Students within Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools have access to a Family School Liaison when they are in crisis and require short term emotional support.
What is our focus within schools?
- Ensure that vulnerable students receive support in order to manage emotions, thoughts and impulses that inhibit success at school
- Respond to safety concerns for students and families in our school communities (physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs)
- Provide and make referrals to supports
- Advocate for students and their families regarding needs within the school, home, and community
- Maintain privacy and confidentiality
Support
- Primary support for students in Grades 4 - 12 and their families
- Solution focused support in areas such as:
-
- Grief and loss
- Self-harm
- Bullying
- Mental health
- Conflict resolution
-
- Solution focused support in areas such as:
- Support with crisis response for students in K - 12 and their families.
- A crisis is when a student presents outside their baseline behavior.
Examples of Crisis Response:
- Suicide Risk Assessment
- Violent Threat Risk Assessment
- CFSA- contact and support
- RCMP collaboration
- Mental health
- Addictions
- Anxiety supports
- Support plan building with significant needs
Responding to Crisis
- FSL role to assist in determining urgency of situation - ‘triage system’
- Determine which service response is most appropriate and addresses the needs
- Process takes time - can require many steps and navigating multiple areas and levels of support
- Flexing schedule around student need
- Although FSL’s are not physically at the same site each day, they will respond to crisis situations whenever necessary’
Referrals
- Navigate and connect students and families to community organizations and resources
- Nurturing relationships and follow through between families, referrals, and resources provided
- Obligation to Professional Development
- Appropriate training and learning opportunities.
The WRPS Wellness Support Team is a Mental Health Capacity Building in schools initiative that works to promote positive mental health in children, youth, families and support individuals in the community who interact with children and youth. The MHCB initiative is based on research and best practice literature that demonstrates that mental and emotional wellbeing can be developed, nurtured and supported through promotion and prevention efforts. For more information about MHCB please visit: Mental Health Capacity Building Program.
Quick Facts
- The MHCB initiative was initially funded in 2006, beginning with 5 pilot sites around the province.
- In the 2018 - 2019 school year there were 37 programs running in 133 communities and 371 schools throughout Alberta. Provincially, MHCB reached 121,1755 students in the 2018-2019 school year.
- On May 7, 2018 Alberta Health announced additional funding of $5 million dollars for the MHCB in Schools Initiative. This additional investment allowed for the development of new programs and the expansion of existing programs around the province.
The diversity of approaches used by MHCB are based on research and best practice literature, and are reflective of the needs and resources of individual communities. This includes the engagement of traditionally under-served populations.
About WRPS’ Mental Health Capacity Building:
- The WRPS Wellness Support Team consists of one Program Manager and 6 Wellness Coaches
- The WRPS Wellness Support Team currently reaches all schools in our division
- Local MHCB approaches include but aren’t limited to: grade-specific programs taught in the classroom, group work, school-wide presentations, wellness initiatives, and participation in collaborative health and wellness committees and groups.
Programs being taught in our schools include but aren’t limited to:
For more information about our local MHCB Program, please visit: WRPS Wellness Support Team