Mental Health and Support Services for Students in Lethbridge School District #51 District School Council Presentation – Cayley King Monday, November 7, 2016

Continuum of Supports: At each of the division levels, we offer a continuum of supports that are modelled on a pyramid of intervention:

Elementary Elementary supports are provided by: Teacher Counsellor Liaisons Making Connections Team Members FNMI Liaisons

Middle School Middle school supports are provided by: Teacher Counsellors Family School Liaison Counsellors Student Support Team Members Making Connections Team Members (2 Middle Schools only) FNMI Liaisons

High School High school supports are provided by: Teacher Counsellors Family School Liaison Counsellors Student Support Team Members FNMI Liaisons Addictions Counsellors (AMH) Career Practitioners

Teacher Counsellors The Teacher Counsellors are, in the majority of schools, the team leaders when it comes to mental health services. They help to identify needs and connect students, staff and families with the universal, targeted and individual programming that they require. Teachers provide individualized counselling, while also focusing heavily on prevention and promotion, rather than just crisis response.

Making Connections The program model reflects a continuum of service from universal programming, targeted services, and intensive supports, to external referrals, as required. At all levels of the continuum, the focus is on the promotion of the skills and knowledge required for children and families to build on their strengths, address challenges, cope with adversity, and increase their capacity to care for themselves and others. The Making Connections Team works hard to connect students and families to the schools and to the supportive services within our community. They run a number of groups for both students and parents, and also provide individualized support services.  

Student Support Team Members Student Support team members often provide much of the universal and targeted supports in schools. They often run groups to meet the identified needs and emerging trends. The student support team members often focus on relationships and emotional regulation tools for youth. Student support team members meet with kids in groups of varying sizes, and also meet one to one.

Family School Liaison Counsellors Family School Liaison Counsellors engage in some of the more therapeutic or intensive individual counselling supports that are offered in our schools. Much of their work focuses on the targeted and individuals levels of our continuum.

FNMI Liaisons Our FNMI Liaison are crucial members of our Wellness Teams. They work to provide universal, targeted and individual supports to students, families and staff, in a culturally competent and sensitive manner. They often run groups, provide culture-specific programming, and connect students and family members to the schools and to supportive services in our community.

Mental Health Infusion Through Curriculum The Health Program of Studies K- 10 (CALM 20) is divided into three curricular areas: Wellness Choices, Relationship Choices, Life Learning Choices. Within each strand, there is a focus on mental health and wellness. Some of the specific resources/units that we offer at all schools include: Well Aware – grades 4 – 8 Mental Illness awareness and stigma reduction Kids in the Know – grade K – 10 Personal Safety The 4th R – grade 9 Healthy Relationships

Partnerships for Mental Health Supports Community Helpers – LFS Focus is on identifying the students and staff that kids naturally “speak to” and providing them with the supports that they need to access help when they are saddled with the heavy stuff Big Brothers/Big Sisters Go Girls, Game On, Teen Mentorship Program, In School Mentors, Out of School Mentors RSCD Mental Health Therapists Rena Ondrik – elementary focus AMH Therapist, funded through RCSD – temporary Focus is on providing supports to the Wellness Teams at the Elementary levels – helps to support group work, universal and targeted supports. Capacity building. Alison Lux – middle and high school focus AMH Therapist, funded through RCSD – ongoing Focus is on providing supports to the Wellness Teams at the middle and high school levels through individual and group case consults, student intake, provision or professional learning, and general program supports Human Services/CFS Consult Deborah Haines – provides case consult supports and direct services in the area of intake for the public school district

Referrals in our community… Alberta Health Services Addictions and Mental Health – Youth Counselling Lethbridge Family Services The Family Centre Private Practice

New and Emerging Supports Speaker Series - Discussion Panel Evening for Parents First event is on November 23rd at 7:00pm at Chinook High School Open to all parents of teens, but must rsvp Input on topics?

Questions? Ideas? Suggestions? Concerns? Celebrations?