Upper Grand District School Board
Mental Health and Addiction Strategy
Overview Statement
The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to promoting positive mental health for all students. Student mental health is identified as
a Board priority within the Community, Culture and Caring pillar of the Board Improvement Plan. The intention of the Mental Health and
Addiction Strategy is to articulate an action plan that will meet the mental health needs of all students. It is a working document that will be
continually refined based on the Board’s understanding of student mental health needs.
According to the World Health Organization, “Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental wellbeing component included in the WHO's definition of health: ‘A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease’. It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of
people affected by mental disorders.” [http://www.who.int/topics/mental_health/en/]
Key Messages
Promote Mental Well Being by:
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Increasing awareness and understanding
Accessing resources to enhance student learning
Sharing responsibility with community partners for prevention and intervention
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Mental Health Strategy Pillars
Mission
The Mental Health Strategy will guide the Upper Grand District School Board to increase system awareness of mental health needs, supports and
services by building capacity among students, staff and parents to promote positive student mental health and collaborating with community
partners to provide coordinated timely support for students and their families.
Vision
The Upper Grand District School Board will provide a comprehensive mental health and addiction strategy for all students that promotes positive
mental health, creates a culture of caring and empathy regarding mental health and addictions, and enables all stakeholders to collaborate with
community partners in a coordinated, responsive and effective manner.
Values/Commitments
Students need support and guidance from caring adults in their families, at schools and in their communities. These include ongoing secure
relationships with parents as well as formal and informal relationships with teachers, mentors, coaches, peers, youth volunteers and community
members. Ensuring positive student mental health is a shared responsibility of students, parents, community partners and all staff. The Upper
Grand District School Board will de-stigmatize mental health and promote a culture of support and caring regarding student mental health. We
respect and value our diverse communities and seek to understand and support their unique needs. Collaboration is the key to our work; as we
develop and implement our mental health strategy, we will involve all stakeholders and communicate clearly our collaborative action plan.
Areas of Priority for the Strategy
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To actively promote mental health awareness and decrease stigma across our system
To promote a broad understanding of suicide prevention, intervention and postvention
To develop a deeper understanding of what mental health and well being means
Continue to promote/deepen our collaborative working relationships within our board and with community partners
Increase our systems’ responsiveness to mental health needs
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2014-2016 Action Plan
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Needed Resources
Timeline
Responsibility
Organizational Conditions
Clear and focused Vision
With Key Messages
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Continue to promote
Vision and Key
Messages with all
Activities
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State of the System
Access to system
meetings
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Ongoing
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Superintendent of
Programs, Mental
Health Lead and
Steering Committee
Ongoing Commitment of
Senior Level Team to
Strategy
•
Meeting with senior
management, align
mental health strategy
with Board
Improvement Plan for
Student Achievement
(BIPSA), Healthy
Schools, Safe,
Equitable, Inclusive
Schools (SEISS) and
other key strategies in
the board
Review the updated
document, share with
stakeholders/refine/
seek joint ownership
Develop a summary of
the strategy
•
Access to senior
management,
director,
Superintendents
Mental Health Lead
sits on SEISS and
Healthy Schools
Committees
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Ongoing
•
Superintendent,
Mental Health Lead
Access to system
meetings
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Fall/Winter
2014-2015
•
Mental Health
Leader,
Superintendent and
Steering Committee
Mental Health and
Addiction Strategy/Action
Plan
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3
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Standard Processes
Key Activities
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Development and
implementation of
protocols and other
board documents to
develop systematic
processes for board
Needed Resources
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Shared language to be built
by key vision and
communication strategy
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Collaborate with
curriculum and
community partners
to develop a shared
language
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Implementation of
Suicide Prevention,
Intervention and
