Promoting Mental Health & Resilience
Teaching
Mindfulness Everyday (BC) (ON) (VIRTUAL)
SmartEDUCATION (Stress Management and Resiliency Techniques) is an evidence-based, trauma sensitive and EDI aware program designed to address the needs to educators. The 20 hour program is delivered in a workshop setting, consists of 8 x two hour sessions, a 4 hour silent retreat and includes home practice.
The Well Teacher ($)
The Well Teacher Book provides teachers in the K-12 system with tips, tools, and information on how to improve personal well-being and address teacher wellness barriers. (This resource was given by the Ontario Teachers’ Federation to teachers who attended the 2022 OTF/Affiliate Symposium on mental health).
The Teacher App: A More Resilient Canada (BC) (ON) (QC) (NYC)
This app aims to help teachers take care of themselves and feel stronger when it comes to navigating mental health. This can be achieved through community and providing services to connect, heal, and learn.
The Regulated Classroom is a new somatosensory and Polyvagal-informed approach to cultivating conditions for felt safety in the classroom. It is a collection of practices and tools for educators to embed into daily routines and activities in order to promote a more consistently regulated and stable environment for learning.
Positive Teacher Well-Being with Dana Fulwiler. The Podclass is an educational podcast developed by Ever Active Schools. The first series is a collaboration with the Werkland School of Education that looks at maximizing the health and well-being of students and teachers.
The Pan-Canadian Summit with concurrent workshops and in-depth training sessions delivered by top-tier staff wellbeing experts and tailored to every K-12 employee group, this Summit will provide an exclusive professional learning experience for district teams of staff wellbeing champions seeking concrete ways to embed and sustain a happier and healthier workplace culture.
The Well Teacher Group (BC) ($)
The Well Teacher Group is a six week program with a holistic approach to wellness to help teachers make lifestyle changes that will positively affect their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It involves a 12 hour group workshop with six, two hour long sessions led by qualified occupational therapists or trained consultants in mental health.
Teachers of Tomorrow Project (AB) (BC)
this iniative proposes an upstream approach to addressing student well-being though the issue of teacher preparedness. The results of this work has been a prototype for a system of wellness education, modelled on the CSH framework and involving the development of key partnerships, addressing the social and physical environments of the faculty, implementing healthy school policies and teacher and learning strategies. Knowledge exchange can be found at cshhub.com
Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) (CA) (US) (FR) ($)
This 3 hour mental health awareness training is one of the first scientifically evaluated workplace mental health training programs to result in changes in leaders’ behaviours, increased employee resource-use, and lower disability claim duration over time.
The playbook is intended to support and inform school authority leaders in collaborative conversations, resulting in the development of a school authority workplace wellness plan.
It Takes A Village (AB)
The Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan created a wellness hub to provide personal and workplace wellness information. Topics include healthy workplaces, relationships, self-care, social connections, self-assessment and more.
Establish a pan-Canadian network focusing on mental health and wellbeing in K-12 education (Recommended Actions and Next Steps pp. 18- 27)
Workplace health programs refer to a coordinated and comprehensive set of strategies which include programs, policies, benefits, environmental supports, and links to the surrounding community designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees.
Guarding Minds is a free online set of resources designed to assess and address psychological health and safety in your workplace. It is intended to be administered by one of your own employees.
A free guide to equip organizations with meaningful strategies and real-life examples of how to support employee mental health.
Alberta Health Services created evidence-based actionable strategies to help workplaces increase support for individual mental health in the workplace.
Stress Assess (ON)
An online survey tool designed for workers and managers who are interested in assessing psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
Strategies to help build connection to each other, ourselves and what is truly important in our live.
Evidence based workplace mental health training program customized for healthcare workers.
Sign up to access free evidence based tools, apps and programs on mental health.
“In my career, I’ve probably worked at 100 different schools and it would be 100 different experiences. Everything trickles down from the top”
Dentistry
In the “Enhancing the Wellness of Canadian Dentists" report, it was suggested that a program similar to the Canadian Armed Forces mental health program would help improve dentists' resilience. “Road to Mental Readiness Program” helps Canadian Forces (CAF) members and their families recognize mental illness earlier and seek help.
This webinar, that was hosted by Newcom Media in celebration of International Women’s Day, features renowned Canadian entrepreneur, Michele Romanow, on how to build resilience and overcome obstacles to achieve success in your life and career.
This 8 week long program teaches self-care practices that help buffer daily stress and build resilience.
This brief intervention, focused on helping dental students at University of Chile to cope with symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression has reduced their stress level and improved their coping skills.
Keep in mind that leadership can tip an organization towards resilience. Incorporate discussions about wellness into team meetings, and delegate related activities to team members (Highlights from breakout groups, p.11).
The Dentist Wellness Program provides confidential support for BC dentists and their families through experienced program staff and/or an extensive network of counsellors, therapists and coaches. The program helps with a wide range of issues, including substance use, mental health, relationship stress, etc.
The ODA provides assistance to dentists, their dependents and dental students who are in need of assistance because of illness, bereavement, an accident or other unexpected situation or misfortune.
Informal WhatsApp and Facebook Groups
Dentists gather in online groups where they discuss stressors, MH resources and other issues.