experiences. Peer Health recognizes that loneliness is a contributor to reduced mental health and provides social opportunities to reduce this.

Invisible Disabilities

The goal  is to normalize the conversation around invisible disabilities and to address the stigma around them by talking about what they look like in everyday life, how they can affect people, and what resources are available to those dealing with it. This is done through information posts, virtual panel discussions, personal stories through student blogs, podcasting student experiences, and support groups for various invisible disabilities. Students get involved because they have found community and support for their own invisible disability. However, that is not a criterion for being involved. Peer Health works closely with the USask Access and Equity Centre.

Our One in Three Autoethnography Podcast

“Our One in Three Autoethnography” is a podcast created by two volunteers.  Their mission  is to destigmatize mental illness by discussing student lived experiences and exploring the realities of living with a mental illness. 

• Listen on Libsyn: https://our1in3autoethnography.libsyn.com/website
• Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/our-one-in-three-autoethnography/id1556934988?ls=1
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4oQkQp9FZNuNaacMTeK3na

Drop-in Peer Support

The Drop-in Peer Support is free, confidential, and a non-judgmental environment available for any students to discuss their concerns with another peer. Peer Health volunteers are trained in listening, validating others,  and in sharing student support resources available. The centre is open daily by contacting peerhealthdropin@gmail.com.

 

Healthy Body

A Healthy Body is about healthy eating, sleep habits, harm reduction, vaccinations, socialization, fitness,  and more. This team prioritizes aiding students who are new to a University lifestyle; pointing them in the right direction so that they may make better decisions. To increase socialization among students, volunteers have organized regular game nights/meetups, virtual cook-along, and cooking competitions.

Harm Reduction: Alcohol Moderation and Substance Use

Harm Reduction  addresses student substance use and related issues. Supports such as the Low-Risk guidelines, naloxone training, and alternative stress management behavior suggestions are tools utilized while taking a no-judgment, harm reduction approach.  Campaigns such as "Thinking About my Drinking" and "Renew your View towards Addictions" are organized by Peer Health.

Student Recovery Support

Student Recovery Support (SRS) is for students with lived substance-use experience who are wanting support to reduce their personal substance use harms.  Support is provided by student peers with lived experience without stigma or discrimination.  SRS is run by Peer Health (students with lived experience) with support from the Student Wellness Centre and the Department of Sociology.  To access or learn more,  contact usaskrecovery@gmail.com

 

Healthy Life

Healthy and Safe Relationships

The Healthy Relationships team strives to promote healthy relationships between partners, roommates, friends, and family members, and with oneself, promote sexual wellness through STI prevention and contraception information, and promote a culture that normalizes consent and reduces sexual violence. The Healthy Relations team takes part in the USSU Sexual Assault Awareness Week (September), Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February), and Sexual Reproduction week (February). 

 

Indigenous Student Health and Wellness

The Indigenous Peer Health team collaborates with the larger Peer Health cohort, Student Wellness, and the Aboriginal Students’ Centre to support and promote health and wellness resources focused on the needs of the Indigenous student community.

Parents on Campus

The Parents on Campus team provides a voice and support to students who have children. Volunteers in this group maintain a parent/family room on campus and find ways to show support to parents through a clothing swap, family-friendly events, and parent study hall support. Volunteers in this group are sometimes parents themselves, but they do not need to be. More resources for parents can be found here.

And More

Peer Health is welcoming to all students.  And so when students have an idea that supports the Health and wellness of students, Peer Health listens.  Here are some newer health opportunities to explore:

 

Prince Albert Campus Community

Specifically for USask students registered at the Prince Albert campus. This team collaborates with the Peer Health Saskatoon campus to promote student wellness in all areas.

Students of Colour Health Outreach

Join the team that provides health outreach support and advocacy to the African student community, international students, and People of Colour. This team shares resources, information, and discussion groups that support all USask students.

Paws Your Stress Therapy Dogs

Paws Your Stress is not a Peer Health developed program but Peer Health volunteers help to promote the USask St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Paws Your Stress program through promotion and providing co-hosts for the online Paws Your Stress sessions. More information on Paws Your Stress can be found here.

 

Listen to two students talk about being being part of Peer Health;

As a Peer Health volunteer, you will learn about student health issues, meet new people, develop friendships, feel part of a greater campus community, and gain hands-on experience and skill development.

Expectations of our volunteers

• Available to volunteer for 2 hours a week
• Complete online orientation
• Participate in weekly Peer Health meetings 
• Contribute to Peer Health programming through health promotion group planning, research, resource creation, and peer-to-peer outreach
• You do not need to be in Saskatoon to participate

Training and CCR

Peer Health provides basic volunteer training at the beginning of each term. Volunteers then choose a team that supports them in practical training. Most Peer Health training is "on-the-job" practical experience.

Peer Health is a university-approved program for the Co-Curricular Record (CCR). The volunteers that fulfill the 25-hour per term requirement of combined training, teamwork, and outreach are eligible for Co-Curricular Record acknowledgment.

Registering with the Peer Health Volunteer Program

We are now accepting volunteers for Fall, 2022. 

Apply anytime and we will contact you with more information.  In the meantime, check out the Peer Health resources listed at the top of this page.

• Volunteer with Peer Health

Health Education Coordinator

Rita Hanoski, Student Wellness Centre

Student Coordinator

Justin Mataverde, Computer Science

Student Facilitators

• Mark Hammer, Sociology
• Sarah Cubbon, Health Studies
• Azin Dolatabadi, Health Studies
• Kulveen Brar, Arts & Science
• Cierra Romanyshen