SCHOOLS AS A SETTING FOR POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH Kathy Cassels, DASH BC

Schools as a setting for promoting positive mental health What is Positive Mental Health? Provincial Perspective Link to Schools Next Steps 2

“This is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.” — Doris Lessing

“Health is not simply the absence of disease: it is something positive …” —Henry Sigerist (1941)

Mental Health “is having a positive sense of how we feel, think and act which improves our ability to enjoy life and respond to life’s challenges” 1 1 NB Wellness Culture & Sport, 2 World Health Organization “A state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, copes with the normal stresses of life, works productively and fruitfully and makes a contribution to his or her community” 2 Positive Mental Health

“Positive mental health and mental fitness are the foundation for optimal overall health and wellbeing. From early childhood on, positive mental health is the springboard for thinking, learning, emotional growth, resilience and self esteem – ingredients that combine to support healthy choices across the lifespan. As a dimension of overall mental health, mental fitness endows individuals with the capacity to plan, act and reflect on decisions that in turn make a positive contribution to their social, emotional, and physical development and their well-being. An emphasis on good mental health and mental fitness should parallel and complement a focus on physical health and physical fitness”

Positive Mental Health when.. Connected to and encouraged by our family, friends, school, community and/or workplace Relatedness Strengths & skills recognized by ourselves and others Competency Opportunities to make choices and take action to positively impact our lives Autonomy

Positive Mental Health Mental Illness Better quality of life Reduced &/or better managed symptoms Delayed onset No Mental Illness More able to bounce back from adversity Make healthier choices Healthier Live longer More successful in school & jobs Happier in relationships Less prone to depression

Applying Positive Mental Health To the School Setting

Why Positive Mental Health? Students with poor mental heath: Are less likely to graduate Will have poorer health Will have increased: Substance abuse Risky behaviours Mental illness Criminal justice involvement Unemployment Use of social supports

Wellness School connectedness Flourishing Mental fitness Social & emotional learning Self-determination Resiliency Positive school environment School culture Anti-bullying Safe and caring schools Protective factors Mental health promotion Strength-based approach Positive Connections

The Favourite Teacher

Taking it School or System-wide

Taking Action Connected to and encouraged by our family, friends, school, community and/or workplace Relatedness Strengths & skills recognized by ourselves and others Competency Opportunities to make choices and take action to positively impact our lives Autonomy.... Replicating the Favourite Teacher

Assessment for Learning “Focusing on Assessment for Learning has provided our students with a sense of connectedness by giving them the opportunity for ownership over their learning. When students are the owners of their learning, they feel valued, and heard.”

Personalised Learning “When students can make connections they are engaged and take ownership for taking that next step of going deeper with their understanding and actions.”

Healthy Living “Through the garden, students are able to interact with adults in the school outside the classroom. They are able to make connections to their community through the school and make contributions to better the school through the growing of food. Students are eager to demonstrate their learning and share their accomplishments with their families.”

School Connectedness “Creating school connectedness fosters a positive environment, where teachers, parents, and children feel valued, supported, appreciated, and engaged in the school setting.”

New Perspectives… “The kids are doing the same thing they always did — but I see it in a different way now.” Teacher, Penticton

Taking it School or System-wide Links to Personalized Learning

Taking it School or System-wide Links to Personalized Learning

Taking it School or System-wide Links to Personalized Learning

Taking it School or System-wide Links to Personalized Learning

Next Steps School level toolkit Support and mentor schools Share knowledge and experiences