A PhD student says when she tried to access counselling services at York she met a wall of bureaucracy and a policy stating the services might not apply to her situation.
Mandi Gray, who said she was sexually assaulted in January, and who has issued a human rights complaint to the university, tried to access counselling services after her time at the women’s hospital.
“Counselling and Disability Services pulled out the policy, stating they don’t necessarily offer services to people in the legal system,” says Gray. “Then they didn’t know if they wanted to see me there, or the kind of services they could provide me.”
It was a very internalistic approach to counselling, she adds.
“They told me ‘we just don’t know if you will feel safe here’ and that it wouldn’t be right for me.”
Gray said she was asked to attend one meeting after another until the idea of accessing counselling services became not worth the ordeal.
“I was too much trouble and they didn’t want to be subpoenaed to testify in court because that would be too much work,” she says.
Gray, who has advocated for women through the Elizabeth Fry Society, thinks CDS needs to amend their policy because it created too many barriers for her to access support.
“They wanted me to have a meeting with the executive director and a couple therapists, and I felt very intimidated. I was getting called to meet these experts to discuss my case.”
This is a common issue for organizations to discriminate against people who have come into contact with the legal system, she adds.
[su_quote]“When York says they offer counselling services to ‘all’ students, it is not factually true. As a survivor who reported, I can access a one-time counselling session with an emergency counsellor but am not eligible for ongoing counselling.”[/su_quote]
Polly MacFarlane, director of personal counselling and learning skills services for CDS, explains, in light of client confidentiality considerations, they are unable to comment on any specific student or client situation.
“In addition,” says MacFarlane, “Ms. Gray has started a proceeding against York at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, so we are not in a position to provide a response to Excalibur on specific allegations made by Mandi Gray about her experience with Personal Counselling Services within CDS.”
Instead, CDS provided a description of general procedure regarding requests for service.
After potential clients meet with an intake counsellor, the offer of further services through personal counselling services depends on a number of variables.
“We do not provide all types of counselling services,” says MacFarlane.
[su_quote]“If a student’s concerns are beyond the capacity of this office to effectively treat, they may be denied service and be referred to another counselling service.”[/su_quote]
Ryan Moore, News Editor
Featured image courtesy of Michael Zusev, Photo Editor
