Announced at the start of National Mental Health Week and proposed for introduction in schools in the next school year, the new mandatory mental health literacy resources will include:
- New learning materials for Grade 7 and 8 students that are aligned with the Health and Physical Education curriculum. This includes important tools like student activities, videos and interactive programming and information that will help students learn how to manage stress, understand the relationship between mental health and mental illness, recognize the signs and symptoms of a mental health concern, counteract mental health stigma and know when and how to get help.
- Mandatory learning on mental health literacy for Grade 10 students will start in fall 2024 and will include how to recognize signs of being overwhelmed or struggling, as well as where to find help locally when needed. This will be included in the Career Studies course.
“Improving mental health literacy in schools is a critical part of building the resiliency skills that our children and youth need to grow up to be happy and healthy adults,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “There is no health without mental health. By providing schools these resources, we can lower stigma and improve connections to the community sector where students and their families can access Ontario’s continuum of care.”
The Ontario government is also announcing an increase in mental health funding in schools to a historic $114 million in 2023-24, representing an over 500 per cent increase since 2018.
Click this link to visit the Ontario News website for more information on these investments and how our government continues to support the mental health of Ontario students. |