DSBN staff support student mental health in our schools by providing a solid foundation for mental well-being and helping connect students and families with the appropriate community resources.
All DSBN staff are expected to:
- Create a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment
- Establish clear and consistent behavioural norms within the school
- Support students’ mental health literacy by integrating mental health and social-emotional learning into the curriculum, wherever possible
- Be good listeners and mentors to students
- Reach out to students who appear to be struggling
- Communicate any serious concerns about students to the In-School Team
The DSBN has a central Mental Health & Well-Being Team, which consists of the Superintendent responsible for mental health and well-being, the Mental Health Lead, the School Social Work Services Lead, and the Attendance Counsellor. The Mental Health & Well-Being Team works together to plan and oversee the DSBN’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, which includes initiatives and services aimed at mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention in all DSBN schools.
Each DSBN school has an assigned Youth Counsellor who:
- Assists students in need of support with self-esteem, anger, social skills building, stress management, peer relationship support, disengagement, and basic needs including housing, food and clothing
- Builds elementary and secondary students’ mental health skills by delivering programs and interactive sessions focused on social and emotional core competencies
To request support for your child from your school’s Youth Counsellor, please contact your school’s Principal or Vice Principal.
Each DSBN school has an assigned Social Worker who:
- Directly supports students with clinical level concerns
- Conducts student assessment to target change across a broad range of presenting issues
- Develops comprehensive intervention plans in consultation with student, family and DSBN personnel
- Delivers brief, time-limited evidence-based / informed interventions for students in their schools – referring the youth to community mental health services in cases where intervention continues to be required beyond brief intervention
- Develops, implements and delivers effective professional learning for DSBN staff and DSBN parent community (e.g., mental health promotion topics)
Conducts student assessment to target change across a broad range of presenting issues
To request support for your child from your school’s Social Worker, please contact your Principal or Vice Principal.