Dale Callender – Student Health

People for Education 16People for Education 16thth Annual Annual ConferenceConference

November 2, 2012November 2, 2012

Student Health

How can schools “build” well-rounded

well-grounded

AND

well-educated students?

Student Health Student Health involves Mental Healthinvolves Mental Health

What role should schools play in building healthy children?What role should schools play in building healthy children?

Approx 18% of children and adolescents may be suffering from moderate to severe mental disorders (Offord et al. 1997)

Less than one in five receive any specialized treatment.

For almost 40 years, Delisle Youth Services has addressed these concerns and enhanced the prospects of such youth by working with them directly in their schools

Nurture, Foster, Enhance, Nurture, Foster, Enhance, Build HealthBuild Health

Student Health can be about how we foster and enhance health with our students in schools…school is one

part of their life….helping students to feel they have worth is critical in

supporting learningThe Impact of Violence on Learning for Youth

Delisle Youth ServicesDelisle Youth ServicesSchool Based ServicesSchool Based Services

Delisle operates out of 6 school sites; Northern Secondary, North

Toronto Collegiate, Lawrence Park, York Memorial, Vaughan

Road Academy and CALC

Student Health Student Health Connecting with Students Connecting with StudentsReducing barriers- Make it ‘normal’ to get helpReducing barriers- Make it ‘normal’ to get help

“ He was involved in every aspect of the school. Every group, he helped out with. And everybody felt comfortable talking to him. I know 50 people I could name that went to go

talk with him about a problem they had”

Student – The Impact of Violence on Learning for Youth

Student HealthStudent Health Striking a balance between activities focused on behavior problems and

addressing mental health difficulties before they become intensified yielded

positive findings across the full range of mental health concerns; (Prout and Prout, 1998; Rones & Hoagwood, 2000; Whinston & Sexton, 1998):

Improvements in depression (Clarke et al., 1995)

Substance use (Botvin et al., 1994/1995 a, b)

Increased emotional literacy and enhanced interpersonal problem-solving skills (Greenberg, Kusche, Cook and Quamma, 1995)

Lower problematic behaviors at school and improved academic achievement (Knoff and Batsche, 1995)

Student HealthStudent Health

‘Mental health’ still leads to stigmatization (Corrigan 2004; Corrigan et al., 2000;

Socall & Holtgrave, 1992)

With the general public, and even with many service providers, the notion of mental

health continues to signal deviation from the norm.

Student Health and Mental Student Health and Mental HealthHealth

“I’ve seen young people who I worked with, with their mothers,

wandering from building to building looking for some school to take them in. And they won’t”Educator- The Impact of Violence on Learning for Youth

Student Health, Mental Health Student Health, Mental Health and Schoolsand Schools

In a May 17, 2007 address to the Empire club (entitled: Children’s Mental Health is Everybody’s Business),

Senator Michael Kirby (Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada), petitioned for a more expansive and less stigmatizing view of

mental health.

“we….need a major move of mental health services from their present location in most

communities into the schools”

Student Health and SchoolsStudent Health and Schools

Modifying risks for mental health problems, there are few more important tasks than setting interventions within the school

setting.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto and Toronto Public Health

Student Health, accessing Student Health, accessing support and Schools support and Schools

Youth are significantly more likely to access assistance when services are located in their schools

Our approach allows us to make a point about overlap between Children’s Mental Health and Education, since we are proposing the targeted goals of public education are concurrent with those of mental health


We assert that education and learning becomes severely compromised or even impossible without paying attention to mental health

Research has found a high degree of association between mental health problems and poor educational and academic functioning.

(Adelman & Taylor, 1998; Kessler, Foster, Saunders and Stang, 1995; also see Roeser, Eccles, & Strobel, 1998, for a review).

Delisle Youth ServicesDelisle Youth Services

School Based outreach services


There is a need for a new evolving approach that increases students’ engagement with school, helping

them connect with school

Student Health, Mental Health, Student Health, Mental Health, DYS School Based ServicesDYS School Based Services

Each of our school based programs offers students a wide variety of mental health services; individual counseling, psycho educational groups, social service/health referrals, as well as consultations and assessments for school administration and teachers

Our goal is to keep students actively engaged in school, and the ultimate aim is school completion.


Our collaboration with the TDSB began with ‘dropout prevention’

Early intervention and easy access to supportive services were protective factors, which increase the likelihood of successful school completion


In the last 15 years, DYS’ school-based programs have evolved into much more than a dropout prevention program.

They now include targeted therapeutic groups focusing on many relevant adolescent topics(social skills, anger management, girl talk, healthy relationships and meditation)

Activities such as WellNSS – Mental Health Matters and The Jack Project collaborations focused on mental health awareness and supports

Referrals/advocacy

Consultations and a formal assessment process


DYS’ school-based counselors help to develop coping skills that are transferable and contribute to success in various settings; community, home and work

These skills then act as protective factors for various mental health problems: anxiety, depression, anger management, social isolation, etc (see Rones and Hoagwood, 2000; and Whiston and Sexton, 1998; for a review)


Every new school was a unique culture unto itself and, rather than accept this as a trite truism, we used the knowledge to plan strategically for our work.

We avoid assuming that we know what the school needs but rather fit ourselves to the particulars of the school.


We become embedded in the culture of the school thus increasing We become embedded in the culture of the school thus increasing access points and reducing stigmaaccess points and reducing stigma

School-based counselors spend time establishing credibility in the specific school and among students by participating in various aspects of school life.

Counselors have coached sports teams, joined projects with student councils, mentored student groups, supported fund-raising efforts and participated on advisory panels.

Consistent with other school-based programs, our success in schools is contingent on this ability to become an integrated and established part of those schools we are partnered with (Gottfredson et al., 1993).


DYS is a multifaceted social service agency with a full range of mental health services (residential treatment, a section 23 school, art based programming, housing support, individual and family counseling, psychiatric consultation and special programming for LGBTQ youth) thereby making our school-based programs an access point to all these services.

Student Health, Mental Health, DYS Student Health, Mental Health, DYS School Based Services/TDSB School Based Services/TDSB

PartnershipPartnershipWithin each school, DYS collaborates with

existing support services. Social work and guidance services are consulted as students’ access our service and regular meetings are held with the administration to provide updates on client profiles, youth themes, and suggested areas of program development.

Northern Secondary School Northern Secondary School DYS School Based SiteDYS School Based Site

AdvantagesAdvantages

Easy access to serviceFull-time access in most sitesLittle overturn in staffing which supports

consistency and trustWorkers are seen as part of the school

fabricDYS’ service provides confidential support

DYS school-based services DYS school-based services design activitiesdesign activities

Children and Youth Services Information System (CYSIS) Involvement in School Culture Regular meetings with School Administration and Support

Services Community Consultations Health Education Consultations Client Assessment Counselling Groups Referrals/Advocacy

Northern Secondary School WellNSS – Northern Secondary School WellNSS – Mental Health Matters Mental Health Matters – partnership with – partnership with

DYSDYS

Documents

Dale Callender – Student Health