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$1M for mental-health support in schools

The Brandon Sun - 9/9/2021

Funding for staff and student mental-health supports just received $1 million in additional funding Tuesday from the provincial government.

The province announced it will work with school divisions to ensure students’ needs are met.

“The impacts of the pandemic are far reaching and continue to be a critical issue for schools, families and communities as students return to school this fall,” said Education Minister Cliff Cullen. “These supports are in addition to the $2.5 million announced last year that was invested to support Manitoba students’ mental health during COVID-19.”

The Commission on K-12 Education and the Better Education Starts Today Best strategy, stressed the importance of student engagement and well-being. It recommended the implementation of an intersectoral mental-health strategy, addressing the needs of educators and students.

The new Manitoba Mental Health in Schools Strategy will be implemented in partnership with school divisions and stakeholders to support school-wide strategies including talking about mental health, training for teachers and school staff, teaching supports for mental health, ensuring appropriate tools and supports are available for students and supports for teachers and school staff.

In a partnership with Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery and Manitoba Education, the additional $1 million in funding is to provide a continuum of mental-health supports for students, teachers and other staff who are a part of the education workforce including:

• an additional $380,000 to the Canadian Mental Health Association to provide supports to the education workforce, including service-navigation specialists, online resources in French and English, and a peer wellness coaching team;

• an additional $100,000 for Sources of Strength to allow further expansion such as French translation of materials and provide peer-programming training for 50 more educators as well as expanding the number of secondary schools offering the program;

$40,000 to provide SafeTalk training for 50 educators, who then train students age 15 and over, teachers and parents in suicide prevention and intervention, and also provide for a centralized SafeTalk registry for easy access and resource deployment;

$80,000 to provide further professional development for educators and leaders that is trauma-informed and culturally relevant to address the effects of long-term trauma caused by the pandemic; and

$150,000 for pilot projects to support and enhance well-being through the engagement of elders and knowledge keepers in schools.

In addition to the focus on ensuring health and safety measures in schools such as improving ventilation and providing personal protective equipment, $58 million has been allocated to supporting safe schools in 2021-22, building upon the $185 million allocated during the last school year.