1. School Mental Health ASSIST Équipe d’appui en santé mentale pour les écoles Overview Presentation for Focus Boards

2. School Mental Health ASSIST is a provincial team designed to help Ontario school boards to build capacity to support student mental health and well-being, through effective implementation of research based programs and strategies. 1/23/20122School Mental Health ASSIST

3. It is part of 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 http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/mental/pdf/open_minds_healthy_minds_en.pdf 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST3

4. Strategy Priorities for the Next 3 Years 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST4 Close Critical Service Gaps Increase availability of culturally appropriate services and serve more children and youth in Aboriginal, remote and underserved communities With complex mental health needs At the key transition point from secondary to post-secondary education Identify & Intervene Early Provide tools and support to those in contact with children and youth so they can identify mental health issues sooner Provide resources for effective responses to mental health issues Build mental health literacy and local leadership Fast Access to High Quality Services Build capacity in the community-based sector Reduce wait times Meet community needs Link education, child and youth mental health, youth justice, health care, and the community Support System Change Support development of an effective and accountable service system for all Ontarians Build on efforts that promote evidence-informed practice, collaboration, and efficiencies Develop standards and tools to better measure outcomes for children and youth

5. 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST5 Starting with Child and Youth Mental Health Our Vision: An Ontario in which children and youth mental health is recognized as a key determinant of overall health and well-being, and where children and youth reach their full potential. 5 Provide fast access to high quality service Kids and families will know where to go to get what they need and services will be available to respond in a timely way. Identify and intervene in kids’ mental health needs early Professionals in community-based child and youth mental health agencies and teachers will learn how to identify and respond to the mental health needs of kids. Close critical service gaps for vulnerable kids, kids in key transitions, and those in remote communities Kids will receive the type of specialized service they need and it will be culturally appropriate THEMES INDICATORS Reduced child and youth suicides/suicide attempts Educational progress (EQAO) Fewer school suspensions and/or expulsions Decrease in severity of mental health issues through treatment Decrease in inpatient admission rates for child and youth mental health Higher graduation rates More professionals trained to identify kids’ mental health needs Higher parent satisfaction in services received Fewer hospital (ER) admissions and readmissions for child and youth mental health Reduced Wait Times OVERVIEW OF THE MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS STRATEGY - FIRST 3 YEARS INITIATIVES Provide designated mental health workers in schools Implement Working Together for Kids’ Mental Health Hire Nurse Practitioners for eating disorders program Improve service coordination for high needs kids, youth and families Implement standardized tools for outcomes and needs assessment Amend education curriculum to cover mental health promotion and address stigma Develop K-12 resource guide for educators Implement school mental health ASSIST program &mental health literacy provincially Enhance and expand Telepsychiatry model and services Provide support at key transition points Hire new Aboriginal workers Implement Aboriginal Mental Health Worker Training Program Create 18 service collaboratives Expand inpatient/outpatient services for child and youth eating disorders Reduce wait times for service, revise service contracting, standards, and reporting Funding to increase supply of child and youth mental health professionals Improve public access to service information Pilot Family Support Navigator model Y1 pilot Increase Youth Mental Health Court Workers Provide nurses in schools to support mental health services Implement Mental Health Leaders in selected School Boards Outcomes, indicators and development of scorecard Strategy Evaluation

6. Ministry of Education Commitments to the Strategy  Amend the education curriculum  Develop a K-12 Resource Guide/Website  Provide support for professional learning in mental health for all Ontario educators  Fund and support Mental Health Leaders in 15 school boards  Implement School Mental Health ASSIST 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST6

7. Leadership for School Mental Health ASSIST  Ministry of Education Lead ◦Special Education Policy & Programs Branch  School Board Lead ◦Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board ◦Benefits from real-world proximity to issues and challenges  Cross-Sector Partners ◦Interministerial Staff Team (MCYS, MOHLTC, MTCU, EDU) ◦Hospital for Sick Children ◦Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child & Youth Mental Health ◦Involved in resource development, resource sharing, and implementation support 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST7

