Health and Safety
VanArts is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace and learning environment for its employees, students and visitors. We are committed to preventing occupational illness and injury in the school and continually improving health and safety practices. If you see something that does not align with the health and safety of students and/or instructors please email your concern(s) to studentservices@vanarts.com. All concerns will be reviewed and responded to within five business days. If a situation is urgent please address it directly with Student Services or an Administrative staff member so that it is addressed immediately.
Please let us know if you have medical conditions that we should know about in the event of emergencies.
If persons are missing for more than three days (no contact with the school) then a designated staff person, faculty member or student will take all reasonable measures to find out where they are.
COVID-19
Following WorkSafeBC’s guidelines on planning for COVID-19 preparedness, and in accordance with the BC Restart Plan and Go-Forward Guidelines, a review has been conducted of risks of exposure or transmission at the school. We have developed and implemented protective measures and policies to mitigate those risks.
We’ve also developed a robust case management and outbreak response plan that is initiated in the event any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 is reported within the VanArts community.
For international students travelling to Canada, any family accompanying them, or anyone returning to Canada from abroad, it is required they quarantine/self-isolate for 14 days immediately upon arrival to Canada in order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This requirement is enforceable by emergency orders under the Quarantine Act.
Medical Insurance Requirement
BC Medical Insurance is required by law for all students, international as well as Canadian, through the Medical Services Plan of B.C. Students from outside British Columbia and international students should apply for B.C. Medical insurance once arriving and establishing an address in BC. Forms are available in the Student Services office on the 6th floor and Medical Services Plan website. Coverage starts three months after the month in which you apply so International students on visas should apply upon arrival and establishing a BC address. During the waiting period, your former insurance policy may cover you or you can arrange for private insurance through any broker for your first three months in BC.
Counseling
VanArts does not have a qualified counselor on staff to help students with personal issues. However, Administration and/or Student Services can provide information on where to contact professional counselors and therapists who are qualified for such a service. The closest resources are listed below.
Do not hesitate to speak to your program’s department head or Student Services if you are going through a tough situation and would like to speak to a counselor. Any issues relating to mental health or personal obstacles that hinder your work will remain confidential.
Contacts:
HERE2TALK, A FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Our provincial government has just launched a free mental health counselling and referral service called Here2Talk for all post-secondary students. The service offers confidential, free single-session services by app, phone or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
There are 555,000 post-secondary students in B.C. who face pressure and anxiety differently from one another. With school workload, juggling a part-time job, distancing from family and friends, and now with the coronavirus quarantine, students need to watch how stressors in their lives can affect their mental health.
If you feel overwhelmed, upset or need someone to talk with, trained counsellors can speak with you on the Here2Talk service. Someone will be ready to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
– You can download the app here
– Visit the website: here2talk.ca
– Call toll free at 1 877 857-3397 or direct at 604 642-5212
Crisis Centre BC
24/7 Distress Phone Services. The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC (Crisis Centre) is a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to helping people help themselves and others deal with crisis.
Greater Vancouver: 604-872-3311
Toll Free: 1-866-661-3311
1-800-SUICIDE: 1-800-784-2433
Stein Medical Walk-In Clinics
887 Dunsmuir St at Hornby, Vancouver BC V6E 1N2 M-F 9-5 Sat 9:30-2
500 Burrard St- Bentall 5 Lobby, Vancouver BC V6E 1N2 M-F 8-5:30
Care Point Medical Centres – WalkIn Clinics
1123 Davie St., Vancouver BC V6E 1N2 (604) 915-9517
1175 Denman St., Vancouver BC V6G 2N1 (604) 681-5338
1861 W. Broadway, Vancouver BC V6J 1Y5 (604) 678-0598
St. Paul’s Hospital
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
604-682-2344
Vancouver General Hospital
855 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1N1, Canada
604-875-4111
BC Mental Health Services
1555 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
604-687-7994
S.A.F.E.R. (Suicide Attempt Follow-up, Education and Research)
300-2425 Quebec Street
Vancouver, BC V5T 4L6
604-879-9251
* this service is available to anyone and no medical insurance is required
Qmunity LGBTQ Community Centre
1170 Bute Street, Vancouver BC V6E 1N4
604-684-5307
Offers free counseling for LGBTQ youth and adults
Living Through Loss Counseling Society
#206-1651 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC V5L 3Y2
604-873-5013
Offers counseling for grief at lower rates
Mood Disorders Association of BC
www.mdabc.net
200 – 460 Nanaimo Street
Vancouver, BC V5L 4W3
604-873-0103
Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW)
www.wavaw.ca
PO Box 29084
1535 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
V6J 5C2
By Phone:
WAVAW Office, Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm: 604 255 6228
24 Hour Crisis Line 604-255-6344
Toll-Free 1-877-392-7583
Vancouver Coastal Health
Locations for Community Mental Health Clinics:
http://www.vch.ca/locations-services
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, please notify a staff member or call 911 on the student phone located on the 6th floor next to the lunchroom. Report the incident and give the authorities our campus address: 6th floor – 570 Dunsmuir Street in Vancouver.
If there is a problem with the computer network or internet, contact the VanArts IT Department by e-mail at: it@vanarts.com, or phone: 604-682-2787 ext. 111.
Periodic fire drills may occur. Please assume all fire alarms are real. In the event of fire alarm please look for fire team members in reflective vests, exit the school via the stairwells, and gather in the grassy area behind the school. If you have questions about what to do in the case of an emergency please see student services.
If you are aware of any dangers that exist in the building generally or within our operating areas then please let us know immediately.
Operating Hours
The school’s business hours are from 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Classes are typically held from 9:00am to 12:00pm, 1:00 pm to 4:00pm, or 6:00 pm to 9:00pm weekdays. Check your schedule for specific class times.
Evening and Weekend Access
The school labs are open to students and staff by keycard access from 7:30am until midnight, and closed on statutory holidays. Before 9:00am and after 4pm on weekdays (and all day on weekends) you will need your keycard to gain access through the front door of the building and to use the elevator. You will also need your keycard to gain access to the 8th floor at all times. A security guard from Concord security will be walking the floors before midnight to remind students of the closing time; they will then escort out any remaining students and ensure all floors have been secured.
The deposit to get a keycard is $50, paid as additional school fees. If you lose your keycard you will have to pay $50 for a replacement. We do not lend out spare keycards, so please do not leave them at home. These cards are for your personal use only and must not be loaned or given to others.
VanArts is proud of the high standard of work ethic established by our students in past classes. Our diploma programs are very intensive, and when a student devotes extra hours to their education, we expect that effort to be respected by other students. Please respect the hard work and dedication of students who elect to work late and do not act in a way that disrupts their concentration on their studies.
Security
During business hours the front door is unlocked. This is also the case with all floors except the 8th floor. Personal possessions as well as equipment have been stolen in broad daylight during business hours because security provisions were not followed. Please be sure that your personal belongings are never left unattended. VanArts is not responsible for the loss of any personal items. Do not let strangers into the classroom areas. If this should occur and a teacher or administrator is not available kindly ask the stranger to leave and report the incident to Administration immediately. Wear your student ID badge at all times. This will help us all to identify someone who is not a student or staff member.
Visitors
No visitors are permitted during class hours and are never permitted to use school equipment. You are paying to use this equipment and they are not. Please have guests check in at reception. We also ask that there be no guests brought in after regular hours unless permission has been granted in advance. So if you expect a visitor, speak to Administration well in advance to make arrangements.