School Mental Health ASSIST

School Mental Health ASSIST

Équipe d’appui en santé mentale pour les écoles

Overview Presentation for Focus Boards

School Mental Health ASSIST 2

School Mental Health ASSIST

is a provincial team designed to help Ontario school boards to build capacity to support student mental health and well-being, through effective implementation of research based programs and strategies.

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It is part of Ontario’s Mental Health and

Addictions Strategy

Open Minds, Healthy Minds is the comprehensive, 10-year strategy designed to address mental health and addictions needs in Ontario

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/mental/pdf/open_minds_healthy_minds_en.pdf

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Strategy Priorities for the Next 3 Years

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Close Critical Service Gaps

• Increase availability of culturally appropriate services and serve more children and youth• in Aboriginal, remote and

underserved communities

• With complex mental health needs

• At the key transition point from secondary to post-secondary education

Identify & Intervene Early

• Provide tools and support to those in contact with children and youth so they can identify mental health issues sooner

• Provide resources for effective responses to mental health issues

• Build mental health literacy and local leadership

Fast Access to High Quality Services

• Build capacity in the community-based sector

• Reduce wait times• Meet community needs• Link education, child and

youth mental health, youth justice, health care, and the community

Support System Change• Support development of an effective and accountable service system for all Ontarians• Build on efforts that promote evidence-informed practice, collaboration, and efficiencies • Develop standards and tools to better measure outcomes for children and youth

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Starting with Child and Youth Mental Health Our Vision:

An Ontario in which children and youth mental health is recognized as a key determinant of overall health and well-being, and where children and youth reach their full potential.

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Provide fast access to high quality service

Kids and families will know where to go to get what they need and services will be available to respond

in a timely way.

Identify and intervene in kids’ mental health needs early

Professionals in community-based child and youth mental health agencies and teachers will learn how to

identify and respond to the mental health needs of kids.

Close critical service gaps for vulnerable kids, kids in key transitions, and those in

remote communitiesKids will receive the type of specialized service they need

and it will be culturally appropriate

THEM

ESIN

DIC

ATO

RS • Reduced child and youth suicides/suicide attempts

• Educational progress (EQAO)

• Fewer school suspensions and/or expulsions

• Decrease in severity of mental health issues through treatment

• Decrease in inpatient admission rates for child and youth mental health

• Higher graduation rates

• More professionals trained to identify kids’ mental health needs

• Higher parent satisfaction in services received

• Fewer hospital (ER) admissions and readmissions for child and youth mental health

• Reduced Wait Times

OVERVIEW OF THE MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS STRATEGY - FIRST 3 YEARS

INIT

IATI

VES

Provide designated mental health workers in

schools

Implement Working Together for Kids’ Mental

Health

Hire Nurse Practitioners for eating disorders program

Improve service coordination for high needs

kids, youth and families

Implement standardized tools for outcomes and needs

assessment

Amend education curriculum to cover

mental health promotion and address stigma

Develop K-12 resource guide for educators

Implement school mental health ASSIST program &mental health literacy

provincially

Enhance and expand Telepsychiatry model and

services

Provide support at key transition points

Hire new Aboriginal workers Implement Aboriginal Mental

Health Worker Training Program

Create 18 service collaboratives

Expand inpatient/outpatient services for child and youth

eating disorders

Reduce wait times for service, revise service contracting, standards, and reporting

Funding to increase supply of child and youth mental

health professionals

Improve public access to service information

Pilot Family Support Navigator model

Y1 pilot

Increase Youth Mental Health Court Workers

Provide nurses in schools to support mental health

services

Implement Mental Health Leaders in selected

School Boards

Outcomes, indicators and development of scorecard

Strategy Evaluation

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Ministry of Education Commitments to the Strategy

Amend the education curriculum Develop a K-12 Resource Guide/Website Provide support for professional learning in mental

health for all Ontario educators Fund and support Mental Health Leaders in 15

school boards Implement School Mental Health ASSIST

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Leadership for School Mental Health ASSIST

Ministry of Education Lead ◦ Special Education Policy & Programs Branch

School Board Lead ◦ Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board◦ Benefits from real-world proximity to issues and challenges

