Mental Wellness Student Support Program

Campus Ambassador
Training Guide
 What is keep.meSAFE?

The keep.meSAFE by guard.me Mental Wellness Student Support Program provides

students with real-time and appointment-based access to counsellors anytime, anywhere that
understand their culture and speak their language.

Starting college/university or studying in another country can be a wonderful and exciting life
experience. But it can also be a time of tremendous stress and isolation as students learn to
navigate a new independence, culture, language, and campus. Students can contact
keep.meSAFE anytime from anywhere in the world to speak with a counsellor who has
experience supporting the unique challenges students face.

Students can seek support for a variety of reasons:

• Stress, anxiety, depression • Coping with culture shock
• Challenging relationships • Loneliness, grief, isolation
• Academic issues • Managing finances

Below are the key features of the keep.meSAFE Program:

The program is free

100% confidential

Access to multicultural experts that have experience working with international

students and speak their language

24/7 access to support via telephone, chat, video, mobile app or website

Download the My SSP app

Self-help resources and chat support available in 5 core languages
English, French, simplified Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Spanish
 How keep.meSAFE Works

Support Type
There are several types of support students can access:
Self-Help Resources
- The self-help resources are available in English, French, Simplified Chinese, Spanish,
- The different articles and videos deal with several topics including: Student Living, Health,
Relationships, Living Away
- There are Assessments available to students around issues like Depression, Anxiety, Drug,
and Alcohol
- Your school may have a customized My SSP app that has your school colours and logo. If
your school has many campuses, there may be different customizations that are specific to
each campus. The customized app will also include:
o Your school/campus Twitter feed
o Links to campus specific resources under the More section of the app. Some
examples of these resources include:
▪ Campus Map
▪ Health and Wellness
▪ Campus Counselling
Real-Time Support
- Students can reach out anytime of the day or night to speak with a counsellor
- Get help with anything from stress, anxiety, break-ups, housing issues, etc.
- Students have access to keep.meSAFE anywhere they are in the world – if they are outside
of Canada or the US, there is a separate number to dial
- Students can access real-time support by telephone and chat
- The 5 core languages English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, are available
anytime of the day or night by telephone and chat
- If students want to talk to a counsellor in a language other than the core 5, they must call-in
to access support and request their preferred language during the intake process

Appointment-Based Support
- If a student wants to meet with a counsellor on a regular basis to get support, that is also an
option
- A student can request ongoing support by calling or chatting with a counsellor
- Appointment-based support is available by telephone, video-chat, and in-person where
available
- Students will meet regularly with the same counsellor based on a schedule they create
- In-person counselling is done at the counsellor’s office, not on campus
 All counselling, both real-time and appointment-based is confidential.
Nothing can be share with anyone other than the student without consent,
within the limits of the law.

Accessing Support
There are many ways to access support:

Telephone
− 1.844.451.9700
− Outside Canada and the US: 001.416.380.6578
− Directly through the My SSP app

Chat

− Chat can be access directly through the My SSP app

− Chatting with a counselor via the app is only available in English, French, Simplified
Chinese, Spanish
− Before someone begins their first chat with a counsellor, they will be required to confirm
some details

In-Person
− Appointment-based support is available to in-person but is subject to availability by location
− In-person support occurs at the counsellor’s office – not on campus

Website
− All the self-help resources and chat are also available online. To access these resources,
students should go to:
www.keepmesafe.org
− The site provides students an overview of the keep.meSAFE Program as well as two
portals
o (1) International Students
o (2) Canadian (Domestic) Students
each with tailored content to support these dynamic student populations on campus.
Providing Feedback

It is also important to educate students on how to provide feedback to the

keep.meSAFE Program both for great and not-so-great experiences.

The easiest way for students to provide feedback about the program is to call in and
say they would like to file a complaint/report a complaint or provide positive feedback.

All complaints get escalated to our Quality Assurance Team who will reach out to the
student directly to get the details relating to incident and do an investigation, as
necessary.

The turn-around time for a quality assurance investigation typically takes 5-7 business
days. keep.meSAFE will provide the results of this investigation back to the student
and will continue until the case is resolved.
 My SSP App

The My SSP app is the primary way students will access self-
help resources on relevant topics, as well as contact a
counsellor directly through phone or chat.

