Mental Well-Being
Mental health is important for overall health and wellness, and there are many ways to promote mental health in schools and classrooms. As an educator, you play an important role in fostering a learning environment that is conducive for a mentally healthy school and classroom where all students feel like they belong. Ensuring that classrooms and school communities are safe, welcoming and inclusive contributes to students' social-emotional well-being and readiness to learn.
If you are looking for tips on how to address certain issues or topics, reach out to the school health team using our request form.
Elementary
- Elementary School Toolkit: Promoting Connectedness [PDF] is a resource from Middlesex London Health Unit. Find strategies to increase connectedness and student sense of belonging to their school. Strategies target multiple levels of influence including students' and parents' attitudes and knowledge, classroom and school level social and physical environments as well as school policies.
- School Mental Health Ontario helps school districts enhance student mental health through the use of evidence-based strategies and services.
Secondary
- MentalHealthLiteracy.org provides a variety of resources including:
- An Educators section with numerous programs that are customizable to the needs of educators and students
- The Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide provides evidence based online modules proven to increase the understanding of mental health and mental disorders, decrease the stigma of mental disorders and enhance help seeking
- Secondary School Toolkit: Promoting Connectedness | Middlesex London Health Unit
Elementary and Secondary
- Kids Help Phone offers e-mental health services with a variety of resources including a phone/text number for 1:1 crisis support.
- Positive Mental Health Toolkit was developed by the Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health to promote positive mental health practices and perspectives within the school environment.
- School Mental Health Ontario offers an Educators and Student Support Staff section with free online courses, resources to support learning and teaching, and a resource guide to support student mental health and well-being.
- The Umbrella Project is a teacher-led curriculum and school-based program created to help teachers, students and parents reframe their perception of challenges and strengthen the skills of well-being to positively cope with the everyday stresses of life.