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Mental Health in High Schools Curriculum Guide

This course has been designed for educators working with students in ages 12 to 19.


This is a self-paced, non-credit, online course that consists of 6 modules. The estimated time commitment is approximately 6-8 hours in total. Modules are completed sequentially and each consists of:


  1. Classroom activities

  2. Self-guided study

  3. Module test


This online program is asynchronous (no real-time events are scheduled).


Learn more about this course, including program background and learning objectives, on the Faculty of Education's Professional Development & Community Engagement website.


Mental health literacy is the foundation for mental health promotion, prevention, and care and can be developed through classroom based curriculum implementation that has been scientifically shown to improve mental health related outcomes for students and also for their teachers. A Canadian-developed, nationally and internationally-researched resource, the Mental Health Curriculum Guide (The Guide) – previously available only through face-to-face delivery– is now available online.


In this course, educators will learn how to apply this classroom-ready, web-based, modular mental health curriculum resource as well as develop their own mental health literacy. Educators can then use this resource designed to be delivered to regular classrooms to successfully address mental health-related curriculum outcomes designed to be delivered by classroom teachers to students aged 12 to 19.


curriculum

Program Components
  • Decreasing stigma
  • Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health
  • Understanding how to seek help effectively
  • Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments
Program Standards
  • Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
  • Compare & contrast emotional, mental-behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
  • Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
  • Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns

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RESPONSE: Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program

RESPONSE is a comprehensive middle and high school program that increases awareness about suicide among school staff, students and parents. All program components are designed to heighten sensitivity to depression and suicidal ideation, increase identification, and facilitate referral. The program also provides procedures to refer a student who may be at-risk for suicide. Components include (1) a two-hour awareness training for staff, (2) a four-hour student curriculum (spread across four class periods), and parent awareness materials. An implementation assistance manual is also included for administrators. Before implementing the awareness components, participating schools must identify key staff to serve on a suicide prevention team. Key school-based staff should include the principal or vice-principal, a school-based RESPONSE coordinator, two "suicide contacts" responsible for handling referrals, and a counselor. Each component of RESPONSE integrates extensive “in the field” experience and key evaluation findings from other school-based programs. Videos for the awareness components were developed in collaboration with an award-winning film company.

curriculum

Program Components
  • Decreasing stigma
  • Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health
  • Understanding how to seek help effectively
  • Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments
Program Standards
  • Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
  • Compare & contrast emotional, mental-behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
  • Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
  • Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
  • Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns

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NAMI Ending the Silence

NAMI Ending the Silence is an engaging, educational presentation given by presenters with mental health lived experiences, that helps audience members learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if a student or loved one begins showing symptoms of a mental health condition.

presentation

Program Components
  • Decreasing stigma
  • Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health
  • Understanding how to seek help effectively
  • Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments
Program Standards
  • Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
  • Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
  • Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns