An evidence-based program deisgned to teach youth to develop coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety.

More than 120 Regina Grade 4 and 6 students have been given some new "FRIENDS" to help them better cope with stress, as part of a pilot program in Regina Public Schools.
The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region and Regina Public Schools teamed up this school year to offer an innovative pilot program to 122 students in Grades 4 and 6, giving them tools to help reduce and better manage stress, anxiety and depression. The program is funded by the RBC Foundation through its five-year Believe in Kids pledge.
"Children are experiencing more stress, and this can lead to physical and mental health problems," said Robert Stephenson, RQHR psychologist and Regina FRIENDS pilot project coordinator. "The FRIENDS program equips kids with coping tools at an early age, so they can be more successful in dealing with situations as they arise, hopefully preventing significant difficulties later in life."
FRIENDS is an acronym for the skills and lessons emphasized in the program:
-Feelings
-Remember to relax
-I can try! I can do my best!
-Explore coping plans and solutions
-Now reward yourself
-Don't forget to practice
-Smile and stay calm for life

A storytelling site by and for people with lived mental health experience. Helping to break down stigma by educating through stories and experiences.

We all have something to share from our experience with mental health, regardless of where we are in the journey, and this is what this blog is about.
This blog serves in 3 ways:
1) to facilitate those of you who have a mental health issue(s), or care about someone who has a mental health issue(s), to write about your experience for the purpose of telling part of your story and sharing your wisdom, by having it published on this site (click here for more info on Superhero guest blogging);
2) to give you the opportunity to read what myself and others have experienced and I hope with all my heart that will help you to feel less lonely and misunderstood and maybe even a little bit empowered; and
3) to educate others who are interested in putting themselves in the shoes of someone who has a mental health issue.

A FREE Psychological First Aid Guide from the Canadian Red Cross
The likelihood that a sudden crisis event might affect you or someone you know is higher than you think. That is why it’s critical that you take the steps to learn Psychological First Aid and prepare yourself to handle the extreme stress that a crisis event can cause.

The guide will teach you:
How to create your own self-care plan
The Look, Listen, Link, Live Cycle
How to provide Psychological First Aid to others
The Do No Harm Principles

This document outlines all of the provincial and regional mental health resources and contact information (addresses, phone/fax numbers, website addresses, email contacts) for Saskatchewan.

It gives the emergency or crisis information for the province and the contact information for the Saskatchewan Regional Health Authorities.

"As impactful as these times have been on each of us as adults, this pandemic has also deeply impacted our youth. Children and teens are spending less time with their peers, which can influence mood, behavior and mental health, as well as affect their development. Youth and adults alike—ourselves at Yoga Ed. included—are cycling through thoughts of “I’m fine, we’re fine” and “we are definitely not fine.” In this toolkit, you will find tangible, effective tools to nurture healthy communication and connection as we navigate this uncertain time.

This toolkit is designed as a resource for caregivers in order to:

Better understand your own mental health needs and the needs of the youth in your life,

Provide ideas for sustaining self-care practices, and

Learn practices to support connections between caregivers and youth."

You will need to enter your email address to download the kit.

1 in 5 Canadians Experience Mental Illness in Any Given Year. We All Know Someone.
And yet, one of the biggest issues in our health care system – and society at large – is that mental health is not taken as seriously, and treated as urgently, as physical health. But when you hear the stories, and see the impact mental illness has on the lives of so many around us, it's hard to stand idly by. Together, we can and must change the way mental health is treated not just in Canada, but around the world. We invite you all to join the movement. Watch the videos. Share the content. Donate now.

#MentalHealthIsHealth

Sun West School Division has developed an optional course based on student interest in the area of mental wellness as an elective at the 30 level. Mental Wellness A30L will provide an extension of the skills and knowledge acquired in the Wellness 10 course, and will consist of both theory and applied learning using low- and high-level technologies.

Mental Wellness Basics introduces students to concepts related to mental health and wellness. Stigma associated with mental health can have serious and negative impacts on help-seeking behaviors, and many mental health conditions and symptoms can be significantly lessened through prevention. As such, the lessons in this course focus on:

Supporting students in identifying threats to mental health early, and taking measures to increase factors that protect mental health.
Introducing students to the experiences of others in order to develop awareness and empathy, reduce stigma, and provide facts on the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions.
Fostering a mental health mindset to help students develop feelings of self-efficacy and skills that promote and model advocacy for self and others.

