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GOALS FOR THIS SESSION
To provide a provincial context for
school mental health
To encourage a shared understanding
of the role of schools in supporting
student mental health & well-being
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To introduce a new resource for School
Administrators in Ontario
SESSION OUTLINE
Provincial Context
• Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
• School Mental Health ASSIST
Student Mental Health and Well-Being
• Student Mental Health and Well-Being Basics
• The Role of Schools
Introducing Leading Mentally Healthy Schools: A
Resource for School Administrators
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• The Role of School Leaders in Supporting Student Mental Health
and Well-Being
SECTION 1
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THE PROVINCIAL
CONTEXT FOR SCHOOL
MENTAL HEALTH
ONTARIO’S
MENTAL HEALTH
AND ADDICTIONS
STRATEGY
Open Minds, Healthy Minds is the comprehensive, 10-year
strategy designed to address mental health and addictions
needs in Ontario
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http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/mental/pdf/open_minds_healthy_minds_en.pdf
OVERALL AIM
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“ … to reduce the burden of mental
illness and addictions by ensuring that
all Ontarians have timely access to an
integrated system of excellent,
coordinated and efficient promotion,
prevention, early intervention,
community support and treatment
programs.”
OVERARCHING GOALS
1. To improve the mental health and well-being of
all Ontarians;
2. To support the creation of healthy, resilient and
inclusive communities;
3. To identify mental health and addiction problems
early and intervene;
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4. To provide timely, high quality, integrated,
person-directed health and human services.
THE FIRST THREE YEARS
The Strategy focuses on children & youth in the
first three years. There are three key targets:
1. Fast access to high-quality services
2. Early identification and support
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3. Help for vulnerable children/youth with unique
needs
DETERMINANT OF OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND WHERE CHILDREN AND YOUTH REACH
THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
Identify and intervene in kids’ mental
Close critical service gaps for vulnerable
Provide fast access to high quality
health needs early
kids, kids in key transitions, and those in
service
remote communities
Professionals in community-based child and youth
Kids and families will know where to go to get what
they need and services will be available to respond
in a timely way.
• Reduced child and youth suicides/suicide
attempts
• Higher graduation rates
• Educational progress (EQAO)
• More professionals trained to identify
kids’ mental health needs
• Fewer school suspensions and/or
expulsions
• Higher parent satisfaction in services
received
Kids will receive the type of specialized service they need
and it will be culturally appropriate
• Decrease in severity of mental health
issues through treatment
• Decrease in inpatient admission rates
for child and youth mental health
• Fewer hospital (ER) admissions and
readmissions for child and youth mental
health
• Reduced Wait Times
Pilot Family Support
Navigator model
Y1 pilot
Implement Working
Together for Kids’ Mental
Health
Implement
standardized tools for
outcomes and needs
assessment
Funding to increase supply
of child and youth mental
health professionals
Increase Youth Mental
Health Court Workers
Amend education
curriculum to cover
mental health promotion
and address stigma
Develop K-12 resource
guide for educators
Hire new Aboriginal workers
Implement Aboriginal Mental
Health Worker Training Program
Improve service
coordination for high needs
kids, youth and families
Reduce wait times for service,
revise service contracting,
standards, and reporting
Outcomes, indicators and
development of scorecard
Implement school
mental health ASSIST
program &mental health
literacy provincially
Provide designated
mental health workers in
schools
Expand inpatient/outpatient
services for child and youth
eating disorders
Hire Nurse Practitioners for
eating disorders program
Improve public access to
service information
INITIATIVES
mental health agencies and teachers will learn how to
identify and respond to the mental health needs of kids.
Enhance and expand
Telepsychiatry model and
services
Provide support at key
transition points
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Implement Mental Health
Leaders in selected
School Boards
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Provide nurses in schools
to support mental health
services
Create 18 service
collaboratives
Strategy Evaluation
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INDICATORS
THEMES
OVERVIEW OF STARTING
THE MENTAL
HEALTH
&HEALTH
ADDICTIONS
WITH CHILD AND
YOUTH MENTAL
OUR VISION:
STRATEGY
- FIRST
3 YEARS
AN ONTARIO IN
WHICH CHILDREN AND
YOUTH MENTAL
HEALTH IS RECOGNIZED AS A KEY
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
COMMITMENTS
 To enhance the K to 12 Curriculum to more
strongly feature student mental health
 To develop an Educator Guide to help educators
to recognize and support students with mental
health and addictions needs
 To hire Mental Health Leaders to support board
mental health and addictions strategy
development and implementation
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 To provide implementation support via School
Mental Health ASSIST
SCHOOL MENTAL
HEALTH
ASSIST
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is a provincial implementation support
team designed to help Ontario school
boards to promote student mental
health and well-being, through
leadership, practical resources and
systematic research-based
approaches to school mental health.
SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH ASSIST
FOCUSES ON:
1. Organizational Conditions for
Effective School Mental Health
2. Mental Health Capacity-Building
for Educators
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3. Implementation of EvidenceBased Mental Health Promotion
and Prevention Programming
STRATEGY CASCADE
• Organizational Conditions
• Capacity Building
Province • Evidence-Based Programming
Board
• Organizational Conditions
• Capacity Building
• Evidence-Based Programming
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• Organizational Conditions
• Capacity Building
School • Evidence-Based Programming
SECTION 2
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BACKGROUND ON
STUDENT MENTAL
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
MENTAL HEALTH IS…
“A state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being, and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity”
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World Health Organization
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MENTAL HEALTH EXISTS ON A
CONTINUUM
WHAT ARE MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS?
