Mental Health in Schools Strategy
Collaborate with the Department of Mental Health and Community Wellness to launch a mental health in schools strategy, focused on the 5Ts: talking, training, teaching, tools, and taking care.
What's New
- Promoted mental health for the 2022/23 Teachers' Idea Fund, with $3.2 million invested this year for 38 new projects that support mental health and well-being of students and staff.
- Continued financial support for core mental health programs, including the Care for All in Education Initiative, Sources of Strength, and Safe Talk, as well as an expanded partnership with the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium to offer professional learning on trauma-informed practices for rural and northern school staff.
The Commitment
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning and Manitoba Mental Health and Community Wellness released a joint Mental Health in Education Strategy in September 2021. The strategy introduced the 5Ts Framework for Mental Health Education in Schools: TALKING about mental health; providing appropriate TRAINING for teachers and staff; incorporating mental health into TEACHING; providing helpful TOOLS for students; and TAKING CARE of teachers. The strategy includes a collaboration with Queen’s University to administer the national Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey for students in Grades 6 to 10 as a measure of student mental health and well-being.
What This Means for Manitobans
Student mental health and well-being is an ongoing concern of educators, school/division administrators, and government. COVID-19 has created and exacerbated issues in mental health and wellness faced by Manitoba students. Improving student engagement and well-being is one of the imperatives for action under the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning’s K—12 Action Plan.
Decisions to inform the development of targeted mental health supports and health promotion strategies will be based on data obtained from the survey to meet the specific needs of youth in Manitoba.
Next Steps
- Schools and school divisions will receive their specific survey results and report in June 2023.
- A comprehensive provincial level report is expected in spring 2024.
The Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Survey will be initiated in the 2022/23 school year.
