This past summer a group of post-secondary students in Toronto partnered with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, OCAD University, and ConnexOntario to design an online map of mental health resources for students in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The result of their hard work is called, “Thought Spot,” and you can find it at mythoughtspot.ca!
Thought Spot gives post-secondary students easy access to information about resources around the GTA that contribute to mental wellness. Rather than focusing just on traditional mental health care services, Thought Spot embraces any and all resources that help improve students’ mental health. You’ll find everything from counselling services to cafés, legal clinics, shelters, and yoga studios on Thought Spot! To be featured on the map, resources — or “Thought Spots” — must meet three criteria: 1. It must have a physical location in the GTA (i.e., the service cannot be delivered solely online or by phone); 2. It must not require a referral from a physician or agency; and 3. It must be accessible by post-secondary students, including mature students, international or visiting students and part-time students.
Even though the design work is done, there are still many ways for students to get involved in Thought Spot. Because we understand that students themselves are the experts about the mental health needs of students, we are hosting Crowdsourcing Workshops throughout October to give students the opportunity to add their own Thought Spots to the map. Hosted by our student volunteers, these 90-minute workshops teach students about Thought Spot and give them a chance to help others by contributing their knowledge of mental health-promoting resources in the GTA. For those students who want to learn more about what resources are available in their neighbourhoods, we have created DIY Walking Workshops in which students can learn how to use Thought Spot and connect the map resources to their physical locations. The facilitator guide for this workshop is now available for download on our website so that student leaders can host a DIY Walking Workshop on their own! In November we will be hosting a Hack for Mental Health where students can compete to design mobile solutions for Thought Spot. One team’s prototype will then become the official Thought Spot app!
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