Building system coherence
System leaders who commit to and embed a focus on identity-affirming mental health and addictions prevention in their daily work in departments and with schools contribute to supportive learning environments for every student, and systemic coherence as they inspire, activate and lead for uptake.
Five areas that activate coherence
The following five areas activate coherence throughout the system to support our shared responsibility in leading mentally healthy schools.
- commitment
- centre every student
- competence and confidence
- communicate
- collaborate
Commitment
Leadership commitment is demonstrated when mental health and well-being that is identity-affirming is prioritized as a foundation for every student to learn and flourish:
- Articulate and demonstrate the role and shared responsibility of all leaders in promotion, prevention and early intervention related to student mental health and addictions prevention.
- Bring coherence to daily work in departments and within schools by aligning with the board’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy and Action Plan.
- Promote a focus on mental health and wellness to create a culture where mentally healthy learning environments and instruction can reach every student.
- Acknowledge and work to dismantle structures and processes that privilege some students and marginalize others. to pave the way for a mental health system of supports that truly serves every student.
The very centre says “every student”. A ring around the centre circle says “commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, and equity”.
The next ring out has the words dismantle, engage, amplify and respond. Each word expands out to a box with a definition:
Dismantle and remove oppression and racism with anti-oppressive and anti-racist policies and practices
Resources to support Commitment
Centre every student
Every student has access to differentiated and identity-affirming mental health supports and services:
- Establish caring and supportive learning environments where relationships are prioritized, students see their abilities, strengths, cultures and identities uplifted, and experience a sense of belonging.
- Take action to address disparities and disproportionalities in mental health outcomes for students who are marginalized, racialized, otherwise disadvantaged and/or who have special education needs.
- Connect students to culturally relevant school and community supports that promote wellness.
The very centre says “every student”. A ring around the centre circle says “commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, and equity”.
The next ring out has the words dismantle, engage, amplify and respond. Each word expands out to a box with a definition:
Respond with differentiated and identity-affirming mental health supports
Resources to support Centre every student
Competence and confidence
Strengthen competence and confidence in mental health literacy across the system:
- Engage in learning and establish the processes and structures that inspire and activate mental health literacy for all staff through the systematic implementation of MH LIT – Mental Health in Action for System Leaders, Leading Mentally Healthy Schools, MH LIT – Mental Health in Action for School Administrators, and MH LIT – Mental Health in Action for Educators.
- Provide guidance and resources related to creating and sustaining mentally healthy schools and classroom environments that are supportive and affirming for every student, across cultures and identities.
- Equip school administrators to support staff to embed culturally responsive mental health promotion and literacy through instruction, practise, and ongoing modelling.
- Use clearly articulated board/school circle of support protocols to help school staff identify and support students who may be experiencing mental health problems, and to facilitate help-seeking when needed.
- Establish practices to support educators to explicitly embed culturally responsive mental health literacy in daily instruction and within the learning environment.
Resources to support Competence and confidence
Communicate
Build shared language and understanding about school mental health:
- Demonstrate commitment through routine communication about mental health and well-being at school, to establish common language and reduce stigma.
- Prioritize mental health literacy and have a process to share, receive and respond with evidence and stories of uptake within and across the system.
- Share information with students, staff, and parents/caregivers around mental health supports at school and within the community.
- Create opportunities for meaningful consultation, contribution, partnership, and leadership.
- Engage students, staff, parents/caregivers and community partners in identity-affirming mental health promotion and stigma reduction efforts.
- Amplify the perspectives of those who have been historically (and are currently) marginalized so that their important ideas and world views are embedded in mental health supports and services.
The very centre says “every student”. A ring around the centre circle says “commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, and equity”.
The next ring out has the words dismantle, engage, amplify and respond. Each word expands out to a box with a definition:
Amplify diverse student, parent/caregiver and community perspectives by decentring whiteness
Resources to support Communicate
Collaborate
Engage schools as a supportive and effective part of the wider system of care:
- Work together to reinforce, design and communicate a comprehensive continuum of school mental health supports and services that prioritizes a cross-disciplinary school/system-wide focus on mental health promotion, early identification, prevention and early intervention services.
- Honour and activate the knowledge and expertise that members of the community have in supporting identity-affirming student mental health and well-being, including parents/caregivers, community mental health providers, Elders, faith leaders, allies, and others in our shared commitment to reconciliation, equity and mental health.
- Support school mental health professionals to take an identity-affirming approach to evidence-informed prevention and early intervention.
The very centre says “every student”. A ring around the centre circle says “commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, and equity”.
The next ring out has the words dismantle, engage, amplify and respond. Each word expands out to a box with a definition:
Engage and partner with students, parents/caregivers and community with cultural humility
When these five areas to build coherence are activated, there is shared responsibility in leading a mentally healthy system and schools.
Resources to support Collaborate
Decision Support Tool
School Mental Health Ontario has developed a Decision Support Tool for System and School Leaders that helps support the system and school decision-making process related to particular mental health awareness products or services. It aims to ensure alignment with the board/school mental health strategy and action plan and encourages an assessment of fit with the local context. That is, it helps to encourage the use of mental health initiatives, programs, products or services that are identity-affirming and culturally responsive, and are attentive to local needs, strengths, and existing successful resources and practices.
To ensure coherence, initiatives should be part of a comprehensive plan. The board’s mental health leader supports this process.