Why Teach Mental Health?
National surveys report that about 70% of Canadian teachers identify a need for more knowledge about mental health/mental illness. A national scoping exercise found that a comprehensive mental health literacy curriculum resource is not available in most Canadian Faculties of Education. This on-line mental health literacy for pre-service teacher education resource has been developed to address that gap.
“Welcome to the Teach Mental Health course for educators. This course is designed for teacher candidates currently in Faculties of Education and, for educators currently working in schools, including classroom teachers, administrators and other specialized roles such as Resource or Learning Support Teachers, for examples. This course is for you.
Developed by education and mental health professionals, this seven module (8 to 10 hours) course will give you a foundation of mental health literacy, including effective strategies to use in your educational settings and, in your own life.
We sincerely hope that this course will deepen your interest in, and encourage your critical thinking about, mental health.
Enjoy the learning! ”
What is the purpose of this educational resource?
This resource aims to:
- Enhance mental health literacy of teacher candidates in Canadian Faculties of Education;
- Provide classroom congruent materials that can be used both during practicum and after graduation to help address mental health literacy of students.
This resource does NOT educate how to diagnose or treat mental illnesses. If you are concerned about a student’s mental health, talk to the leadership team in your school and consult with health professionals in your school or at the school district level and provide information they need to better support that student. As part of the school-based team of professionals, determine what your role will be to better support your student.