1. Student Mental Health and Well- Being and Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
September 2013

2. Overview Background on Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
As we move forward as a board to implement our Mental Health Strategy, it is important to ensure that all staff have the same understanding regarding the needs of our students and the provincial mental health and addictions strategy

3. A. BACKGROUND ON STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

4. Mental Health is…
“A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
World Health Organization
Often, when people think about mental health, they default to thinking about mental illness (those who struggle with psychosis or severe depression). We have adopted a definition that emphasizes optimal mental well-being and health, from the World Health Organization. Mental health is something we all aspire to.
School Mental Health ASSIST

5. Mental Health Exists on a Continuum
Rather than suggesting that mental health is something you have, or don’t have, we recommend thinking about mental health as existing along a continuum, from health to illness. All of us find ourselves somewhere along this continuum, and where we are can vary over time, depending on particular life circumstances and predispositions. We can probably all think of times when stressful or troubling events led us to feelings of emotional turmoil that impacted on our daily functioning. As life returns to “normal”, most of us can move back along the continuum towards well-being. Some of us, however, have trouble recovering and fall towards mental illness, unless we get the help we need. The same is true for our students.

6. What are mental health problems?
Mental health problems are emotional, behavioural and brain-related disturbances that interfere with development, personal relationships, and functioning 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
Creating a shared understanding of what is meant by a problem in mental health is important. This working definition highlights a few key aspects of a mental health problem: it relates to emotions and behaviors, it has some biological foundation, and it interferes with normal functioning. A mental health problem that is severe, persistent, and causes impairment in daily life is called a mental health disorder or mental illness.

7. Mental Health Problems are Common
Roughly one in five students in Canadian schools struggle with a mental health problem that interferes with their day to day functioning.
Although prevalence estimates vary somewhat depending on which study is referenced and how the problem is defined, most place the rate of mental health problem in the range of 18-23%. This roughly “one in five” statistic indicates just how many of our students are affected by significant emotional difficulties. Teachers then should anticipate that in any given year there will be 4 to 6 students in their class who struggle to a degree that will interfere with their academic performance.

8. Tell Them For Me Survey
Used to collect standardized information of DSB Ontario North East students' mental health and well-being
Indicators of particular interest include:
Social-Emotional Outcomes and
Physical Health Outcomes
This would be a good opportunity to review and discuss your school’s survey results from the year. Draw specific attention to indicators such as engagement, sense of belonging, positive self esteem and positive relationships as they are reflect the over mental health and well-being of the students. Indicators of actual illness include anxiety, depression, substance misuse and gambling. Research evidence suggests that it is important to frame substance misuse and gambling in terms of who is not participating as opposed to who is. An emphasis on the statistics of misusers and gamblers increases the perception that are socially acceptable norms.

9. Note…
There is a clear relationship between mental health problems and academic achievement
Mental health problems also impede social and emotional development
Early intervention is key.
As educators, we know that there is a strong relationship between mental health and academic achievement. Students who struggle with emotional concerns cannot fully participate in the learning process. As well, mental health issues very often interfere with social relationships, and contribute to feelings of anger, worry, low self worth and confusion, further distracting from concentration on academics. There is considerable evidence that early intervention is key in prevention, and treatment of mental illness and the promotion of resiliency and enhanced mental health.

10. The Good News - Mental Health Problems are Treatable
Proven strategies and supports exist
Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments are most common, and are often used together
While many mental disorders are chronic, we can help with coping
Early identification and intervention improves prognosis
Fortunately, there is a rich and growing list of research-based interventions and practices that can be used to support children at risk, by bolstering social and self-help skills, changing negative thought patterns, and nurturing their sense of well-being. For students with identified mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and behaviour problems, psychosocial treatment options such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Parent Training, Resiliency programs and medications have been proven to be effective. And despite the evidence that early intervention is ideal, even students with long-standing, untreated problems can be helped. It’s never too late.

11. 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
Build pathways to care
Schools have a unique opportunity to help overcome some of the problems that prevent children and youth from developing good mental health.
Schools are ideal settings in which to promote positive mental health by creating caring schools and classrooms, teach and strengthen social-emotional skills, provide support and monitoring for high risk students to prevent onset or worsening of mental health problems, reduce the stigma surrounding not just mental health problems but also counselling and therapy. School staff are also ideally positioned to help identify students who need mental health support, and to provide information and assistance for students and families seeking help.

12. Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
In June 2011 the provincial government released “Open Minds, Healthy Minds: Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy”. This is a comprehensive 10-year strategy designed to address mental health and addictions needs in Ontario. You can view the Strategy on-line at the link provided.
Open Minds, Healthy Minds is the comprehensive, 10-year strategy designed to address mental health and addictions needs in Ontario

13. Overall Aim
“ … 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.”
The goal of this strategy is summarized here, and as can be seen, is far reaching and ambitious. Clearly child and youth mental health, and the role of schools, are pieces of a much larger initiative.

14. Overarching Goals
To improve the mental health and well-being of all Ontarians;
To support the creation of healthy, resilient and inclusive communities;
To identify mental health and addiction problems early and intervene;
To provide timely, high quality, integrated, person-directed health and human services.
The document goes on to frame four specific objectives: to improve the mental health and well-being of all Ontarians, to support the creation of communities that are healthy, resilient and inclusive, to ensure that Mental Health problems are identified early and facilitate intervention, and to see that timely, high quality, integrated services are available.

15. The First Three Years
The Strategy focuses on children & youth in the first three years. There are three key targets:
Fast access to high-quality services
Early identification and support
Help for vulnerable children/youth with unique needs
For the first three years the focus will be on children and youth, and it will be supported by three Ministries, Health and Long Term Care, Education, and Child and Youth Services which will take the lead on the initiative. Three target areas have been selected: fast access to high quality services for all Ontarians, early identification and support, and help for vulnerable children with unique needs.

16. Ministry of Education Commitments
To enhance the K to 12 Curriculum to more strongly feature student mental health
To develop an Educator Guide (Supporting Minds) 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
To provide implementation support via School Mental Health ASSIST (provincial team)
Examining the specific Ministry of Education commitments, we see that most are already well underway. The curriculum is being altered to better highlight student mental health and reduce the stigma associated with this area. The Educator Guide has been completed. Funding for Mental Health Leaders has been provided so that each school board has an appropriately qualified professional to support their own the mental health and addictions strategy development. And the School Mental Health ASSIST team is in place to provide province-wide implementation support.

17. THANK YOU!
We hope that you found this a useful introduction to Student Mental Health and Well-Being and Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
Your Mental Health Leader is available to provide ongoing support and leadership to your school team