Services

Student at Risk Support Team

Do you know a student who is struggling?

Medicine Hat College offers a variety of services to support students throughout their college experience.

If you know a student that is experiencing personal difficulties, mental health issues, or is struggling academically, we encourage you to notify the Student at Risk Support (SARS) team. This team of professionals responds to concerns around mental and physical well-being, security and academic issues, and can help students find the appropriate supports on campus.

This is not an emergency service. In case of emergency, please call 911.

When to contact SARS

Contact SARS if you feel the student is in need of additional intervention and support outside of what you are able to provide. SARS has the connections to get the right help for the situation.

Do not worry that you are over-reacting. SARS will assess risks and act to help the student as needed. And early intervention is often the key to reducing the risk of potential crisis.

Who can refer a student to the SARS team?

Anyone can make a referral. Students, faculty, staff, family and friends are all welcome to contact the SARS team if they have concerns about a Medicine Hat College student.

Signs that a student may need support

  • Talking or writing about suicide or harm to others
  • Escalating intense, erratic or very inappropriate emotional responses
  • Saying good-bye. Giving important or expensive personal things away, such as a mobile device or computer
  • Talking about isolating from friends and others – absence from classes, group work or social/sports groups
  • Talking about deepening personal depression, escalating  anxiety and panic, feelings of drowning or loss of control
  • Talking about rapid weight loss - not eating at all or eating followed by vomiting   
  • Cutting or evidence of other self-harm
  • Loss of contact with reality including delusions
  • Talking about or doing physical or verbal abuse of others
  • Speaking about plans to seek revenge or harm to others, or naming specific people who have wronged him or her

How to refer a student to SARS

Please click the button below to refer a student:

REFER A STUDENT

For more information, please contact:

  • Marie Wanty
    Manager, mental health & counselling
    403.529.4864

What info can I share with the SARS team?

The team’s work is governed by Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) and the Post-Secondary Learning Act. These policies allow the SARS team to collect, use and disclose student personal information that directly relates to and is necessary to intervene and avert imminent danger to the health and safety if any person. It is OK under FOIP to share student information with this team.

What follow-up should I expect?

If you refer a student to SARS, you can expect follow up by a member of the team.  A team member will notify you when contact has been made with the student so that you are aware that the team is working with the student. Personal details of the support and or situation will not be shared.