‘Virtually every school division could speak to this’: GVSD staff supporting mental health – PembinaValleyOnline.com

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‘Virtually every school division could speak to this’: GVSD staff supporting mental health – PembinaValleyOnline.com

Garden Valley School Division staff recently went through another round of the Mental Health First Aid program developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The initiative has been an important part of the division’s focus on mental health awareness and equipping staff to see the signs of youth in mental health distress. 

What is ‘Mental Health First Aid’? 

According to Dan Ward—superintendent of GVSD, the MHFA program has been active within the division for some time, offering training to a variety of individuals, including teachers, clinicians, support staff, bus drivers, and even board members. 

“Essentially it’s an evidence-based program that trains individuals that typically are not mental health practitioners to recognize individuals, be they student, staff, adults, [and] community members that may be in a mental health crisis.”  

Ward continued to explain that the program is not aimed at training people to become mental health professionals but rather to equip them with the skills to recognize mental health struggles and respond appropriately. 

“It gives those individuals an ability to communicate effectively with those folks and also to help refer them on or link them with community support so that they can get the help that they need.” 

Over the past couple of years, GVSD has trained 162 individuals in Mental Health First Aid, including staff members from a range of roles within the division. 


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Uniquely equipped to learn 

Ward shared that one of the reasons that GVSD has been able to implement the program is thanks to the time invested in and by staff members. 

“We have two trainers within our school division. Two of our social workers received additional training. Obviously, they’re mental health professionals themselves, but they’ve received additional training to provide or facilitate Mental Health First Aid with our staff members.” 

The training is offered as part of the division’s Summer Institute and additional sessions are available throughout the year, including a recent intake in December. 

Mental health support in youth 

Ward shared that the division is seeing increased needs around mental health and that finding community support can be challenging in a rural community. 

“Virtually every school division across our province could speak to this… Having individuals within our school system that can recognize signs around mental health and some mental health challenges… has been additional support for our staff to support our students and our colleagues.” 

To listen to the full interview with Superintendent Dan Ward, click below 

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