Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many questions are in the Tracker?
There are 88 questions. In a few cases, we’ve combined items in the Standard to reduce the overall length of the assessment.
This seems daunting. Do I have to do it all at once?
Not at all. The Tracker is a very flexible tool. You can start by doing just one dimension and build from there.
Does it matter which dimension I start with?
No. Each dimension is self-contained and you can start with whichever one makes the most sense in your institutional context.
Can I use the Tracker to store documents we referred to when deciding on the ratings?
No. The Tracker is not designed to be a repository. Any documents you refer to when deciding on ratings would already be stored locally with your institution. Storing these documents externally, such as on the Tracker website, would lead to duplicated documents which are liable to be outdated by the time you return to them. The open text fields are large, so there should be adequate space to describe the documents used and where they’re located, if you wish.
Can I know how our institution compares with others in the sector?
Not at this point. The ratings are meant to support self-assessment by a single institution’s stakeholders over time. It is not meant to be a ranking system. In the future, as more institutions use the Tracker, it will be possible for SRDC to report on how the sector is doing as a whole, but institutions will never be identified in this process.
What happens with all the information in the Tracker?
SRDC is responsible for storing and safeguarding all the assessments made using the Tracker and has put in place many security features to prevent unauthorized use, including data encryption, authentication systems, strong passwords; controlled access, and firewalls. Details about storage and security of information are described in the Data Sharing Agreement between SRDC and your institution. Assessment data are stored for three years, so institutions can easily access previous assessments and review their progress over time. This storage period can easily be extended with an amendment to the Data Sharing Agreement.
How does the scoring work?
See the Scoring/strong> tab at the top of the page for details.
How do I add collaborators to my account?
Once you are signed in, go to the left-hand panel and click on “My Collaborators.” From there, you should see a button to “Add New Member.”
How often should I conduct an assessment?
The answer is different for every institution. If you have new changes coming up, you might choose to do an assessment before and after the changes so you can track your progress. You might choose to do an assessment before a program evaluation so that you use reports from the Tracker to inform the evaluation. You know your institutional context best.
How do institutions commonly engage with students to gain their insight into campus mental health policies, programs, and practices?
There is no one right way to engage students in the assessment process – institutions use many different engagement strategies. We understand that while some have conducted interviews with student leaders or student groups, others have facilitated focus groups or used surveys to engage wider groups of students.
What do I do if I believe there has been a security breach?
If you suspect someone has tried to use your account or inappropriately accessed your data, you can go to www.mentalhealthtracker.ca and click the “Report a Problem” link at the very bottom of the page on the right-hand side, below the Contact Us page. You do not have to login. Once you’ve submitted your concerns, someone from SRDC will follow up with you to keep you informed of next steps and how the problem is being addressed.
Who at my institution should I be talking to or including in my assessment?
This will vary across institutions depending on size, structure, and resources. You know your institution best and which stakeholders might be most knowledgeable about different aspects related to the assessment. No one individual or service area is likely to have all the pieces of the puzzle. That said, some examples of those you could include in your assessment process are students, staff at student counselling services or on health promotion teams, accessibility and accommodations staff, housing personnel, faculty members, and members of the administration of your institution. All areas of postsecondary institutions have some connection to mental health and wellbeing, but whom you approach and at what point is up to you.
How and why should I save my assessments?
he Tracker has been designed to support self-assessment so institutions can see areas of success and opportunities for growth with respect to how their policies align with the Standard. For institutions to do this, it helps to compare the assessments conducted over time to see where progress has been made and how priorities might change. To save an assessment, you can go to the Group Assessment page and click the “Save Assessment” button at the bottom of the page. Accessing your saved assessments is as easy as going to the left-hand menu and clicking ‘Saved Assessments.’
What is the difference between an organizational representative (OR) account and a collaborator account?
An OR account has a higher level of access than a collaborator account. Individuals who have been designated as an OR by their institution can create collaborator accounts so other people can contribute to an assessment. ORs are also able to block and activate collaborator accounts. Collaborators do not have the technical permissions required to add or view other collaborator accounts. ORs also have the ability to see how collaborators responded to specific items, including stage of implementation and priority ratings. When collaborators view the report on the Group Assessment page, however, they will only see the frequently selected stage of implementation across all users.