Mental health

• Offer a first point of contact for students who are facing long-term struggles with their mental health, or who are experiencing psychological distress during their time at St Mary’s.
• Build a rapport with the students and check in on their wellbeing for as long as support is needed. Where mental health concerns warrant this approach, Advisors may support students throughout their time at St Mary’s.
• Support students to create a plan to help address their mental health needs and to remove barriers to their education. For instance, Mental Health Advisors may refer and signpost students to the appropriate internal or external support services for their mental health needs, or recommend academic reasonable adjustments, for students who have a diagnosed mental health condition.
• Assess the risk that students facing mental health challenges may pose to themselves or others and work to mitigate this risk; for example, by supporting them to create a Safety Plan where this is needed.
• Advocate for students and support students’ connection with the NHS’s primary and secondary care, including general practice (GPs), elective care (e.g. hospital stays), urgent or emergency care and specialist mental health care.
• Provide crisis intervention and support to students and staff, when students are experiencing a mental health crisis while at St Mary’s.
• Work with colleagues to promote students’ wellbeing, such as by providing training to staff and advising colleagues on how best to support students to complete their degrees.
• Help eligible students apply for Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) for their mental health diagnosis. 

You can self-refer for mental health advice by compelting the Disability and Mental Health Referral Form on your phone or computer. 

This support is available throughout the year (Monday to friday, 9am to 5pm), except during the Christmas holiday closure period or, bank holidays and weekends.