This Course Covers
Self Awareness
Self Management
Relationship Skills
Social Awareness
Responsible Decision-Making

This is a strategy for checking on students' mental wellness in your classroom.

Student activities for Social and Emotional Learning and mental wellness. Each skill includes information, resources, materials needed and activities.

"Prairie South's online Wellness Room provides individuals with tools, activities, and resources to support them with their Mental Health. There are “toolboxes” for parents, kids, teens, and teachers with great videos, articles, and websites."

A video of a 30 minute Yoga class that teaches the participants positions and strategies to help with anxiety relief.

Mental Wellness – Basics is a course that introduces adolescents to concepts related to mental health and wellness. Stigma associated with mental health can have serious and negative impacts on help-seeking behaviors, and many mental health conditions and symptoms can be significantly lessened through prevention. As such, this course will do the following:

Support students in identifying threats to mental health early, and taking measures to increase factors that protect mental health.
Attempt to reduce stigma by introducing students to the experiences of others in order to develop awareness and empathy, as well as by providing facts on the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions.
Foster a mental health mindset in students and help them develop feelings of self-efficacy by introducing knowledge and skills that promote and model advocacy for self and others.

This Course Covers
Self Awareness
Self Management
Relationship Skills
Social Awareness
Responsible Decision-Making

Struggling with anxiety? Tired of missing out? There are things you can do to stop anxiety and fear from controlling your life. MindShift™ is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it.

MindShift™ will help you learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps that will help you take charge of your anxiety. This app includes strategies to deal with everyday anxiety, as well as specific tools to tackle:

Making Sleep Count
Riding Out Intense Emotions
Test Anxiety
Perfectionism
Social Anxiety
Performance Anxiety
Worry
Panic
Conflict

Think of MindShift™ as your portable coach helping you face challenging situations and take charge of your life.

Through social emotional learning, students learn to better understand and navigate their thoughts and feelings, set goals, work and empathize with others, build friendships, and lead successful and enriched lives.

With this toolkit, you’ll be able to practice the five core competencies of SEL through simple, engaging yoga tools with your children and teens.

Enter your email to download your free toolkit.

Mindfulness is a form of brain training. It is training our brain to pay attention to where we want it to be. It is training our brain to not wander or be stuck on one thought but to be able to train our brain to go where we want it to go … and ultimately, be able to stay there for a while. The goal of Mindfulness Meditation is simply to get our brain to pay attention to the present moment, and what is happening ‘right now.’ But we must also be able to do this without judging our thoughts, ourselves, or others.
This resource includes:
- How mindfulness works
- Instructions to do it

"Minding Your Money: Skills for Life is a free digital financial education course that teaches students about different financial stages in life, how money and mental health are intertwined, and how money can affect interpersonal relationships. The interactive course empowers students to develop their own personal financial values, goals, and habits."

Ages: 16+

Overarching Question: How do we define success and how does this definition impact our lives?

Mobile Crisis Services, Inc. is a non-profit community-based organization that has been providing crisis intervention services to Regina and province of Saskatchewan since 1974. The overall purpose of the agency is to provide integrated and comprehensive social and health crisis intervention services.
Mobile Crisis Services is governed by a volunteer board of directors. These volunteers contribute a significant amount of time to assist in the direction of programs and services for youth, individuals, families and seniors.
Services are provided on a 24-hour, seven day a week basis, in order to assure accessibility regardless of the time of day. The agency was formulated on the philosophy of “where services should be provided, they will be provided.” The agency represents an innovative approach to crisis intervention and is an integral part of the health and social service delivery systems. Mobile Crisis Services is committed to community health and the development of supportive communities.
The demand for crisis intervention services remains high with the agency responding to 23,286 calls during the 2014-15 fiscal year. Mobile Crisis Services receives funding from 7 different strategic partners.

More Than My Diagnosis is part of the Otsuka Patient Education Network (OPEN), a series of online resources for a broad community of people living with health issues. This includes individuals diagnosed with a mental health condition and caregivers for individuals who have or have had a mental health condition.
OPEN is sponsored by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. The information provided by OPEN and the More Than My Diagnosis website is intended for educational benefit only, and does not represent scientific fact or medical advice. Speak with a health care professional about your or your loved one's symptoms and illnesses to determine diagnosis and appropriate treatment options.
Every individual’s health experience can be different. On this website, participants have shared their personal experiences. Individual experiences may vary