Counselling and health services have moved to Bricker residence this summer to prepare for the renovation of the new wellness centre.
The renovation, which is scheduled to be completed around mid-August, will merge both counselling and health services into one wellness centre at Wilfrid Laurier University in the same space, accommodating both the physical and mental needs of students.
In the meantime, Karen Ostrander, director of the student wellness centre, explained the services made the move on May 9. Health and counselling services reopened again on May 13 at their new location on the ninth floor of Bricker residence.
To access the services at their new location in Bricker, students will now have to use their OneCard . They will also have to call either the health or counselling extensions for permission to go up.
“Over the summer, we are all coming together in an integrated wellness centre so we’ll be using the circle of care model. We’ll be keeping one record-keeping system for all, so we’re hoping it’ll really improve the student experience,” Ostrander said.
She explained this “circle of care” model is part of the merging process of the services into the new wellness centre.
According to Ostrander, Bricker will need their building back by Aug. 15, when the new centre is set to open. Regardless, contractors estimate the newly-renovated space for the centre should be open in time for the fall term.
During the summer, health services will only have one doctor working each day, as the number of students on campus drastically decreases during the spring and summer term.
Ostrander said there are still enough appointments and counsellors to help out students during the summer months. Hotel Laurier, which allows outside contractors such as sports teams and conferences to rent out rooms in residence, is usually run out of Bricker throughout the summer. While King Street residence is also rented through Hotel Laurier, Bricker is one of the more popular residences. Laurier conference services, as well as Laurier-related events are also held in Bricker.
“They’ve been very gracious about making sure that we have an alternate location. Our dean of students [Leanne Holland Brown] felt very strongly that we obviously need to continue on with the services because, even though we have a decrease, we do need to provide services to students over the summer,” said Ostrander.
She also believes the new renovations will help students with a multitude of illnesses, both physical and mental, and said there will be new services in the centre, such as a dietitian and a chiropractor.
Adrienne Luft, Laurier mental health and student support team leader, said renovations for the new wellness centre will take place in the health and counselling services offices in the student services centre.
“The space will be reconfigured so we are all together,” she said.