Roye felt the pressure to do well with her studies as an international student, but she didn't have a peer group here to lean on initially. She turned to the resources Humber Polytechnic provides, including First Year Experience and Black Student Support and Engagement, and they helped immensely.
"These resources became a lifeline for myself and for the students I mentored," said Roye.
Roye was speaking at a Mental Health Summit held at the end of November at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation. It brought together the Humber community and industry to discuss mental health and well-being.
The event was presented by the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) and Adriatica Safety Consulting. It was an opportunity to hear from leaders in mental health and the construction industry as well as Humber faculty and alumni.
Vaughan Woodbridge MPP Michael A. Tibollo, Ontario's associate minister of Mental Health and Addictions, kicked things off with his talk Community Based Continuum of Care for Mental Health and Addictions: Building a Community Based System of Care.
Tibollo said a community-based approach to the complex challenges of addiction and mental health ensures no one is left behind. He added that ensuring support is accessible at all stages of a person's journey is essential and these services must be embedded where people live and work.
"Addressing addiction and mental health is not just about services or strategies - it's about creating a compassionate and inclusive society where every person feels valued, supported and empowered to thrive and get well," said Tibollo.
"The continuum of care embodies a holistic understanding of health where no phase of a person's journey is overlooked and every effort is made to provide them with the tools and resources needed to thrive," he added.
Enzo Garritano with the IHSA gave the Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing as an Employer: An Industry Perspective talk. He said mental health is not something spoken about a great deal in his industry and shared some somber statistics.
He said that 83 per cent of construction workers in the province reported moderate to severe mental health issues and about 35 per cent of Ontario tradespeople reported using alcohol or drugs to cope with the stress from work conditions. About 33 per cent of Ontario construction workers who reported mental health struggles experienced job performance issues.
"I believe the stigma around mental health prevents people from accessing help and I hope having conversations such as this will help change that," said Garritano.
His organization offers employer strategies, resources, training, mental health safety talks and more.
Humber faculty Adriana Mema spoke about the barriers she faced entering the construction industry as a woman. She said women who work in male-dominated fields often feel isolated and they are often expected to prove themselves in ways their male peers aren't, leading to anxiety, frustration and burnout.
She started her own business to create opportunities in the sector that she was long denied. Her advice for the industry: remove barriers to empower women, build mentorship programs to encourage collaboration, and prioritize inclusion.
"Together we can change the construction industry's culture to one that values everyone's opinion," said Mema.
Mema's daughter Iva, who's a Humber grad with CORE Architects, told the audience that women in STEM are one-and-a-half times more likely to experience anxiety and depression due to workplace stress while only 38 per cent of women in engineering feel comfortable discussing their mental health with colleagues.
"Mental health challenges are driving talented women out of STEM, resulting in a loss of diverse perspectives, innovative ideas and future leaders," she said.
She called for more mental health training, accessible support services, policy changes and leadership modelling to help address the issue.
Those looking for more information about Humber resources can access the Student Wellness and Accessibilty website.
