The structural stigma at Saint Mary's University towards students who have Substance Use Disorders and permeant disabilities living at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale is a concern and an unnecessary barrier while trying to reach my academic goals.
Throughout my first two years at SMU, I requested academic accommodations from the Fred Smithers Centre several times. The campus denied my accommodation request due to not paying the 500$ fee to get the assessment updated and the 90$ fee to sign the paperwork. Due to this unnecessary barrier, my GPA suffered significantly due to insufficient accommodations to perform to my full potential. When I brought this barrier to the Fred Smithers Centres attention, (FSC) staff told me that I never contacted them to get accommodations even though I could provide evidence of several different communications requesting them and advocating for myself. I am now putting in extra time and work into my academic work so that I will be able to bring my GPA up enough to get into my Master's program.
I am currently in my third year, and throughout this time, I have had six deaths in my family and an enormous amount of trauma. I have reached out to the counselling centre and requested support, including counselling or group therapy. SMU refused to provide me with mental health services to help me overcome the grief and trauma. The reason behind their decision was that I have a Substance Use Disorder. Students who are currently going through many losses and traumas in their families should have their fundamental human right to support their mental health. When individuals are in recovery and experience losses and traumas, they are venerable. They deserve support to reach their full potential instead of complete denial of services they are paying for in their student fees.
I am alarmed that a post-secondary institution justifying participating in the structural stigma towards students with substance use disorders. I have been incredibly hardworking, consistent, reliable, and self-aware throughout my academic journey. The decision to participate in the structural stigma has caused challenges, barriers and anxiety that the resources could have easily prevented. Individuals living in poverty deserve their fundamental human right to have academic accommodations. It is an injustice that I have to work harder to increase my GPA due to being denied my human right to have accommodations for two years.
Individuals going through an enormous number of losses and trauma who have Substance Use disorders deserve the mental health resources they are paying for in their tuition. It is an injustice that it is accepted to completely deny students with Substance Use Disorders mental health treatment when they have a significant amount of grief and trauma that they are overcoming.
I have a spectacular ordained destiny and characteristics including consistency, kindness, hard work and honesty to benefit my academic success. I do not deserve the structural stigma towards mental health as a barrier to creating a beautiful life for myself. My human rights are not optional as well as everyone deserves equity and inclusion. I would appreciate it if the campus would be willing to educate the resources, staff and students about mental health discrimination, structural stigma, and microaggressions towards mental health to ensure that it is less likely to occur.
Sincerely,
Danielle McArthur