Bridges
Bridges is a Tier One identity-affirming mental health promotion resource for secondary students which prioritizes 2S/LGBTQIA+ student mental health and well-being through small group facilitation.
What is Bridges?
Bridges is intended to provide self-directed training, resources and guidance to staff who are directly supporting 2S/LGBTQIA+ students, specifically through affinity spaces such as GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) and other group settings.
Bridges also offers a variety of discussion topics and activities for students that focus on positive mental health and well-being of 2S/LGBTQIA+ students.
Note: Bridges is not considered a psychotherapeutic offering. It is a mental health promotion resource and can be facilitated by any staff member.
What is included in Bridges?
This resource includes:
- Bridges Facilitator Training: seven (7) self-directed modules designed to enhance knowledge and capacity in supporting 2S/LGBTQIA+ students within GSA/affinity groups
- Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the training.
- Bridges Student Modules: a series of student discussion topics and activities packaged in eight (8) modules designed to be flexibly delivered to foster connection and self-reflection in support of 2S/LGBTQIA+ student mental health and well-being
- additional supporting documents for implementation teams and programming resources for facilitators
If you have questions about Bridges or you are interested in engaging in the self-directed Bridges Facilitator Training course, connect with the mental health leader at your board.
Key information about Bridges
Why it matters
The literature is clear that access to supportive affinity spaces such as GSAs can help mitigate the negative effects of stress and discrimination on health and contribute to good mental health outcomes for 2S/LGBTQIA+ individuals (Rainbow Health Ontario, 2022). Affinity spaces that amplify student leadership (Student Engagement Toolkit) include adult support and weave in social-emotional skill development have been found to offer positive impacts (Poteat, Yoshikawa, et al., 2023). Finally, 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth with supportive adults are FOUR TIMES more likely to have feelings of good or excellent mental health (Egale, 2021).
Bridges provides resources and guidance to enhance knowledge and capacity to support 2S/LGBTQIA+ students within GSA and/or affinity groups.
Bridges is a resource that:
- is a Tier One evidence-informed identity-affirming mental health promotion resource
- is designed to be delivered within an Ontario school context
- promotes mental health and well-being and fosters connections
- provides guidance and strategies that enable staff to become more supportive of 2S/LGBTQIA+ students
- is free of cost
- helps equip staff to offer and maintain affinity spaces within schools
- is a sustainable resource, contextualized for education designed in consultation with students, staff and other collaborators
- offers practical activities for GSAs that support student mental health and well-being
- can be adapted to student, school and system needs or interests
Note: Bridges has been designed to be facilitated within secondary schools. Boards are encouraged to engage in thoughtful reflection, collaboration and implementation planning when adapting/customizing Bridges materials for use beyond the intended secondary school audience.
Feedback from the field
During the 2025-26 school year, School Mental Health Ontario collaborated with eight (8) school boards to conduct the Bridges field test and explore the fit and feasibility of the program within Ontario schools. This project involved numerous school staff including mental health leaders, managers, equity leads, educators, school mental health professionals and a variety of school staff directly supporting 2S/LGBTQIA+ students. Staff from four (4) francophone boards also participated in an independent review of the facilitator and student modules to ensure fit and feasibility within a francophone school context.
Feedback to support Bridges indicates that:
- When the need for a GSA is identified within a school, staff may not feel well-equipped to support it, which can present a barrier to offering affinity spaces for 2S/LGBTQIA+ students.
- Staff that are supporting GSAs may not feel adequately prepared to navigate discussions regarding mental health and well-being.
- There is a need for user-friendly, sustainable resources that support GSAs which are contextualized for school communities.
Feedback from the Bridges field test indicates that:
- 95% of respondents reported that the training helped them to feel confident or very confident about facilitating Bridges.
- “There is space for curiosity yet clear guidelines for what to say along with provided activities. It is a nice balance of having a safe and equipped adult, while also having the students lead.”
- The Bridges training “is accessible to a wide range of experiences with running affinity groups.”
- With regards to the relevance and helpfulness of the student modules, all respondents report that the topics are both relevant to and helpful in supporting secondary students.
What is the process to access Bridges?
If you are interested in learning more about Bridges, please contact the mental health leader at your school board. Remember to follow your board’s process for completing professional development and implementing resources within schools.
Note: Student modules and supportive materials are only accessible to those who complete the self-directed Bridges Facilitator Training.