It is important to:
1. Encourage students to download the My SSP app, and
2. Complete their profile

Chat support available 24/7 in Simplified Chinese,

Spanish, English & French

Call a counsellor directly through the app 24/7/365

and access help in many languages/cultures

Access tons of self-help resources through

the app on topics like Student Living,
Health, Relationships, and Living Away
 Your Role in Promoting keep.meSAFE
Some important things to know when promoting the keep.meSAFE Program:

1. In your event planning and booths, try and find fun and unique ways to:
a. Help students access keep.meSAFE
b. Encourage students to download the My SSP app and complete their profile
c. Promote mental health in general
d. Educate students about mental wellness resources on campus
e. Helping students provide feedback directly to keep.meSAFE

2. It is important to use proper language when promoting keep.meSAFE since it is a mental

health support program. Below are some examples of good & bad terms for talking about
the program and mental health.

What to Say What NOT to Say

- Mental wellness - Mental problems
- Mental health - Crazy
- Mental health support - Unstable
- Support program for students - Unwell
- Program helps with everyday - Sick
challenges

3. The program is called keep.meSAFE but the app students download is called My SSP

4. Students can provide feedback or complaint by calling keep.meSAFE the same way they
would to access support and indicate they want to complain/provide feedback.
 Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the keep.meSAFE Program?

The keep.meSAFE Program is a free and confidential mental wellness student support program
that offers students access to articles, videos, and counsellors that speak their language and
understand their culture 24/7/365. All content and real-time support is available through the My SSP
app.

2. What types of things can students get help with?

Students have access to a variety of supports when it comes to things like:
• Healthy living habits • Managing finances
• How to deal with challenging • Difficulties communicating
situations • Academic counseling
• Coping with culture shock • Stress, anxiety, loneliness
• Conflict resolution

3. Will student’s information be kept private?

The keep.meSAFE Program is 100% confidential. No one will know a student has accessed the
service unless they decide to share that information themselves. The only exception to this is if the
student is an immediate danger to them self or others. In this rare case, the appropriate campus and
emergency services would be contacted.

4. Is the program anonymous?

The keep.meSAFE Program is confidential and will keep your information private, but it is not
anonymous. Students must provide their real name when calling or chatting with a counsellor so
that a clinical case file can be create in order to provide them with confidential support.

5. Do students always speak to the same counsellor?

When a student calls into the service to speak to a keep.meSAFE counsellor, they will be
connected with any available counsellor that meets their linguistic and cultural requirements. If the
student requires ongoing support, they can make appointments with the same counsellor to meet
regularly. The counsellors can also help students to access services on campus or in the community
that can provide further support.
6. How can students download the My SSP app?
The My SSP app is free and is available through the App Store or Google Play. Search for My SSP.

7. Can a student speak with a counsellor who is from their culture and speaks their language?
Yes, students can ask to speak with a keep.meSAFE counsellor that is from their culture and
speaks their language.

If the student reaches out via the chat function on the My SSP app, they have access to support in
the 5 core languages (English, French, simplified Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), and Spanish).

If a student reaches out to keep.meSAFE via telephone, they have 24/7 guaranteed access to 5
core languages (English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish) as well as access to support
in over 30 other languages/cultures.

If a counsellor that meets the student’s linguistic and/or cultural needs is not immediately available,
a call back will be arranged within 24 to 48 hours.

8. Can I call keep.meSAFE directly through the My SSP app?

Yes, students can launch a chat session or a call keep.meSAFE directly to speak with a counsellor
24/7 no matter where they are in the world.

9. How many languages does the app work in?

The My SSP app works in 5 core languages (English, French, simplified Chinese (Cantonese and
Mandarin), and Spanish).

When the app is downloaded, the student will set-up their profile, which includes selecting the app
language preference. This means the app interface, as well as all videos and articles will be
accessed in the language selected.

10. If a student is studying abroad or on vacation during the term and they want to use the app,
do they need to be connected to Wi-Fi?
Like all apps, the My SSP app requires Wi-Fi or cellular data to work. For this reason, students
studying abroad or on vacation are advised to use the app when connected to Wi-Fi to avoid data
and roaming charges.

11. If a student is studying abroad or on vacation during the term and they want to speak with a
counsellor will they be charged for the call?
When calling keep.meSAFE from abroad, the student will be charged for the call (it is not a collect
call). It is advised that if a student calls into the service, tell the intake representative that they are
calling from outside of Canada and the US and the service will call them back, so the student does
not incur the phone charge.

The number to reach keep.meSAFE when outside of Canada and the US is 001.416.380.6578