Postvention Protocol
Prioritize
development of other
standard processes in
board related to
Mental Health
Re-entry Plan for
students who have
been absent for
mental health reasons
Connect with
curriculum leaders
and community
partners
Ensuring School
Success, Growing
Great Generations,
Dufferin Coalition for
Kids, Suicide
Awareness Council,
Guelph Enterprise
Situation Table
Service Collaboratives
– Transition to
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Timeline
•
Fall/Winter 2014
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Ongoing
•
Fall /Winter
2014
Ongoing
•
Responsibility
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Mental Health
Leader,
Superintendent and
Steering Committee,
Chief Psychologist,
Community
Collaborations Lead
•
Mental Health
Leader,
Superintendent and
Steering Committee
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
PD Plans
Key Activities
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Ongoing Quality
Improvement
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Needed Resources
Mental health
committee to develop
a list of Mental Health
PD available to staff
ASIST and safeTALK
trainings
Ongoing
dissemination of
Supporting Minds, the
Administrator’s Guide,
and Stepping Stones
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Collaborate with
School Mental Health
ASSIST, Centre for
Excellence in Child
and Youth Mental
Health
Work with Growing
Great Generations
data coordinator
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Independence
Process
School Mental Health
(SMH) ASSIST
resources, Ministry
funded resources
Webinars from SMH
Assist into PD for staff
safeTALK and ASIST in
board trainers
Non-Suicidal Self
Injury (NSSI)
webinars from the
University of Guelph
SMH ASSIST and
Centre for Excellence
Resources
GWD Youth Survey
School Climate
Surveys
Bullying data
Taking Stock
Guelph Wellington
Dufferin Report Card
Coalition
School Improvement
Plans
Compass for Success
Assessment of
Organizational
Conditions completed
by schools
5
Timeline
Responsibility
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Ongoing
•
Mental Health
Leader and Steering
Committee
•
Ongoing
•
Mental Health
Leader and Steering
Committee
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Needed Resources
Timeline
Responsibility
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Promotion Tier 1
Needed Resources
Timeline
Responsibility
Student Mental Well
Being – Coordinated
planning and initiatives
with Healthy Schools and
Safe, Equitable, Inclusive
Schools
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Outreach to students
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Identify common
themes and actions
between all well being
initiatives
Examine the
possibility of a
collaborative
coordinated plan
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Student members of
the MH Steering
Committee
Work with youth
action committees of
Canadian Mental
Health Association –
Waterloo, Wellington
Dufferin (CMHAWWD) and Dufferin
Child and Family
Services (DCAFS)
Collaboration with
Youth Talk
Collaboration with
student senate
Child and Youth
Mental Health Week
Review Children’s
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Continued
membership on all
committees by MH
Lead
Coordination with
Safe, Equitable,
Inclusive Schools,
Health Schools,
Student Success and
Mental Health Lead
MH lead meet with
Give Light Offers
Worth and Wellness
(GLOWW) and Shed
the Light
Work with CMHAWWD and Youth Talk
coordinator
MH Lead attend
student senate
meetings several
times during the year
Plan for Child and
Youth Mental Health
Week with Mental
Health Steering
Committee with a
theme that is
integrated into the
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Ongoing
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Mental Health Lead,
Superintendent
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Ongoing
Child and Youth
Mental Health
Week: first week
of May
•
Mental Health Lead,
MH Steering
Committee, MH
subcommittee
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
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Mental Health Ontario
Youth Action
Committee
recommendations
Meet with student
groups to support
students in their
efforts to decrease
stigma and build
supports within the
schools
Student advocacy
through student
councils at school
including finding out
what the level of
understanding of
supports available and
building student
awareness and
determine how to
disseminate
Students reaching out
to students
Needed Resources
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yearlong Mental
Health and Well Being
school plans
RISE conference
Rainbow Coalition
Conference
Student Senate
Conference and/or
initiatives
Using Facebook and
Twitter to share
information
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Timeline
Responsibility
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Outreach to parents
Key Activities
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Ongoing collaborative
work with community
partners to build Mental
Health/ Addiction and
Well being awareness
MH Connections in each
school
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Needed Resources
Parent members on
MH Steering
Committee and MH
Subcommittee
MH letter to School
Newsletters
Parent Involvement
Committee
collaboration
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MH Subcommittee
building a bank on
resources for Mental
Well Being Promotion
Collaborate with
community partners
for Mental Well being
