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The school environment is an ideal place to begin the work of addressing mental health needs. Not only does the school offer a simple and cost-effective way of reaching youth, but it is also a convenient place where mental health can be linked with other aspects of health, such as physical health and nutrition, and with learning.
By meeting the mental health needs of educators and students we help them to be more effective teachers and learners respectively.
The Transitions: Student Reality Check booklet is the first publication of its kind and is a unique resource created to help students overcome many of the issues they face as they transition from high school to post-secondary education. The booklet provides advice on topics such as effective study strategies, peer pressure, financial responsibilities, mental illness, addictions, sexual health and suicide.
Above all Transitions will help students identify common mental health problems and provide them with information about where to access help if they need it.
Created by the Canadian Mental Health Association in collaboration with the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health. The Mental Health & High School Curriculum Guide is an educational supplement for teachers. The curriculum resource consists of a PowerPoint slide deck with voiceover by Dr. Kutcher, as well as a video created by members of Laing House, a Halifax-based community centre for youth who are living with serious mental illness. It includes information on how the brain functions, emotion and stress, mental disorders, substance abuse, suicide, stigma and treatments for young people.
The Mental Health Training for Teachers is designed to complement the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide. The Teacher Training resource provides an educator-friendly understanding of mental disorders and how to identify mental health problems in young people.
MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR TEACHERS
This handbook, produced by the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF), is quick reference guide of useful classroom strategies to help elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators understand and assist students with mood, behaviour or thinking problems.
DOWNLOAD THE HANDBOOK FROM CPRF
In 2008, the Chair started a partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University to offer a courses on mental health through their summer institutes program.
2009 MSVU Open Institute Courses taught by Dr. Stan Kutcher include: "Suicide and Depression Education" and "Mental Health in Education".
For more information visit Mount Saint Vincent University.
MH-IN is a pilot project to develop and implement a seamless process that can help identify youth who show signs of significant mental health problems or mental disorders in the school setting, and to support their transition to appropriate health responders.
The collaborative project works with the Nova Scotia Department of Education, Schools Plus Program, South Shore Regional School Board, IWK Health Centre and Mental Health and Addictions Program, and South Shore Mental Health Services.
