A new Provost’s Advisory Committee on Mental Health (PACMH) has been established by Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Alan Harrison to coordinate the implementation of mental health initiatives across campus.

The advisory committee, which will be chaired by Deputy Provost Laeeque Daneshmend, will play a lead role in evaluating mental health priorities at Queen’s, assessing budgetary and organizational impacts of new initiatives, and identifying opportunities for collaboration within and outside of the university. The PACMH will also work to streamline relevant policies and will report annually on the university’s progress.

“The Principal’s Commission on Mental Health set out valuable recommendations as part of a framework for increasing awareness and improving services around mental health,” said Deputy Provost Daneshmend. “The new advisory committee will ensure the university continues to move forward in its many initiatives that support the well-being of our students.”

The PACMH will build upon the work of the Principal’s Commission on Mental Health (PCMH), which was established in September 2011 to assist the university in its ongoing efforts to be a proactive and responsive community. The commission released its final report in November 2012, which included 116 recommendations to actively improve mental health awareness and to strengthen support services on campus.

The complete terms of reference and membership of the PACMH can be found on the provost’s website.