Mental Health and Well-being
WCDSB Well Being Plan
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is dedicated to the well-being of students, families and staff by addressing the need for further enhancement, and addition to, programs pertaining to the development of resiliency, strengths based education, social and emotional learning, and behavioural competence within the context of Catholic education and our Catholic community. The concentration on Mental Health and well-being is an extension of the board’s strategic direction and is guided by a comprehensive 3 year (2016-2019) Mental Health Strategy.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board began the year by launching the “Elephant in the Room” campaign, partnering with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. The campaign is in place to reduce stigma regarding mental health concerns by creating safe, supportive school environments and thus ensuring that students, families, and staff know that they can come forward and not be judged. We are committed to the campaign and will continue to work on embedding anti-stigma into our board culture.
Concurrently, in support of improved mental health and well-being, the board is also addressing an extension of community, addition to curriculum in regards to resiliency programming, building coping strategies and stress management skills, mental health literacy and training for staff, and consistent review of existing protocols as well as additions if needed.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is devoted to ensuring that students, families and staff not only feel supported but also look to our schools as places whereby positive mental health is fostered and enriched.
Additionally, there is an expandable list of organizations and resources below. Please feel free to visit the links for more information that can be used for the betterment of mental health and well-being.
This CAMH video explains the separate but interconnected concepts of mental health and mental illness, as well as what it means to ‘promote mental health’, in ourselves, in our schools, and in our communities.
- Healthy Schools – Region of Waterloo Public Health
- Front Door
- Lutherwood
- Carizon
- Here 24/7
- Ray of Hope
- KW Counselling
- OK2BME at KW Counselling
- Grand River Hospital – Child & Adolescent Services
- Cambridge Memorial Hospital
- Mood Disorders Society of Canada (Elephant in the Room Campaign)
- Active Cambridge
- Parents for Children’s Mental Health
- Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council
- UMIND – Kids Health Links Foundation & Lutherwood
- Every Moment Counts
- Action for Happiness
- The ABC’s of Mental
- School Mental Health-Assist
- Supporting Minds Document – Government of Ontario
- Wilfrid Laurier University – Certificate in Mental Health Issues in the Classroom
- Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health
- Good-Mind-OFIFC-Mental-Health-Strategy
- U-ACT-Report-on-Mental-Health
- Teen Mental Health
- Always There
- Mind Shift
- Virtual Box
- Mind Your Mind
