Policy on Emotional Wellness, Mental Health and Resilience
1. Preamble
Kalinga University is committed to fostering a healthy, inclusive, and supportive campus environment that promotes the emotional well-being, mental health, and resilience of all students, faculty members, staff, and other stakeholders. The University recognizes that mental health is an integral component of overall well-being, academic success, professional productivity, and personal development.
University life often presents academic, social, emotional, financial, and professional challenges. Therefore, Kalinga University strives to create a culture that encourages help-seeking behavior, reduces stigma associated with mental health concerns, and ensures access to appropriate support systems. Through this policy, the University aims to nurture a resilient campus community where individuals can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.
2. Principles
The University shall be guided by the following principles:
2.1 Respect and Dignity
- Every individual shall be treated with empathy, respect, compassion, and dignity regardless of their emotional or mental health status.
2.2 Inclusiveness and Equity
- Mental health and wellness services shall be accessible and inclusive for all members of the University community without discrimination.
2.3 Prevention and Early Intervention
- The University shall prioritize awareness, prevention, early identification, and timely intervention for mental health concerns.
2.4 Confidentiality and Privacy
- Personal information related to mental health and counselling shall be handled with the highest standards of confidentiality and professional ethics.
2.5 Resilience and Positive Development
- The University shall promote coping skills, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience to help individuals manage stress and adversity effectively.
2.6 Shared Responsibility
- Mental health promotion is a collective responsibility involving students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents, and support services.
3. Objectives
The Policy aims to:
- Promote emotional wellness and positive mental health across the University community.
- Create awareness regarding mental health issues and reduce associated stigma.
- Foster a supportive, compassionate, and psychologically safe campus environment.
- Strengthen resilience, stress-management skills, and emotional intelligence among students and employees.
- Provide accessible counselling, guidance, and referral services.
- Facilitate early identification and support for individuals experiencing emotional or psychological distress.
- Encourage healthy lifestyles that contribute to mental and emotional well-being.
- Integrate mental health promotion into academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
- Develop crisis-response mechanisms for mental health emergencies.
- Promote a culture of mutual care, empathy, and community support.
4. Guidelines
4.1 Mental Health Awareness and Education
The University shall:
- Organize workshops, seminars, awareness campaigns, expert lectures, and wellness programs on mental health and emotional well-being.
- Observe relevant national and international awareness days related to mental health and wellness.
- Disseminate educational materials on stress management, self-care, emotional regulation, and resilience building.
4.2 Counselling and Psychological Support
- The University shall maintain a Student Counselling and Wellness Cell to provide professional counselling services.
- Faculty, staff, and students shall have access to guidance and support for emotional, academic, social, and personal challenges.
- Appropriate referrals to external mental health professionals or healthcare institutions may be facilitated whenever necessary.
4.3 Promoting Emotional Wellness
The University shall encourage:
- Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and relaxation practices.
- Physical fitness and recreational activities that contribute to emotional well-being.
- Healthy work-life and study-life balance.
- Positive peer interactions and supportive campus relationships.
4.4 Building Resilience
The University shall conduct programs on:
- Stress management
- Emotional intelligence
- Adaptability and coping strategies
- Leadership and confidence building
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills
4.5 Faculty and Staff Sensitization
- Faculty and staff shall be sensitized to identify signs of emotional distress among students and colleagues.
- Appropriate support and referral mechanisms shall be communicated regularly.
- Academic mentoring systems shall be strengthened to provide timely guidance and support.
4.6 Mental Health Crisis Management
- The University shall establish procedures for responding to mental health emergencies and situations involving severe distress.
- Immediate support, counselling, referral, and emergency intervention mechanisms shall be activated whenever required.
- Appropriate coordination with healthcare providers, families, and authorities shall be undertaken while respecting privacy and legal requirements.
4.7 Safe and Supportive Campus Environment
The University shall:
- Promote respectful communication and positive interpersonal relationships.
- Discourage bullying, ragging, harassment, discrimination, and any behavior detrimental to psychological well-being.
- Encourage a culture of empathy, kindness, and mutual support.
4.8 Student Engagement and Peer Support
- Peer support initiatives, wellness clubs, mentorship programs, and student-led awareness activities shall be encouraged.
- Students shall be empowered to contribute to a mentally healthy campus culture.
