Mental Health in Alberta Schools Study Notes

WORKING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH IN ALBERTA SCHOOLS

Acknowledgments

  • Appreciation is extended to various organizations and authorities that contributed expertise in creating this resource, indicated as follows:

    • Calgary Board of Education

    • Calgary Catholic School District

    • Edmonton Catholic Schools

    • Edmonton Public Schools

    • Alberta Children's Services

    • Alberta Health

    • Alberta Health Services

    • Alberta Justice and Solicitor General

    • Alberta Mentoring Partnership

    • Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia

    • Canadian Mental Health Association - Alberta Division

    • Palix Foundation

  • Special acknowledgment to the Calgary Regional Consortium for leadership in developing the planning and implementation tool, “Key Conditions for Supporting Mental Health in Schools.”

  • Recognition of the contributions from Alberta Teachers' Association and collaborators of A Guide to Support Implementation: Essential Conditions (2010) and School Mental Health ASSIST (Ontario).

  • Gratitude extends to all who provided feedback and to those working towards promoting student mental health and creating supportive learning environments across Alberta.

ISBN and Copyright Information

  • ISBN: 978-1-4601-3299-9 (PDF)

  • Copyright © 2017, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education.

  • The document is reproduced for educational purposes and on a non-profit basis; any unacknowledged cases are to be reported to Alberta Education for correction.

Contents

  • Introduction

  • Goals of this resource

  • Inclusive education and mental health

  • Welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environments

  • First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education and mental health

  • Developing a shared language

  • Reducing stigma around mental health

  • Using respectful and positive language

  • Understanding mental health and brain development

  • Moving toward a strength-based approach

  • Building resiliency

  • Enhancing social-emotional learning

  • Supporting recovery

  • Implementing a whole-school approach

  • Designing a continuum of supports

  • Universal supports for all students

  • Targeted supports and interventions for some students

  • Specialized supports for a small number of students

  • Identifying key roles for all partners

  • Role of Government of Alberta

  • Alberta Education

  • Alberta Children’s Services

  • Alberta Community and Social Services

  • Alberta Health

  • Alberta Health Services

  • Alberta Justice and Solicitor General

  • Research and Post-Secondary Institutes

  • Community partners and service providers

  • School and school authority leaders

  • Classroom teachers

  • Collective impact and collaborative practices

  • Parents/Guardians/Families

  • Websites list

  • Key Conditions for Supporting Mental Health in Schools: A planning and implementation tool

Introduction

  • Importance of Mental Health: Current research highlights the crucial role of mental health in the learning process, students’ social, and emotional development. Students with positive mental health are described as resilient and capable of achieving academic success while building healthy relationships.

  • Schools’ Role: Schools are pivotal in fostering an environment that nurtures positive mental health and well-being among students. Various ongoing initiatives in Alberta, including inclusive education practices, high school redesign, and mental health capacity building, support student mental health and well-being.

    • Inclusive education includes creating welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environments.

    • Other initiatives underscore the significance of mental health in relation to educational achievement.

Goals of this resource

  • The resource invites schools and stakeholders to reflect on practices and leverage existing initiatives for more effective integration of mental health promotion into school governance.

  • Key objectives include:

    • Developing a shared language among partners to facilitate discussions and planning.

    • Understanding the nexus between brain development and mental health.

    • Transitioning to a strength-based approach emphasizing resiliency, social-emotional learning, and recovery.

    • Implementing a whole-school strategy supporting mental health in a systematic manner.

    • Designing a continuum of services addressing diverse mental health needs.

    • Identifying essential roles of various partners in promoting mental health in educational contexts.

  • The resource includes tools for planning and executing mental health strategies in schools, based on collaborative practices and implementation science.

Inclusive education and mental health

  • The Ministerial Order on Student Learning emphasizes that education aims to inspire success and fulfillment for all students. This principle reinforces the commitment to an inclusive education system.

  • Inclusive Education Policy: All learners deserve equitable treatment. The policy ensures students access meaningful learning experiences and necessary supports for success.

