Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide
Basic, foundational training available at no cost via University of British Columbia. To request comprehensive training and an adapted US version, go to The Mental Health Collaborative, scroll to the Contact section at the bottom of the page and enter your information to be contacted about the training that's right for you.
Mental Health Literacy Component Inventory
Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health: ADDRESSED
Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments: ADDRESSED
Decreasing stigma: ADDRESSED
Understanding how to seek help effectively: ADDRESSED
Learning Standard Inventory
Based on learning standards provided by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Compare & contrast emotional, mental + behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
YES
Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
NO
Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
YES
Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns
YES
Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care
NO
Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
YES
As a pioneering curriculum that defined Mental Health Literacy, the curriculum guide provides a complete set of educational tools to increase understanding of mental health and mental disorders among both students and teachers. Originating in Canada, the Guide has been adapted to the US and is taught in schools throughout the US and abroad. It is developed to help enhance the mental health literacy of students and targeted to be used in grades seven through ten. This is the time of the lifespan in which the diagnoses of mental disorders begins to increase dramatically; it is thus essential that young people be able to have the knowledge, attitudes and competencies to help themselves and others if necessary. The Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide increases awareness of mental disorders and their treatments, as well as increasing understanding of how to obtain and maintain mental health, reducing stigma and improving help-seeking efficacy.
Materials, Evidence and Implementation
SUPPORT MATERIALS
•Resources/Materials: Curriculum Guide training required for all educators who will be teaching the curriculum in schools, providing a cost-effective, sustainable training in which educators are given all training and resources to embed the curriculum into their 7th - 10th grade classroom. All trainings can be done in-person or virtually. For cost of training, contact www.Mental Health Collaborative.org
•Fidelity Measure: No
•Student learning measure: Yes (pre and post knowledge)
EVIDENCE (click for more info)
- 6 Studies in Canada (4 peer-reviewed, 2 grey)
- 1 RCT, 1 Quasi-Experimental, 1 Case Study, 2 Program Evaluations
- 265-534 Canadian High School Students (9th, 11th, 12th grades), 60 US Students (11-17 yrs old)
-Student receiving curriculum experienced significant increases in mental health knowledge scores and positive attitudes towards mental illness (i.e. stigma reduction) which sustained in follow-up assessments (which ranged from 1 month, 2 month, and 1 year).
IMPLEMENTATION
•Program Cost: Basic, foundational training available at no cost via University of British Columbia. Comprehensive, school-based training, $2,000-6,000, depending on chosen training elements and delivery method via the Mental health Collaborative and includes data collection on implemented programs. The manual in a hard copy binder is available, post-training, through Chad's Legacy Project for $40 (includes shipping-while supplies last).
•Modality: Classroom Curriculum
•Setting: Health Classes and Other
•Grade level(s): Middle-High
•Who delivers the program: Teacher
•Qualifications/Training needed?: Yes
•Training Description: In-person or virtual 6-8hr. training, or 2-3 day "Train the Trainer" training also available
•Virtual option? Yes
•Length: 6 modules, 55 or 120 min each
Basic, foundational training available at no cost via University of British Columbia. To request comprehensive training and an adapted US version, go to The Mental Health Collaborative, scroll to the Contact section at the bottom of the page and enter your information to be contacted about information on the training that's right for you.