Disturbances that are severe and persistent enough to cause
significant symptoms, distress, and impairment in one or
more areas of daily life are termed mental health
disorders/mental illness
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Mental health problems are emotional, behavioural and brainrelated disturbances that interfere with development,
personal relationships, and functioning.
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
INCLUDE A RANGE OF
DIFFICULTIES
Mental health problems are characterized by different
signs and symptoms, and present in various forms
Some mental health problems manifest outwardly
(externalizing)
Students appear aggressive, impulsive, coercive, non-compliant
Some mental health problems manifest inwardly
(internalizing)
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Students appear withdrawn, lonely, anxious, depressed
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE
COMMON
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Roughly one in five
students in Canadian
schools struggle with a
mental health problem
that interferes with their
day to day functioning.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Causes – Multiply determined (biological, life
experiences, individual factors, early trauma)
Onset - In 70% of cases, the onset of problems begins
before age 18; with 50% of cases starting before 14
Comorbidity – If have one disorder, other problems are
also likely (45% have > 1 mental health problem)
Impact – Disturbances to academic progress, social wellbeing, isolation, despair, anger, heightened risk of suicide
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There is a clear relationship between mental
health problems and academic achievement
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE
TREATABLE
Proven strategies and supports
• Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments
are most common, and are often used together
While many mental disorders are chronic, we can
help with coping
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Early identification and intervention improves
prognosis
BARRIERS TO ACCESSING
SERVICES
Unfortunately, up to 80% of students with mental
health needs will not access appropriate support
Barriers to such access include:
• Stigma associated with mental
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health problems,
• Misidentification of symptoms,
• Adult lack of knowledge regarding
where to seek help,
• Lack of sufficient services to meet
demand.
SCHOOLS HAVE A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY
Schools are an optimal setting to:
Reduce stigma
Promote positive mental health
Build student social-emotional
learning skills
Prevent mental health problems
in high risk groups
Identify students in need
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Build pathways to care
K-12 EDUCATOR GUIDE
The Ministry has created Supporting Minds: An Educators’ Guide
to Promoting Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Designed to help educators to provide mentally healthy classroom
environments, and to recognize when students are struggling with
common mental health problems at school:
Anxiety Problems
Mood Problems
Attention and Hyperactivity / Impulsivity
Behaviour Problems
Eating and Weight-Related Problems
Substance Use Problems
Gambling
Self-Harm and Suicide
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
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
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
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THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR’S
ROLE
School Administrators need to create the conditions to promote
the mental health and well-being of all students
In addition to setting the tone for a positive and welcoming
school climate, this includes creating structures and processes
that allow for appropriate skill development for all students, and
early identification and support for those in need
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This includes attention to staff mental health capacity building
and personal well-being
With professional learning and
support, school administrators can:
School
Administrators
are ideally
positioned to
lead in
enhancing
student mental
health.
• Help staff create mentally healthy
classrooms,
• Create a school climate sensitive to the
needs of vulnerable students,
• Recognize early signs of mental health
problems,
• Select and facilitate appropriate student
supports,
• Help students and families access needed
services.
SECTION 3
INTRODUCING…
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LEADING MENTALLY HEALTHY
SCHOOLS: A RESOURCE FOR SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS
LEADING MENTALLY HEALTHY
SCHOOLS
In spring 2012, School Mental Health ASSIST recognized
the need for a resource to support School Administrators
A School Administrators Working Group was convened
with the help of the:
• Minister’s Principal Reference Group
• Ontario Principal Associations
• Chief Psychologist and Social Work Associations
This Working Group suggested the development of a
“one stop” electronic resource for school administrators
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School Mental Health ASSIST is grateful for the high
quality product that this working group produced!
DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES
Dates
Activity
Summer 2012
Work Group drafts initial contentActivity
Fall 2012
Content is formatted into an e-pub
SMH ASSIST conducts a review and prepares a pilot
version of the resource
Spring 2013
Principals from 25 English and 5 French boards review
the draft resource and provide suggestions for change
Summer 2013
Feedback is incorporated into final version of resource
Fall 2013
Leading Mentally Healthy Schools is released to all 72
Ontario school boards
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Regional sessions are conducted to deepen
understanding of the material
LEADING MENTALLY HEALTHY
SCHOOLS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Introduction
B. Background on Student Mental Health
and Well-Being
C. Ontario’s Mental Health and
Addictions Strategy
D. Strategies for Administrators
Supporting Mental Health in Schools
E. Tackling the Tough Issues in Schools
1.
Think in Tiers
2.
Set the Stage
3.
Connect the Dots
4.
Focus on the Positive
5.
Bring People Along
6.
Follow Familiar Planning Processes
7.
Enable Implementation
8.
Foster Collaboration
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8 BROAD STRATEGIES
TACKLING THE TOUGH ISSUES
• School Support for Some and Few
• Dealing with Mental Health Crises
• Managing Transitions
• Working with Parents when Mental Health Problems
Arise
• Meaningful Student Engagement
• Talking with Students about Mental Health
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• Self-Care Ideas
NEXT STEPS…
Boards are invited to review
Leading Mentally Healthy Schools
Board Mental Health Teams will be
invited to regional sessions to
more deeply explore the School
Administrator and Educator
Guides
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Boards may offer in-depth
sessions for school administrators
on each of the 8 strategies
introduced, and on tackling the
tough issues