International student support organisation Morneau Shepell and Michigan State University have launched a program to provide support services to 50,000 MSU students in more than 60 languages.
The new offering is an expansion of a support program for international students that Morneau Shepell and MSU launched in late 2017.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with MSU to complement the on-campus services it is providing”
The My SSP: Student Support Program complements MSU’s existing on-campus services and connects students with advisors or counsellors to develop coping strategies for any challenges they face pertaining to health, family life, relationships and living away from home.
The confidential support is available through instant 24/7 chat via the My SSP app, online, telephone and video.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with MSU to complement the on-campus services it is providing to all its students and the international student support program,” said Matthew McEvoy, senior director of student support at Morneau Shepell.
Students also have the option of connecting with advisors or counsellors in their preferred language and from their own culture, to ensure students are in contact with professionals who understand their unique needs.
Immediate services are currently available in six core languages via the app, chat and telephone services, while ongoing support can also be facilitated in more than 60 languages via telephone and video appointment.
Self-directed multilingual articles, videos and other resources are also available on the My SSP app.
University physician at MSU, Dave Weismantel, added that it is important for institutions to recognise that attending a university can be an exciting time, but also one of overwhelming change.
“As our student population continues to grow, diversify and face new mental health challenges, we will continue to make it our goal to supplement our existing services and provide our students with increasingly meaningful solutions that help their unique needs.”
Earlier in 2018, Morneau Shepell and LewerMark Student Insurance announced a partnership to extend a support program to nearly 20,000 international students.
Morneau Shepell was the winner of the Student Support Award at The PIEoneer Awards 2017 for its International Student Support Program in Canada. The PIEoneer 2018 finalists have been announced here
