The U of T Telus Health Student Support (formerly U of T My SSP) provides students with real-time and/or appointment-based confidential, 24-hour counselling support for any school, health, or general life concern at no cost to the student. Students can call or chat with a counsellor in over 146 languages whenever, wherever they are.
You can add a link to U of T Telus Health Student Support in your Quercus course navigation by using the Redirect tool. The tool can be a little finicky so, if you need support in doing this, please reach out to the FASE EdTech Office.
Why embed U of T Telus Health Student Support into your Quercus course?
The only element of the post-secondary experience that is consistent across all students is their participation in learning within the classroom (online or in-person). For some, this might be their only meaningful touchpoint with the campus. Although quality programs are offered through the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the broader student services, students may conceivably graduate from university without ever having engaged with any of the co-curricular opportunities or services available to them. Instructors who invite resources into the classroom, who are versed in available services, or who model health and help-seeking behaviours allow students to recognize the wealth of resources available to them outside of the boundaries of the classroom. Embedding U of T Telus Health Student Support into your course encourages and normalizes reaching out for care and support regarding mental health challenges.
If you would like to promote the use of U of T Telus Health Student Support in other ways in addition to embedding it into your Quercus course, let your students know that this service can also be accessed by phone (1-844-451-9700; 001-416-380-6578 or through the U of T Telus Health Student Support app found in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Additional information can be found on the U of T Telus Health Student Support webpage.
1. Add a link to your course navigation using the Redirect tool
Use the Redirect Tool to add a link to Telus Health Student Support browser accessible site on your Course navigation menu:
- Enter the app name (e.g. Telus Health Student Support)
- Select Force open in a new tab option
- Select Show in Course Navigation option
- Select Add App
2. Post an announcement letting students know about the U of T Telus Health Student Support menu item in the course navigation
Use Announcements in your course to let your students know that they can access U of T Telus Health Student Support through the link that appears in your course navigation.
Here’s some sample text for your announcement:
Hey class! Just wanted to let you know about an important resource located on our Course Navigation Menu. It’s called Telus Health Student Support. U of T’s Telus Health Student Support Program (THSS) provides students with real-time and/or appointment-based confidential, 24-hour support for any school, health, or general life concern at no cost to you. The link provided in the Course Navigation Menu will direct you to a site where you can chat through your browser with a counsellor. Alternatively, you can also access the counsellors through the U of T Telus Health Student Support app found in the Apple App Store and on Google Play or by phone (1-844-451-9700; 001-416-380-6578). Please note, this is a third-party site and your UTORID is not linked to it in any way.