“This program will allow us to meet these students wherever they are, with one-stop counseling at school.”
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Faced with a huge influx of immigrant students, public schools are partnering with family services agencies to help children with overwhelming mental health challenges such as trauma and loss.
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The Calgary Board of Education and Kindred Connection Society are providing $2.4 million over two years from Alberta Education’s Mental Health Pilot Project to place up to 12 counselors in eligible schools over the next few months.
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Kindred Connections Society Co-CEO Jessica Cope Williams said:
Some have experienced severe shock and trauma from war and violence in their home countries, while others have suffered devastating losses of family, friends and the things they cherished in their former lives, Williams said. explained.
“This program is a one-stop-counseling at school and you can meet these students where they are. So if they’re having a bad day saying ‘I’m not okay’ We can sit with them later in the day.”
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Three Approaches to Helping Students
One-on-one counseling sessions will be the first of three approaches in targeted schools with large numbers of immigrant and refugee students, Williams added.
Kindred also encourages students and their families to refer them to additional services within the community for long-term access.
“This is especially important for students who have experienced trauma in their home country or early in Canada,” Williams said.
“We know that long-term service is also important to them, and we can pinpoint exactly what is most beneficial.”
A third approach involves ongoing training and development sessions for parents, families, and teachers related to immigrant students. This will empower school staff to identify and support student needs once the two-year pilot program is complete.
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Support needed to increase the number of refugee students
After this year’s flood of newcomers to Calgary, the CBE now has 5,254 non-Canadian students, including 828 refugees and those who have fled here since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. There are 1,021 Ukrainian students.
CBE officials also said the local resettlement agency had told them to expect a larger influx of Ukrainian families in April, and immigration levels are expected to remain strong going forward. added.
“This is a population experiencing considerable growth and an area of significant need. That is why we have dedicated staff specially trained in trauma-informed services to assist our students. , we want to give them immediate access to counselors,” said Andrea Holowka, CBE’s school improvement supervisor.
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“We provide a one-time session that can not only really help the immediate student, but also help them and their families better connect with community services.”
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Holowka said connecting families to services is especially helpful for students whose parents face language barriers or lack knowledge on how to access government assistance and local support agencies. explained as important.
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Most of the Kindred counselors who support students and train staff will be recruits to the CBE, Holowka added.
“We are working through that process now, and then we will start placing those counselors at different schools.”
Mental Health Support Needed in Schools: State
Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced late last fall that it would provide up to $40 million in funding for mental health pilot projects, allowing Alberta’s Board of Education to apply for the grant.
School authorities across the state have been directed to work with community mental health service providers to address their highest needs and implement the project through December 2024.
This project is to explore innovative approaches to providing support and services, including counseling, social and emotional learning, student assessment, and school staff training.
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Alberta Education said the pilot was created because mental health support is needed in schools more than ever.
“We have heard from parents, teachers, and other school staff that the disruption to learning and temporary school closures over the past few years have affected the mental health and wellbeing of many, if not all, Alberta students. In some way,” said Emily Peckham, a spokesperson for the education minister.
“Each of these projects is unique because they are designed according to locally identified needs, taking into account the background of the students, and finding the right services and supports already available within the community. ”
eferguson@postmedia.com
