Boost in funding for SD42 mental health programs
Maple Ridge NewsFeb 11, 2019
Mental health programs in the school district have received a boost in funding from the provincial government.
"We haven't made any decisions at this point about how this funding will be allocated within the school district. We are just beginning to have those conversations. But we do have a number of programs in place that would benefit from such funding support," said
One of these programs would be The Riverside Program, a semester-based, half-day program with a wellness and therapeutic skills focus. This program services youth who demonstrate anxiety and depressive-type symptoms that significantly interfere with their ability to successfully engage in learning. It combines academics with skills training to promote personal growth in the areas of emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and self-efficacy.
Another program that could benefit from the funding would be The Mental Health Literacy Program that is based on the work of Dr.
Three educators are also being sent to Mental Health Literacy training this week to become Mental Health Literacy facilitators.
They will be developing a comprehensive implementation plan for the 2019/20 school year.
The funding announcement was made at the second annual
More that 500 representatives of B.C. public, independent and First Nations schools, police, health authorities and child and youth mental health workers attended the event.
The government grants are to be put towards programs that focus on prevention, wellness promotion and early intervention including staff training sessions, parent information nights, the development of new resource materials for educators, families and community organizations and student workshops. The money can also go towards enhancing existing mental wellness programs for students, parents and educators, assist with launching new ones and professional development opportunities.
"Today's students face social and emotional challenges that are becoming more and more complex all the time," said
"When we address these issues early, students will be able to not just survive, but thrive – and they will benefit for years to come," she said.
To further increase supports for young people, the
"We know that many children experience anxiety. It impacts their lives at home and school," said
"EASE resources are designed to help teachers give kids easy-to-use tools, such as recognizing anxiety in their bodies, breathing as a calming strategy and focusing on the present as a way to challenge worry. Providing this support is the first step in helping kids build life-long coping skills," explained the Minister.