capacity building
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Develop a plan to
support MH
Connections in each
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Timeline
Meetings with Parent
Involvement
Committee
Access to school
newsletters
Mental Health
Resources on the
UGDSB website
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Responsibility
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Monthly
newsletters
Ongoing
Mental Health
Lead, MH Steering
Committee
Work school board
initiatives and staff to
support ongoing MH
well being programs,
initiatives and
presentations
Work with CMHAWWD, DCAFS, CADS,
Public Health, Family
Transition Place,
Guelph Wellington
Drug Strategy and
other community
partners to deliver
Mental Health and
Well being programs
to the school board
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Ongoing
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Mental Health Lead,
MH Steering
Committee,
Community Table
(Ensuring School
Success (ESS)), MH
Subcommittee
Superintendents
support of MH
Connections
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Fall/Winter
2014-2015
•
MH Lead, MH
Steering Committee,
MH Subcommittee
8
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Mental Well
Being/Mental Health
incorporated in School
Improvement Plans
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Social Emotional Well
Being programming for
students
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Mental Well Being, MH
and Addictions
Connections with
curriculum
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Needed Resources
school
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Overview of current
SIPs
Develop a list of items
to include in School
Improvement Plans
(SIPs) related to
Mental Health
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Tools for Life and
Reaching In, Reaching
Out (RIRO)
List of Mental Well
Being resources for
schools
Meet with curriculum
to examine current
resources
Work with board staff
and community
partners to enhance
curriculum
MH Subcommittee
bank of resources
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Coordinated planning
with other board
initiatives
Superintendents
support of MH
incorporation into
SIPs
Family of Schools
(FOS) meetings to
disseminate
information and
encourage Mental
Health in SIPs and
connect which
current goals are
related to mental
health and well being
Ongoing Tools for Life
and RIRO training in
schools
Curriculum meetings
Profession Student
Support Personnel
meetings
ESS meetings and
Growing Great
Generations meetings
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Timeline
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Spring 2015
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Fall 2014
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Responsibility
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Superintendent, MH
Lead, MH Steering
Committee, MH
Subcommittee
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Fall /Winter
2014-2015
Ongoing
MH Lead, MH
Steering Committee,
•
Ongoing
•
MH Lead, MH
Steering committee,
Superintendent, MH
Subcommittee
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Needed Resources
Timeline
Responsibility
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Build capacity with Psych
Consultants, Social
Workers, Child and Youth
Counsellors
Key Activities
Prevention Tier 2
Needed Resources
Timeline
Responsibility
Increase awareness and
literacy for Administrators
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Regular presentations
at Program
Committee
Regular presentations
at department
meetings
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MH Strategy
Nonsuicidal self injury
presentations
PD Support
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Ongoing
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Mental Health Lead
and Chief
Psychologist
Regular presentations
at FOS meetings
Administrators will
develop goals for
school based on the
form filled out and tie
to school
improvement plan
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MH Strategy
Administrator guide
from SMH Assist,
Supporting Minds
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Ongoing
•
Mental Health Lead
and Steering
Committee
Superintendent, MH
Lead, ASIST
Trainers, safeTALK
trainers, Chief
Psychologist
MH Lead, MH
steering Committee,
PLT and PLC
members
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Suicide prevention
capacity building
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ASIST Training
safeTALK Training
Suicide Protocol Roll
out and In-services
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Access to FOS
PD Place
Suicide Awareness
Council
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Ongoing
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Educator capacity
building with Supporting
Minds
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Learning Fair
PLTs and PLCs on
Mental Health
Modules on MH for
staff meetings and
staff PD
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Modules for SMH
Assist on the
supporting minds
chapters
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ongoing
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10
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Collaborative work with
community partners to
ensure effective and
efficient supports for
students
Key Activities
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Working with Student
Success, Guidance,
SW, Psych, CYC to
identify and support
