Alberta invests $6.7M to extend school mental health program – DiscoverAirdrie.com

The government of Alberta is spending $6.7 million to extend the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program so that up to 350,000 students will receive in-school mental health services in the 2024–2025 academic year.

According to the provincial government in a press release, the program was first launched in 2022, focussing on improving the delivery of mental health supports and services for students and providing tools, training and resources for the school community, with the goal of improving student mental health outcomes.

“With our continued support for student mental health, school authorities, mental health service providers and other organizations are taking collaborative and innovative approaches to support the well-being of students. By funding dozens of mental health pilot projects, we are helping drive local solutions while also gathering the information necessary to help inform decisions on supporting student well-being across the province for years to come,” stated Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education.

In order to address the particular needs of the kids and communities they serve, 79 school divisions throughout the province have benefited from the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program by launching locally created mental health activities in their buildings.

“These initiatives include and are not limited to hiring in-school psychologists and social workers, delivering mental health literacy programs, and providing professional development and training for staff,” mentioned the press release. “Fifty-nine of the projects were set to end in December 2024, and the additional funding will extend those initiatives to ensure students continue to be supported for the entire 2024-25 school year.”

The Mental Health in Schools Pilot initiative will continue until the conclusion of the academic year in 2024–2025. Afterwards, in order to help guide future policy decisions to improve students’ mental health and well-being, school officials will be requested to submit reports on the pilots.

“Prioritizing mental health resources is essential for students to learn, belong and succeed. Rocky View Schools (RVS) appreciates the provincial government’s recognition of the strong connection between mental health and learning. Continuing to provide this critically needed funding allows RVS to offer existing mental health programs for another year to support student achievement,” mentioned Fiona Gilbert, board chair of Rocky View Schools.

Applications for this funding were accepted from First Nations education authorities, accredited-funded independent school authorities, public, separate, francophone, public charter, and accredited school authorities.

“With this $6.7-million investment, Alberta’s government is funding over $50 million in Mental Health in Schools Pilot projects,” stated the press release.

Regarding the Alberta Government’s decision to extend the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program, President of the Alberta Teachers’ Association Jason Schilling has released the following statement”

“I am encouraged to see the government recognizes the importance of providing mental health supports for our students. The decision to extend the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program is welcome news, but it still falls short of providing the public education system with the reliable funding it needs in this area.

“This program only guarantees access to mental health supports and services until the end of the upcoming school year. However, our members have consistently expressed the need for dependable and continuous mental health supports for their students.

“Now, more than ever, the government needs to make funding for projects that support student mental health a permanent part of the budgeting cycle and not an afterthought.”

Also recently the provincial government announced they are providing a one-time funding and modular schools boost for school divisions. RVS will receive up to 12 new modular classrooms and have up to 12 relocated. Out of $125 million in funding, RVS will receive $4 million.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to [email protected]. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.

DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app. For breaking news, weather and contest alerts, click here.