Strong Minds make for Strong Kids
Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada is committed to promoting the mental well-being of children and youth in Canada. We are dedicated to nurturing resilience in kids with the use of psychological science so they can manage, learn, and grow from the many challenges in life.

This resource contains full online modules for wellness related to Covid.  There is a module for students and a module for teachers.  Please open the resource for more details. 

" Join Teaching Tolerance for a webinar about student mental health—and why it matters. Cohosted by Dr. Charles Barrett, Chair for the National Association of School Psychologists Multicultural Affairs Committee, this webinar will focus on challenges students face regarding mental health, including how those challenges can vary depending on their intersecting identities. We will also share examples of what schools and districts are doing to address these challenges. Finally, you will learn about tools and strategies for your own classroom and school community."

Access:
*parent helpline phone
*resources
*videos
*brochures
*more

This is the presentation by Shannon McJannet from the May SBA meeting on supporting staff mental health.

When someone you love has been diagnosed
with a mental illness, you feel a mixture of
emotions. Concern, compassion, disbelief, anger,
relief, anxiety, grief, love, guilt ? any and all of
these emotions are understandable and normal.
Who is taking care of you?, What to do in a crisis? A note on Privacy. Income and Housing Support

"These videos from thoughtful, insightful creators offer empathy, information, and insight."
*understanding feelings
*tips
*why mental health matters
*how to feel less sad
*anxiety and stress
*negative thinking

Teachers emotionally support our kids — but who's supporting our teachers? In this eye-opening talk, educator Sydney Jensen explores how teachers are at risk of "secondary trauma" — the idea that they absorb the emotional weight of their students' experiences — and shows how schools can get creative in supporting everyone's mental health and wellness.

Tookits (intermediate and high school) and activities (student Action Guide, etc.) available on the website:
-Getting help
-Their program
-Youth portal and teacher portal
-Crisis

"To make a difference in the life of a child ... I made the commitment to tell my personal story," says educator Lisa Godwin. In this moving talk, she shares her experience of overcoming childhood trauma with the quiet, unwavering support of a teacher and school counselor — and shows how educators can help students and families navigate hardships by sharing their own stories.

Ages: 8-12

Start a conversation with your students about mental health and how taking care of our minds is just as important as taking care of our bodies.

Wealth of resources on:​

Healthy Spaces​

Promoting Belonging​

Building Resilience​

Mental Health Literacy​

Promising Practices

"Hitting a wall? Explore self-care strategies to battle teacher burnout, and rediscover your inner superhero to bring excitement and creativity back into your classroom."

Teen Mental Health.org has created "animations, face-to-face training programs, web-based training programs, mobile applications, eBooks, easy to understand guides and books designed specifically for youth, parents, educators and health providers" to translate mental health knowledge in order to improve the mental health of youth.

Multiple health topics available as text or in audio format. Written for teens to understand.

Test Anxiety PDF resource. Compiled from several resources. A 'how to deal' guide for students, teachers, and parents.

Constable Al Arsenault, along with six other policemen, document the people on their beat to create a powerful film about drug abuse. This group of officers developed a unique relationship with addicts in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. In this documentary, drug addicts talk openly about how they got to the streets and send a powerful message of caution to others about the dangers of drug abuse.

Most people dislike feeling uncomfortable. There are many different ways that humans can feel uncomfortable…we can be hot, cold, tired, in pain, hungry, unwell, and the list could go on. The type of discomfort we will be talking about in these modules is emotional discomfort, or what is often called distress. We may not like it, but experiencing uncomfortable emotions is a natural part of life. However, there is a difference between disliking unpleasant emotions and experiencing unpleasant emotions as unbearable and needing to get rid of them. Being intolerant of experiencing emotional discomfort can interfere with living a fulfilling life, and can escalate any emotional discomfort we might be experiencing.

"Download our Toolkit for Promoting Empathy in Schools. You can download the toolkit in Spanish, French, and Korean, too.

The Start Empathy Toolkit is the product of interviews with more than 60 educators and leading social entrepreneurs. We asked quite simply, “What works?” We wanted to know what it would take to create a classroom where kids’ social and emotional needs are met and how to cultivate the kinds of skills that are critical for success in today’s (and tomorrow’s) world. The result is not a prescription or a formula, or a silver-bullet fix. Consider this a living set of tools: tools that will grow and evolve over time, as each of us adds our own. We encourage you to think beyond your classroom walls to what it takes to mobilize your entire school community. Together, let’s creatively reimagine what changemaking education can look like.

The toolkit contains the combined wisdom of dozens of teachers, organizations, and people who live this everyday: tips and tools, lesson plans and examples, and, most importantly, insights that can help inform everything from how you design your classroom to your daily interactions with students and colleagues. Some exercises can be done in as little as two minutes, while others can take the form of months-long class projects, applied to a range of subjects. Others simply offer a strategy you can adapt to your existing lesson plans, and tips that are proven to improve teacher and student performance alike. Some you may be familiar with, and others may be new. We invite you to test these in your classroom, and use them to generate ideas of your own."

This website contains Canadian information and resources on Adverse Childhood Experiences
It is critically important to acknowledge, however, that interpersonal violence is not the only source of trauma. Trauma can be experienced as a result of structural violence, or experiences that happen to children because of who they are, how they live, and lack of opportunities.