at risk students and
collaborate with
community partners
Needed Resources
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Ross Greene
Collaborative Problem
Solving
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Coordinate with Chief
Psychologist and the
Interventions
Committee on the
continued in-service
of CPS
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Transition to
Independence Process
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Develop an
implementation plan
for TIP in our board
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Student Success,
Guidance, Social
Work, Psychological
Consultants, Child an
Youth Counsellor
meetings
Work collaboratively
with Interventions
committee
Work with Ensuring
School Success (ESS)
to support students
Develop and
implement the
Transition to
Independence
Process
collaboratively with
community partners
FOS meetings
CPS trained team
Interventions
Committee
TIP trained staff
meetings
11
Timeline
Responsibility
Ongoing
•
MH Lead, board
resources,
community partners
•
Ongoing
•
MH Lead, Chief
Psychologist,
•
Fall 2014
•
MH Lead, TIP
trained staff, Chief
Psychologist
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
(TIP)
Key Activities
•
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Violence Threat Risk
Assessment (VTRA)
Access to MH Supports in
community
Training for SW, CYC,
Psych
Substance Use supports
Increase TIP
awareness among
board staff including
Social Work, CYCs and
other staff who work
with transition age
youth
Needed Resources
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Responsibility
Fall/Winter
2014-2015
Intervention Tier 3
Key Activities
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Social Work and
board meetings
Timeline
Needed Resources
VTRA Level 1 trainers
VTRA training for
Administrators and
Staff
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Collaborative work
CMHA-WWD, DCAFS,
CADS and Mental
Health and Addiction
Nurses (MHAN) to
address gaps and
improve access and
follow up
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Non Suicidal Self
Injury
Other priority topics
Working
collaboratively with
MH workers in board
and in the community
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VTRA trainer training
for the four VTRA
advisors
VTRA training with
community partners
Ensuring School
Success
Growing Great
Generations
Dufferin Coalition for
Kids
MH Working Group of
Growing Great
Generations
Presentations from
experts in the
community
Workers from
community agencies
to provide supports
and in-services
12
Timeline
Responsibility
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Fall 2014
Ongoing
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MH Lead, VTRA
Advisors,
•
Ongoing
•
MH Lead,
Community
Collaborations Lead,
Chief Psychologist,
Superintendent
•
Fall/Winter
2014-2015
•
MH Lead and
community partners
•
Ongoing
•
MH Lead and
community partners
Priority Areas / Strategic
Themes
Key Activities
Transition to school for
students out of school
for MH/addiction/suicide
related reasons including
hospital stays
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Transition of students
with MH/Addiction
Needs
•
partners including
CADS, CMHA-WWD,
DCAFS, CAMH, MHAN
Work with MHAN,
CMHA, DCAFS and MH
Working group of
Growing Great
Generations to
address gaps and
support students
Work with Service
Collaborative and
Community partners
on transitions
Needed Resources
•
Guelph Wellington
Drug Strategy
•
MHAN, DCAFS,
CMHA, CADS, local
hospitals, inpatient
psychiatry units
MH Working Group of
Growing Great
Generations
Transition to
Independence
Process (TIP) training
for staff who work
with transition age
youth
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Mental Health Steering Committee
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Dr. Lynn Woodford, Mental Health Lead, Chair
Tracey Lindsay, Superintendent of Program
Elise Zadlik, Student Representative
Maureen Oesch, Parent Representative
Martha MacNeil, Parent Representative
Dr. MarySue Crawford, Chief Psychologist
Sandra Ellis, Community Connections and Collaborative Projects Lead
13
Timeline
Responsibility
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Ongoing
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MH Lead,
Community Partners
•
Ongoing
•
MH Lead, TIP
trained SW and
CYCs
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Jeni Vaughan, Vice Principal, Secondary
Amanda Leathem, Principal ,Elementary
Beth Charles, VP,Section 23/Youth Options
Colinda Clyne, Equity Officer
Brenda Ellis, Wellness Coordinator
Andrew Seagram, Coordinator, Community Use of Schools Program
Lisa Sanvido, Student Success
Connie Bender, Curriculum Leader
Community Table Membership
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Dr. Lynn Woodford, Mental Health Lead
UGDSB Special Ed. Lead/Collaborative Projects Lead
UGDSB VP, Section 23/Youth Options
Wellington Catholic DSB, Representative
Dufferin –Peel Catholic DSB, Representative
CMHA-WWD, Representative
DCAFS, Representative
Wyndham House, Representative
GWD Public Health, Representative
Kerry's Place, Representative
Family Counselling and Support Services, Representative
Service Resolution, Representative
Family & Children’s Services Guelph Wellington, Representative
Mental Health and Addiction Nurses, Manager
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Signature: Dr. Lynn Woodford
Signature: Tracey Lindsay
Mental Health Lead
Responsible Superintendent
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