Toronto forum focuses on improving mental health on college campuses

College and university officials from across Ontario will gather today for a one-day conference in Toronto that explores mental health issues facing students. The conference, Focus on Mental Health, will examine issues such as eliminating stigma. The conference will also include first-hand stories from students.

Featured speakers at the conference include award-winning TV personality Valerie Pringle and her daughter, Catherine, along with former federal finance minister Michael Wilson.

Dr. David Goldbloom, the chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, will also be a featured speaker at the event. The Mental Health Commission of Canada recently released Changing Directions, Changing Lives, a strategy for improving mental health in Canada.

The conference runs from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The conference is co-sponsored by Colleges Ontario, the Council of Ontario Universities, the College Student Alliance, and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

Featured sessions will take place in the ballroom on the convention floor. All sessions are open to the media.

For more information, visit www.focusonmentalhealth.ca.