  • Determinants of Mental Health: Inclusive education addresses significant determinants of mental health:

    • Social inclusion

    • Freedom from discrimination and violence

    • Access to resources

  • It also acknowledges and aims to bridge gaps in student performances due to factors such as poverty and marginalization.

  • Establishing welcoming education environments benefits all students by reducing barriers and fostering diversity.

Welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environments

  • Importance of supportive learning environments as part of the School Act.

  • Key elements of effective learning environments that promote mental health:

    • Fostering healthy relationships among peers and between staff and students.

    • Encouraging collaboration between school personnel and community partners to support well-being.

    • Making clear and consistent academic and behavioral expectations.

    • Incorporating promotions regarding mental health within daily activities.

    • Providing appropriate support strategies for students impacted by inappropriate behavior.

    • Ensuring academic integrity with respect to consequences received by students demonstrating unacceptable behavior.

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education and mental health

  • Acknowledgment of complex challenges faced by Indigenous communities in Alberta, significantly impacting their mental health.

    • Issues including historical trauma and socio-economic disparities leading to high rates of suicide and marginalization.

    • The urgency for tailored mental health support, especially for Indigenous students, supported with unique educational ecosystems that respect cultural identity.

  • Emphasis on collaboration with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities as a crucial approach in mental health strategies.

Developing a shared language

  • Clarification of terminology in mental health discourse:

    • Mental Health: Defined by the WHO as a well-being state in which individuals can realize their potential, cope with life stresses, and contribute to community.

      • Public Health Agency of Canada defines mental health similarly, emphasizing effective coping within the challenges faced.

    • Mental Illness: Refers to alterations affecting thoughts, emotions, or behavior resulting in significant distress and impaired functioning.

    • The resource highlights the need for common language to build understanding between stakeholders.

    • Difficulties in mental health can occur without fulfilling diagnostic criteria for formal mental illnesses.

  • Critical insights into reducing stigma by elucidating the distinction between mental health and mental illness, reinforcing the idea that positive mental health is possible even among those diagnosed with mental illnesses through supportive networks and interventions.

Reducing stigma around mental health

  • Emphasis on the importance of combating stigma attached to mental health crises to facilitate healthier environments for affected individuals.

  • Negative stereotypes may create barriers to care and discourage individuals from seeking necessary treatments.

  • Strategies for reducing stigma include:

    • Education aimed at dispelling myths

    • Promoting understanding of mental health and mental illness

    • Fostering empathy and recognition of personal attributes beyond mental health conditions

Using respectful and positive language

  • Emphasizing the power of language in shaping perceptions about mental health.

  • Importance of using “people-first language” that acknowledges individual identities beyond their mental health issues.

  • Advocates for avoiding language that could reinforce stereotypes or evoke pity.

Understanding mental health and brain development

  • Insight into how early experiences influence brain health and function.

  • Importance of nurturing relationships in fostering healthy brain development is highlighted.

  • Evidence from neuroscience indicates that positive experiences promote brain growth, while negative interactions hinder development.

  • Discussion of adverse childhood experiences causing long-term mental health risks.

Moving toward a strength-based approach

  • A strength-based approach focuses on harnessing existing capabilities and resources of individuals rather than merely addressing problems.

  • Enhancements in student resiliency can support facing adversities effectively. Resilience equates to positively adapting to stressors.

Building resiliency

  • Individuals exhibiting resiliency develop effective coping strategies and interpersonal skills. Resilience is vital for academic success; it can be fostered through positive reinforcement and supportive networks.

Enhancing social-emotional learning

  • Social-emotional learning refers to developing skills necessary for managing emotions, building healthy relationships, and making responsible decisions.

  • Schools may embed social-emotional skill development within curricula, contributing to healthier classroom dynamics and mitigating negative experiences.

Supporting recovery

  • Recovery denotes the pursuits of individuals towards leading fulfilling lives despite mental health challenges. The recovery-oriented approach is founded on mutual support and recognition of individual experiences and strengths.

Implementing a whole-school approach

  • The whole-school approach delineates a framework where collective efforts are aligned towards fostering positive mental health amid the academic environment. It underscores the necessity for cohesive strategies rather than isolated interventions.