DRAFT
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Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board DRAFT Leading, Loving, and Learning “… I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27) WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? Ontario’s Policy Framework for Child and Youth Mental Health defines mental health as including all aspects of human development and wellbeing that affect an individual’s emotions, learning, and behaviour. It is not merely the absence of mental illness. Mental health is also not something you have, or do not have. It exists along a continuum from illness to health. We all find ourselves somewhere along this continuum, and where we are can vary over time, depending on life circumstances and predispositions. We can move back and forth along the continuum, although at times we may need support in order to do so. Mental Illness/ Disorders Mental Health Challenges Mental Health We believe that each one, created in the image and likeness of God, is called by name into the DufferinPeel community to realize the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations to the fullest extent possible as we all journey from the early years to vocation. Catholic Board Learning Plan Our Mission Our Mission, in partnership with the family and Church, is to intentionally and collaboratively create respectful conditions for well-being, learning, and leading, and to create hope, engagement, and growth for all to realize their full potential. Catholic Board Learning Plan Mental Health and Well-Being A Guiding Framework WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH? 2014-2017 One in five Ontario students has a mental health challenge. Students in every school and every classroom may be affected. There is a clear relationship between mental health challenges and the ability to be successful at school. This relationship is foundational to all students reaching their full potential. Building a Catholic culture of wellbeing is a necessary condition for all students “in their life-long journey of self-discovery and self-direction toward vocation.” Catholic Board Learning Plan DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board 40 Matheson Boulevard West, Mississauga, ON L5R 1C5 Phone: 905-890-1221 / Fax: 905-890-7610 Web: http://www.dpcdsb.org We believe that we are called to support all throughout our journey of life-long learning through growth, transformation, and witness, revealing “the hope that is within us” (1 Peter 3:15). Catholic Board Learning Plan Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board RESPONDING TO SHARED PRIORITIES A PATHWAY FORWARD, 2014-2017 Create guidelines to help shape our collective work in the area of FOUNDATION Continue to foster safe, healthy, inclusive, Christ-centred school communities, filled with caring adults and engaged students Continue to build a Board Mental Health Leadership Team that liaises with board stakeholders and community partners Communicate the mental health framework to all members of the school community (home, school, parish, broader community) Foster strong links between educators and Support Service staff mental health and well-being Ensure mental health and well-being are deeply embedded in our Catholic Board Learning Plan Develop and implement mental health capacity building initiatives for school communities (staff, students, and parents/caregivers) Coordinate programs and services that are aligned with and responsive to the needs of students Identify areas of specific need (e.g., anxiety) FRAMEWORK OVERVIEW BOARD MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY The framework provides a written expression of our School Board shared priorities and beliefs in the area of mental health, and the related initiatives designed to enhance student well-being. It is a blueprint that builds on and aligns with our Catholic Board Learning Plan, and offers a way forward for the next three years, 2014-2017, in support of all students. “Each one called by name” (Isaiah 43:1). SHARED PRIORITIES Respond to mental health challenges in a manner that reflects Christ’s compassion and care Continue to build upon the conditions for learning that support student mental health and well-being within the context of the Catholic faith Ensure that a culture of mental health and well-being is a shared responsibility at the forefront and core of all aspects of students’ school experiences, and that all staff have a role in forming a comprehensive community of care, including supporting families. Continue to refine a comprehensive system of supports, cognizant of and responsive to the mental health and well-being needs of all students Ninety-eight percent of Dufferin-Peel staff surveyed reported that student emotional well-being is very/extremely important to academic achievement in their school. Dufferin-Peel offers a spectrum of services and supports that embrace the whole learner. Students, families, the Church, administrators, educators, ERWs, Support Services (psychology, social work, speech and language, child and youth work), and our community partners all work together to provide a comprehensive approach (all, some, few) in support of wellbeing. Responding to the Mental Health and Well-Being of All: An Inclusive Model of Support Foundation Entire School Community All Promotion Whole School/All Students and Educators Some Prevention MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION Provide mental health awareness training and resources to all school staff, students, parents/caregivers, and families Assist all schools in establishing mental health and well-being goals that align with the Guiding Framework Facilitate the sharing of mental health programs/resources among schools PREVENTION Create clear pathways to support well-being and learning Continue to build capacity around specific areas of identified need Provide training and guidelines to support suicide prevention Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health concern among children and youth in Canada. This is consistent with concerns observed within Dufferin-Peel school communities INTERVENTION Provide training and guidelines to support suicide risk management Create tools to help schools select effective mental health and wellbeing program options Nurture student voice in mental health programs and initiatives Continue to strengthen school-community collaborative relationships Extraordinary Lives Start With a Great Catholic Education Few Creating Catholic Conditions for Well-Being, Learning, and Leading All Dufferin-Peel schools work to build faith-filled communities and, as such, incorporate well-being goals into their Catholic School Learning Plans. Intervention “…love one another, as I have loved you…” (John 13:34)
