You have the tools, we can help you use them - A look at mental health resources in Alberta

By Taryn Rittberg You have the tools, we can help you use them -– A look at mental health resources in Alberta

One of the best resources for school counsellors of students from Kindergarten all the way to Highschool is the Making Mental Health Matter in Alberta Tool Kit.

Created by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Alberta Division, the Making Mental Health Matter in Alberta Tool Kit is designed to provide teachers and counsellors with resources to support their efforts in both advocating for better mental health supports in Alberta, and finding resources in a timely manner for those in need.

Its primary goal is to provide the information that is need to make mental health accessible and helpful in all communities in Alberta.

The Tool Kit includes a variety of formats including worksheets and diagrams, as well as different approaches beginning with the individual all the way to community based tools, that can be used in a wide variety of situations.

The Tool Kit not only includes mental health aids for students, the CMHA has made this tool kit truly inclusive, by locations, age, and socioeconomic situation.

One of the many fantastic resources which the Making Mental Health Matter in Alberta tool kit provides, is a set of maps which indicate where services can be found all across the province of Alberta. Including maps focusing on Caregiver Connections who “offers peer-to peer support for families and individuals who are parenting or supporting a person with a mental health concern”, Healthy Campus Alberta (HCA) who is a “supports the advancement of mental health strategies specific to postsecondary campuses across the province. HCA has members from all 32 post-secondary institutions in Alberta including the five Indigenous Colleges”, Integrated Youth Service Delivery Hubs which “develop youth-oriented service delivery hubs that support physical health, mental health and addictions, and provide access to supports and services in a youth friendly environment”, the Rural Mental Health Project which “trains and embeds mental health animators in 150 rural and remote communities in Alberta

(over three years). The project’s goal is to develop action plans to advance mental health on a community level”, as well as maps which showcase many other wonderful resources across Alberta.

The abundant use of social media applications is another source of anxiety, especially in teenagers, who statistically use these platforms more than any other age group. With everything being posted digitally, students and children are looking for external validation online. This is a very important concept to discuss with students and children, as they enter high school, and begin to have access to a wide variety of digital platforms. n

Work Cited: https://alberta.cmha.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2019/10/Making-Mental-Health-Matter-in-Alberta_ ToolKit_2019.pdf