Cross-Sector Partners◦ Interministerial Staff Team (MCYS, MOHLTC, MTCU, EDU)◦ Hospital for Sick Children◦ Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child & Youth Mental Health◦ Involved in resource development, resource sharing, and

implementation support

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School Mental Health ASSIST is designed to help ALL school boards to support student

mental health and well-being

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By providing hands-on resources to build Mental

Health Awareness

and to support effective decision-making in school

mental health

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School Mental Health ASSIST Support for ALL Boards

Slide decks, facilitator guides, and print resources that boards can use to support system and school mental health awareness

On-line resource space for educators related to School Mental Health

Decision-making tools (e.g., Professional Development Guide)

Presentations at meetings of provincial organizationsIn addition, the Ministry of Education will provide an Educator Guide to Student Mental Health and access

to MyHealth Magazine1/23/2012

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The Capacity-Building Continuum

Mental Health Awareness Mental Health Literacy Mental Health Expertise

Strategies for providing basic mental health information, tailored for different school

board audiences

Strategies for providing deeper working knowledge for those who have a direct role in supporting student mental

health

Strategies for providing SMH professionals with the skills

and knowledge to effectively provide evidence-based

promotion, prevention, and intervention

ALL SOME FEW

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Resources will be tailored to different education audiences (e.g., trustees, senior administrators, school mental health professionals, school administrators, school staff, parents,

youth)

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In 2011-2012, School Mental Health ASSIST will also provide more

focused support to 15 School Boards

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Algoma DSBAlgonquin and Lakeshore Catholic DSBCSD Catholiques Centre-SudCSD des écoles catholiques du Sud-OuestCSD du Nord-Est de l'OntarioDistrict School Board of NiagaraHamilton-Wentworth DSBHastings and Prince Edward DSBHuron-Superior Catholic DSBKeewatin-Patricia DSBKenora Catholic District School BoardPeel DSBSimcoe-Muskoka Catholic DSBToronto Catholic DSBTrillium Lakelands DSB

Selected for geographic, language, Catholic/Public representation, along a continuum of School Mental Health capacity

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This Support Focuses on:

1. Organizational Leadership for Effective School Mental Health

2. Mental Health Capacity-Building for Educators

3. Implementation of Evidence-Based Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Programming

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In addition to Mental Health Awareness & Decision-Making Supports for ALL

boards, these 15 Receive:

A Mental Health Leader Mental Health Leadership Modules

◦ developed in collaboration with CODE, Chief Psychologists and Chief Social Worker Associations, the Centre of Excellence & the Hospital for Sick Children

Resources, tools, and funding to support the development and implementation of their Board Mental Health Strategy

Mental Health Literacy Modules for Schools Ongoing Coaching and Implementation Support Access to an On-Line Mental Health Learning Forum

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These 15 boards will: Participate in the Leadership Module Series Conduct a Needs Assessment / Resource Mapping Create a written Board Mental Health Strategy Show progress in implementing the Board Mental

Health Strategy Deliver Mental Health Awareness materials to

appropriate audiences Deliver Administrator and School Staff Level

Mental Health Literacy resources Select appropriate mental health programming to

meet identified needs

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These 15 boards will also help to monitor the impact of ASSIST supports,

to determine if they are effective in building board & school capacity for

effective school mental health.

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If shown to be effective, it is hoped that more boards will receive this focused School Mental Health

ASSIST support in the future.

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This is complex work! There are lots of steps along the way…

Provincial Level (e.g., interministry coordination, SMH ASSIST)

Board Level (e.g., MH Strategy, coordinated mental health literacy training, menu of evidence-based strategies) School Level (e.g.,

enhanced staff understanding of students with behavioral problems and helpful strategies, more accurate identification and referral, more caring adults)

Student Level (e.g., enhanced sense of belonging, more help-seeking, stronger coping skills)

Better mental health and academic outcomes

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But, if we all work together, Ontario students will benefit from better mental health and well-being!

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Contact ASSIST Kathy Short, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Director, School Mental Health [email protected], x2634

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