Over two days, youth, teachers and mental health practitioners are gathering in Richmond to discuss B.C. students’ mental health.
On Thursday and Friday, the first ever School Community Mental Health Conference is taking place at Richmond’s Radisson Hotel, with presentations from Minister of Education Rob Fleming, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy, adolescent mental health expert Dr. Stan Kutcher, Hullabaloo youth slam poets and youth mental-health and wellness advocates.
More than 300 education and community partners at the forum will work towards improving mental health supports for B.C. students.
“The goal is really to promote mental wellness among all of our students,” Fleming told the Richmond News. “It’s also about helping kids who are struggling with mental health issues currently in the school system. It’s about breaking down stigmas.”
All 60 school districts across the province have sent representatives to the conference. As well, 10 youth will be present to share their experiences, their needs and their accomplishments in the mental health field.
Educators who have implemented beneficial programs, such as Mountainside Elementary in North Vancouver and John Barsby Secondary in Nanaimo will also have the opportunity to share their initiatives.
“We have some examples of excellence in difference districts across the province, and we have some big gaps,” Fleming said. “We know that people learn from their peers.”
From Fleming’s perspective, understanding what changes need to be made to support students both in and outside of school is a key part of this conference. Social media, the province’s new curriculum and self-awareness are all a part of that discussion.
“This conference will generate a lot of ideas that will help us contemplate more action,” Fleming said. “Kids that report having significant mental health issues in their lives have an atrociously low graduate rate – about 55 per cent. They need help and we need to find some ways to get them more of the help they need so they can be successful.”
On a practical level, Fleming hopes that organizations are able to collaborate with the ministry on how they support students. For example, Fleming noted that privacy agreements between hospitals and police may need to include schools, such as in cases where students harms themselves.
“If a kid is hospitalized for causing self-harm…over the weekend, the school principal needs to know about that on Monday so they can inform the teaching staff that counselling services and keeping an eye on that kid throughout the week is going to be necessary,” he said.
Above all, Fleming hopes B.C.’s educators are able to equip their students to understand and manage mental health.
“This is really about helping all 600,000 kids that are in the B.C. school system learn about how to be successful, how to look out for one another, how to tear down the stigmas that exist around mental health,” Fleming said.
“It’s ok to talk about it, it’s ok to get help, to reach out.”
