Prioritizing mental health and wellbeing
Mental Health is a part of a whole person¡¯s wellbeing. Supporting our mental and physical health helps us to function and feel contentment in our lives. ±«Óãtv and the mental health team care about you as students, families, staff and humans and prioritizes student mental health and wellbeing.
±«Óãtv's team of mental health professionals offers a comprehensive approach to serving students and families by blending school resources with community resources. School-based and school-linked programs provide students with early intervention, crisis intervention, prevention and treatment to address their specific needs.
How the mental health team serves the ±«Óãtv community
The mental health team:
- Offers overall mental health support to students and their families
- Provides students access to mental health services and other resources both within ±«Óãtv and in the community, reducing barriers to services
- Responds to crisis situations with students, schools and within the ±«Óãtv community
- Trains and educates student groups to support their peers (QPR Suicide Prevention Training).
- Supports and trains staff on mental health issues like grief and loss, QPR Suicide Prevention and Trauma Informed Lens for Educator training
Connecting with students
Students are usually referred to a ±«Óãtv mental health specialist by a teacher or staff member, who has identified them as someone who might benefit from additional support. The student might be struggling with a family crisis, experiencing a loss or dealing with another personal or overwhelming issue.
Working together: The mental health specialist works with the student and their family to identify what the issue is and connects them to the appropriate resources both within ±«Óãtv and within the community to address their needs.
The goal: To address the child's/family's immediate and long-term needs and help them reach a stable place emotionally so the child can access and continue their education successfully.
Services students receive from mental health specialists:
- An Initial consultation
- Assessment of need and identification of the issue
- Review of services or supports already in place
- Connection to appropriate services
- Ongoing support
- Follow-up and evaluation
Students in immediate crisis: If a mental health specialist is contacted about a student expressing suicidal thoughts or experiencing another immediate crisis that involves their safety, parents are contacted immediately and included while a plan and team of support are organized for the student. See the how you can help resources available on this page or visit the ±«Óãtv Suicide Prevention web page.