Mental Well-Being | Huron Perth Public Health

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.

For a list of local mental health supports, go to Mental Health and Well-Being.

Elementary

Elementary School Toolkit: Promoting Connectedness 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

All grades

Kids Help Phone offers e-mental health services with a variety of resources including a phone/text number for one to one 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.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Creating environments where all students can thrive requires the participation of all students and staff. Like all Canadians have a role in reconciliation, all Canadians have a role in making our spaces anti-racist and anti-oppressive.

A study conducted by Western University found that rates of racism and discrimination experienced by Indigenous and racialized people were higher in Huron Perth than in other regions of Southwestern Ontario. A more recent study found that while racism and discrimination persist, the majority of newcomers to our area feel welcome in Huron Perth communities. You can see both studies through the Huron County Immigration Partnership Study.

Because social groups and individuals experience harm in different ways, it is important to consider all identities and factors that intersect with racialization. Citizenship, class, gender, sexuality, religion, age, ability, body size, etc. all play a role in how students experience the world and should be considered when planning inclusive schools and classrooms.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources

Wisdom 2 Action provides resources with a focus on 2SLGBTQ+ and intersectional identities for organizations and for working with youth
Experience Canada: provides anti-racism resources for all ages. They are committed to helping young Canadians open their minds, exploring the diversity of language, culture, and lived experiences within Canada.
Queens University has compiled anti-racism and diversity teaching resources for elementary and secondary educators.
The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) offers educational & inclusion guides and toolkits on a variety of important anti-racism and intersectional topics, including taking action, building a school-wide initiative.
School Mental Health Ontario (SMH-ON) offers resources for creating welcoming school environments and supporting newcomer students at school. SMH-ON also has created a reflection tool for educators for making a mentally healthy class community.
Egale Canada: find information on how to create safe and inclusive schools for 2SLGBTQI students and information and tools to combat anti-2SLGBTQI discrimination.