Mental Health and Well-Being at AMDSB

Introduction to Mental Health Services at AMDSB

The AMDSB Mental Health and Well-Being (MHWB) Team consists of a Mental Health Lead, Mental Health Coordinator, and Mental Health Counsellors, who provide school-wide mental health promotion, prevention, intervention, and counselling services to students at both an elementary and secondary level. 

Using a Tiered Model of Support, we can promote mental health and well-being for ALL students; help to identify SOME students with, or at risk of developing, mental health problems; and access clinical support for the FEW students who require more intensive intervention. 

Our 2024-2027 Mental Health and Well-Being Strategic Plan aims to address service gaps, enhance capacity across all levels, and involve staff, students, and caregivers in mental health promotion and literacy. We recognize the crucial link between mental health and academic success, thus prioritizing staff training in evidence-based interventions, social-emotional learning, and system navigation to meet diverse student needs.

 

Central to our approach are culturally responsive, identity affirming, trauma-informed practices that foster belonging, connection, and mentally healthy school communities. Our Mental Health & Well-Being Three-Year Strategic Plan is tied to the AMDSB Strategic Plan 2024-2026 and will foster a collaborative culture that supports and enhances the well-being of students and staff.

 

Check out our Mental Health and Well-Being One-Year Action Plan for the 2024-2025 school year! 

 

 

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental health is one component of overall health.

The World Health Organization defines Mental Health as "a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is fruitfully able to make a contribution to his or her community."

This video from CAMH further explains the mental health continuum:  Promoting Mental Health -- Finding a Shared Language

 

School Mental Health Ontario is a provincial implementation support team who help school districts enhance student mental health through the use of evidence-based strategies and services using a systematic and comprehensive approach to school mental health.

VIDEO: By Your Side: We All Have Mental Health