5. Mentor–Mentee Relationship
Under the Mentor–Mentee Framework of Kalinga University, students shall be assigned to designated faculty mentors who will serve as guides, facilitators, and support persons throughout their academic journey. The Mentor–Mentee relationship shall be founded on trust, mutual respect, empathy, confidentiality, and academic integrity, with the objective of promoting the holistic development, emotional well-being, mental health, resilience, and academic success of students.
Mentors shall regularly interact with their allotted mentees to monitor their academic progress, emotional wellness, behavioral concerns, and overall well-being. They shall provide guidance, encouragement, and psychosocial support, identify signs of stress, anxiety, emotional distress, or other mental health concerns at an early stage, and facilitate timely access to appropriate counselling, wellness, and support services available within or outside the University whenever necessary. Through continuous engagement and compassionate mentoring, the University seeks to create a supportive and psychologically safe environment that empowers students to develop resilience, maintain positive mental health, and achieve their full potential.
- Mentors shall foster a supportive, inclusive, and encouraging environment that promotes emotional wellness, personal growth, resilience, and academic success.
- Mentors shall demonstrate empathy, fairness, sensitivity, and non-judgmental behavior while interacting with mentees, particularly those facing emotional, psychological, academic, or personal challenges.
- Mentors shall maintain professional boundaries and uphold ethical standards while guiding, advising, and supporting mentees.
- Mentees shall communicate respectfully with mentors, actively participate in mentoring interactions, and seek guidance or support whenever required.
- Both mentors and mentees shall contribute to maintaining a psychologically safe, respectful, confidential, and inclusive mentoring environment.
- Mentors who identify signs of significant emotional distress, mental health concerns, or risk among mentees shall encourage timely help-seeking and refer the student to appropriate counselling, wellness, or support services available through the University.
- Mentors shall encourage resilience-building, stress-management practices, positive coping strategies, and healthy study–life balance among mentees.
- Mentoring interactions shall respect the privacy and confidentiality of mentees, except where disclosure is necessary to prevent harm or to comply with applicable University policies and legal requirements.
6. Health, Wellness and Support Infrastructure
6.1 Medical Room
- The University Medical Room serves as the first point of contact for addressing the immediate health and wellness needs of students, faculty, and staff.
- Equipped with basic medical facilities and first-aid provisions, it provides timely healthcare support and emergency assistance.
- The Medical Room plays an important role in promoting physical and mental well-being by facilitating early intervention, health consultations, referrals to specialized healthcare providers, and guidance on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, thereby contributing to a safe and supportive campus environment.
6.2 Sports and Wellness Center
- The Sports and Wellness Center promotes holistic health by encouraging physical fitness, emotional well-being, and stress management among students and employees.
- Through sports activities, fitness programs, yoga, meditation, recreational events, and wellness initiatives, the Center helps individuals develop resilience, self-confidence, teamwork, and healthy coping mechanisms.
- Regular participation in sports and wellness activities contributes significantly to reducing stress, enhancing mental health, improving overall quality of life, and fostering a positive and vibrant campus culture.
7. Monitoring and Review
- The University Wellness Committee, Student Counselling Cell, IQAC, and relevant authorities shall oversee the implementation of this Policy.
- Periodic assessments, surveys, and feedback mechanisms shall be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of wellness initiatives.
- Annual reports on mental health awareness programs, counselling services, and wellness activities shall be prepared.
- Emerging mental health needs and best practices shall be incorporated into institutional planning.
- The Policy shall be reviewed at least once every three years or earlier if required.
8. Accountability and Transparency
- All members of the University community shall share responsibility for promoting emotional wellness and mental health.
- University authorities shall ensure adequate resources and support systems for implementation of this Policy.
- Mental health services shall be delivered professionally, ethically, and confidentially.
- Grievances related to discrimination, stigma, harassment, or barriers to accessing support services shall be addressed through appropriate mechanisms.
- Information regarding counselling services, wellness initiatives, and support resources shall be made readily available to all stakeholders.
- The University shall maintain transparency in policy implementation while safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of individuals.
9. Approval and Implementation
This Policy on Emotional Wellness, Mental Health, and Resilience shall come into effect from the date of approval by the competent authority of Kalinga University and shall apply to all students, faculty members, staff, researchers, contractual personnel, and other stakeholders associated with the University.
