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Mindwaves 2.0 Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan 2024-2028

Student standing in front of trees and shurbs smiling at the camera with one hand in their front pocket
Read our Mindwaves 2.0 Plan 2024-2028Mindwaves Mental Health Strategy 2020-2022

Student and staff wellbeing

CQU is committed to developing and implementing a whole-of-university Plan that promotes student and staff mental health and wellbeing and provides a positive educational and workplace experience via a healthy, resilient, inclusive, compassionate and connected University community.

Mindwaves vision

Our vision is to actively support the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of the University’s students and staff, while also engaging with the broader community to advocate and promote an inclusive, resilient and supportive society.

Mindwaves Logo

Co-Production

Prioritising student and staff voice during the development of Mindwaves 2.0 has been vital to ensure we are creating a compassionate, inclusive, and accessible Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan for CQUniversity students and staff. 

Mindwaves 2.0, CQU’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan 2024-2028 has been developed through an active process of co-production which will continue throughout implementation.  We have gathered perspectives from a diverse cross-section of student and staff communities via staff and student surveys, consultation workshops and stakeholder consultation. The insights, ideas and contributions from students and staff, including Mindwaves Connectors, Student Representative Council, senior leadership, the Mindwaves Working group, Mindwaves Educator Consultation group, and CQU researchers have been invaluable.

 

I believe CQU can foster a healthy and productive academic environment that benefits everyone involved

~ CQU Student

Mindwaves 2.0 Framework

The Mindwaves 2.0 Framework consists of three pillars designed to strengthen university governance and leadership, cultivate healthy, safe environments for mental health and wellbeing, and promote early response and therapeutic services.

Mindwaves 2.0 aligns with the CQUniversity Strategic Plan 2024-2028 and integrates the public health model of health promotion. The Mindwaves pillars progress from systems-level and community-level practices through to targeted supports and individual intervention. This helps ensure the mental health and wellbeing needs of the CQU community are holistically addressed.

Mindwaves 2.0 activities will build upon the achievements of Mindwaves 2020-2022 to ensure a sustainable, coordinated and collaborative response to student and staff mental health and wellbeing needs.

Our Pillars

This pillar focuses on strengthening our systems to better support mental health and wellbeing.

Strategic objectives:

1.1 Policy
1.2 Governance
1.3 Leadership
1.4 Research and Innovation

This pillar focuses on promoting community knowledge, awareness and behaviours that are supportive of mental health and wellbeing.

Strategic objectives:

2.1 Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness
2.2 Safe, Supportive and Connected Environments
2.3 Valuing First Nations’ Communities and Contexts
2.4 Engaging Curricula

This pillar focuses on improving outcomes at an individual or priority population level, including the provision of appropriate and responsive supports.

Strategic objectives:

3.1 Early Identification and Response
3.2 Access to services

Implementation and Monitoring

This Plan will be implemented via a whole-of-university approach over the next five years. It provides overarching guidance to inform the development of annual planning in partnership with each Division and continuous co-production with students and staff. The University Executive and senior leadership have responsibilities in delivering the actions identified in the Plan and ensuring outcomes are achieved. All staff will be encouraged to incorporate Mindwaves objectives within annual goal setting to recognise that the mental health and wellbeing of staff and students is everyone’s priority. Students will be invited to contribute on an ongoing basis via the co-production process, opportunities for feedback, wellbeing checks and via student leadership roles.

Feedback

If you have any feedback regarding Mindwaves 2.0 Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan 2024-2028, we want to hear from you.

Available Support

Mindwaves Student Connectors

Mindwaves Connectors is a peer-to-peer student support program which empowers and equips students to provide wellbeing support and referrals to fellow students. Connectors are training in Mental Health First Aid and are supported by the Student Counselling, Wellbeing and Safer Communities team. As CQU’s student mental health advocates, Connectors help promote Mindwaves while also providing an opportunity for early intervention amongst our student community. 

To reach out to a Connector today, please visit the Student Wellbeing Hub.

Additional Resources

CQU Services

There are a range of existing services and initiatives provided by the University that promote student and staff mental health and wellbeing.

External Services

These External services can provide you with further information and services to support your mental health and wellbeing.

Message from the Chancellor

Chancellor, Graeme Innes standing on the Rockhampton campus smiling at the camera

Good mental health and wellbeing throughout our university is vital to the achievement of our goals. We cannot change lives without that foundation.

This second Mindwaves plan demonstrates the University commitment to ensuring the best possible mental health and wellbeing for students and staff.

I know how critical such a plan can be from the experiences in my family. Therefore, I and the University Council are dedicated to the success of this plan.

I am proud of the success of our first plan, and dedicated to the success of the second. 

~ Mr Graeme Innes AM

Find out more

Message from the Vice-Chancellor

In today's fast-paced, ever-evolving global landscape, the wellbeing of our CQUniversity community needs to be prioritised and valued.

Message from the Chief Wellbeing Officer

At CQU, we strive to meaningfully contribute to the lives of our students, our staff and the wider community.

Message from the Student Voice

As Mindwaves Connectors, we are proud to be student leaders advocating for mental health and wellbeing at CQUniversity.