Seeking feedback on student mental health

Limestone Learning Foundation
Seeking feedback on student mental health
Posted on 02/18/2021
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The Limestone District School Board is currently working on its Mental Health and Substance Use Strategy for 2021-2024.This strategy helps the board make decisions about how to support student mental health and well-being at school.

Mental health and well-being are widely recognized as a complex issue requiring collaboration to meet the needs of students. Limestone continues to monitor and evaluate needs and provides evidence-informed services and resources to students, including those provided by the Ministry of Education and School Mental Health Ontario.

“Schools play an essential role in the promotion of mental health including early identification, reducing stigma, and providing pathways to both board and community-based supports for students who may be struggling,” says LDSB Mental Health Lead Laura Conboy. “Our mental health strategy provides a road map to help drive the work already being done in our system to best support students and families.”

School boards are required to develop a student mental health strategy every three years. To help Limestone develop its updated strategy, the board is engaging students, families, staff and community partners through a voluntary survey so that as many voices as possible inform our strategy development.

“Student and family voice and experience are key to helping us create a robust strategy,” says Conboy. “Our aim is to establish meaningful, relevant, actionable and measurable goals to support the mental health of students using appropriate resources and pathways of care.”

Students in Grades 7 to 12 and staff will receive the survey directly via their Limestone email.

The family survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the survey, a list of community mental health and substance use supports will be available; this is also available for those who choose not to complete the survey after clicking the link.

Broad results will be shared with the public in the spring and fall of 2021. No individual or school will be identified.

The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.