Students are facing mental health challenges, and Ontario wants them to know that help is here

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Ontario government realizes that Ontario students require additional mental health support and have taken steps to increase accessibility.

Ontario Education Ministers states in a press release, “We recognize that more than ever before, many students face mental health challenges, and we want them to know help is here. While our government increased school mental health funding to the highest levels, we are going further by supporting community partners to expand critical mental health resources, initiatives to reduce drug use, and supports that will keep students safe on the road and in the classrooms.”

These investments are part of the Ontario $600-million Learning Recovery Plan for 2022-23, as well as an additional investment of $105 million towards support for student resiliency and mental well-being as well as evidence-based mental health programs and resources. The mental health components of the learning recovery plan include:

• Mandatory professional development on mental health for educators
• Working with the Ministry of Health, to consult with stakeholders to leverage the best available evidence on merging student mental health needs, and the potential of a graduation requirement on resilience and mental well-being
• Continuing to support student resilience and well-being with the following goals:

(i) mentally health classrooms and learning environments

(ii) effective and responsive school mental health and addiction supports

(iii) connections to the broader comprehensive system of mental healthcare

Dr. Kathy Short (Executive Director, School Mental Health Ontario) states, “Supportive, weight inclusive, classroom wellness promotion and knowledge building about risk factors and early warning signs is an important part of eating disorder prevention. School Mental Health Ontario appreciates the opportunity to work alongside global leaders at Eating Disorders Ontario to support school-based eating disorders prevention efforts.”

There has been attention focused on the importance of the children’s brain health and this will be addressed through new funding. Lynn Oosluns (President, Women’s Brain Health Initiative) states, “Investing in the brain health of our children is essential for achieving not only healthy minds of today, but also healthy minds in the years to come. Research has shown that how we treat our brain health as children can have a huge impact on our brain health as adults. With the demand to re-establish healthy habits after two years of social isolation and virtual learning, this investment in Brainable comes at a critical time. Brainable is an initiative to help students learn how to increase brain health.”