Page 3 - Professional Advisory: Supporting Students' Mental Health

Introduction
Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs) support students’ mental health. The responsibility
exists in the profession’s ethics and lives in its practices. It resides in the intentions of individual practitioners and in the collective duties of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. It entails knowing how to recognize and address signs of mental illness, understanding where to turn for help, and working to avoid stigmatization while promoting wellness. The stigmas, ideas, pre- conceived notions, and understanding of mental health differs across families and cultures.
For the purposes of this advisory, the College has adopted the Public Health Agency of Canada’s definition of positive mental health as “the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face.” Mental health encapsu- lates one’s ability to manage thoughts, feelings and behaviour, making it possible to set and achieve goals, create and keep relationships, adapt to and cope with stress and sadness, and feel happiness.
Mental illness is more than feeling stressed
or unwell. It is “a disturbance of brain function characterized by difficulties in thinking, mood, behaviour, perception, physical functioning and/
1 teenmentalhealth.org/live
or signaling mechanisms (or some combination thereof) [that] help us decide what to do day by day. They are diagnosed using internationally recognized criteria that lead to significant impair- ments in day-to-day living (work, home, social)”1.
This advisory aims to help OCTs enhance their professional knowledge and practice with respect to understanding how to support students’ mental health.
Teachers’ instructional roles enable them to observe students closely. They are often the first to see changes in student behaviour. In the scope of their practice as an OCT, educators cannot diagnose ailments or propose treatment. Educators can, through awareness, understanding, experience and initiative, keep learning environ- ments functional, inclusive, safe and welcoming to enable learning to occur and students to excel.
This advisory will help you to use your professional judgment to identify and avoid potential risks.
Realities
The World Health Organization says that mental health disorders will be the world’s leading cause of disability by 20302. One in five Canadians – and
2 Christina Bartha, Executive Director, SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health, Presentation at 6th Mental Health Law for Children & Youth Workshop: Community Collaboration in Children and Youth Mental Health: Cross-Sector Approaches and Challenges, “A Tale of Two Partnerships: Opportunities, Challenge and Change”, April 9, 2018
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY: SUPPORTING STUDENTS‘ MENTAL HEALTH 1