8. School Mental Health ASSIST is designed to help ALL school boards to support student mental health and well-being 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST8 By providing hands-on resources to build Mental Health Awareness and to support effective decision- making in school mental health

9. School Mental Health ASSIST Support for ALL Boards  Slide decks, facilitator guides, and print resources that boards can use to support system and school mental health awareness  On-line resource space for educators related to School Mental Health  Decision-making tools (e.g., Professional Development Guide)  Presentations at meetings of provincial organizations In addition, the Ministry of Education will provide an Educator Guide to Student Mental Health and access to MyHealth Magazine 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST9

10. The Capacity-Building Continuum Mental Health AwarenessMental Health LiteracyMental Health Expertise Strategies for providing basic mental health information, tailored for different school board audiences Strategies for providing deeper working knowledge for those who have a direct role in supporting student mental health Strategies for providing SMH professionals with the skills and knowledge to effectively provide evidence-based promotion, prevention, and intervention ALLSOME FEW 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST10 Resources will be tailored to different education audiences (e.g., trustees, senior administrators, school mental health professionals, school administrators, school staff, parents, youth)

11. In 2011-2012, School Mental Health ASSIST will also provide more focused support to 15 School Boards 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST11 Algoma DSB Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic DSB CSD Catholiques Centre-Sud CSD des écoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest CSD du Nord-Est de l'Ontario District School Board of Niagara Hamilton-Wentworth DSB Hastings and Prince Edward DSB Huron-Superior Catholic DSB Keewatin-Patricia DSB Kenora Catholic District School Board Peel DSB Simcoe-Muskoka Catholic DSB Toronto Catholic DSB Trillium Lakelands DSB Selected for geographic, language, Catholic/Public representation, along a continuum of School Mental Health capacity

12. This Support Focuses on: 1. Organizational Leadership for Effective School Mental Health 2. Mental Health Capacity- Building for Educators 3. Implementation of Evidence- Based Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Programming 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST12

13. In addition to Mental Health Awareness & Decision-Making Supports for ALL boards, these 15 Receive:  A Mental Health Leader  Mental Health Leadership Modules ◦developed in collaboration with CODE, Chief Psychologists and Chief Social Worker Associations, the Centre of Excellence & the Hospital for Sick Children  Resources, tools, and funding to support the development and implementation of their Board Mental Health Strategy  Mental Health Literacy Modules for Schools  Ongoing Coaching and Implementation Support  Access to an On-Line Mental Health Learning Forum 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST13

14. These 15 boards will:  Participate in the Leadership Module Series  Conduct a Needs Assessment / Resource Mapping  Create a written Board Mental Health Strategy  Show progress in implementing the Board Mental Health Strategy  Deliver Mental Health Awareness materials to appropriate audiences  Deliver Administrator and School Staff Level Mental Health Literacy resources  Select appropriate mental health programming to meet identified needs 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST14

15. These 15 boards will also help to monitor the impact of ASSIST supports, to determine if they are effective in building board & school capacity for effective school mental health. 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST15 If shown to be effective, it is hoped that more boards will receive this focused School Mental Health ASSIST support in the future.

16. This is complex work! There are lots of steps along the way… Provincial Level (e.g., interministry coordination, SMH ASSIST) Board Level (e.g., MH Strategy, coordinated mental health literacy training, menu of evidence-based strategies) School Level (e.g., enhanced staff understanding of students with behavioral problems and helpful strategies, more accurate identification and referral, more caring adults) Student Level (e.g., enhanced sense of belonging, more help-seeking, stronger coping skills) Better mental health and academic outcomes 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST16 But, if we all work together, Ontario students will benefit from better mental health and well-being!

17. Contact ASSIST  Kathy Short, Ph.D., C.Psych. Director, School Mental Health ASSIST Kathy.Short@hwdsb.on.ca 905-527-5092, x2634 1/23/2012School Mental Health ASSIST17