School Personnel Training and Licencing Contracts Available
Each Healthy Mind Healthy Body resource have been developed as stand-alone teacher training resource incorporating within the necessary information for school personnel to become knowledgeable how to have healthy conversations on mental health, and mental health challenges, guidance how to answer students’ questions, address topics and certain situations, and guidance on actions to take when situations are beyond teachers’ mandate and scope.
For educators who prefer an interactive training workshop, in-person or virtual workshops are available. This will allow questions to be asked and answered, increase comfort level in teaching mental health topics, and may help feel better prepared to teach this very important topic. Training outline can be tailored to specific need. Here are some examples to name a few:
- Understand why it is important to talk about mental health in schools
- Become familiar with the important general messages when teaching children
- Review important elements related to emotional health
- The brain keeps changing and what this means
- Thought to be “Innocent words” can hurt, and how talking about it can help change this
- Expected emotional or behavioural manifestations of emotional feelings, thoughts, and behaviours
- Sensitive and appropriate language
- Having healthy conversations with students
- Awareness of mental health ↔ mental health challenges continuum and early warning signs of mental health concerns that may indicate a deeper problem for which the student may need attention (speak to parents, school counsellor, etc.).
- Guidance how to speak to parents/caregivers
Teachers are in constant contact with children. They, along with other school personnel, can be a critical link, resulting in the assessment and treatment of childhood mental health conditions. With warmth and empathy, teachers talk to children; listen; and are a major, influential part of their lives. They also meet with parents/caregivers and routinely address concerns about their children. Through this resource, teachers (like students and, hopefully, parents/caregivers) can acquire confidence in discussing students’ mental health inquiries or concerns. Therefore, confidence in listening, talking to the child, and/or directing the child appropriately to talk to a trusted adult, for instance, would become more commonplace.
Licensing agreement is also available.