Page 5 - Professional Advisory: Supporting Students' Mental Health

OCTs can help to identify students at risk, seek help, support them on the path to care, and create a learning environment that supports recovery and wellness.
Ontario’s Ministry of Education says that “a positive school climate and a safe learning and teaching environment are essential if students are to succeed in school.12 The Education Act13 requires principals to consider mitigating factors when making disciplinary decisions
or taking action.
Professional standards
The College’s Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession14 and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession15 provide a moral and practical framework for this advice. Developed by College members and members of the public, the standards guide and inform the judgment and practice of Ontario’s certified teachers. When educators support students’ mental health, they demonstrate the ethical standards of care, trust, respect and integrity. They express their commitment to students’ mental health and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.
Professional responsibilities
The responsibility of OCTs to support students’ mental health stems not only from the profes- sion’s ethical and practice standards but from
statutes, regulations, school board and employer policies, professional workplace standards and common law. OCTs also receive information from the Ministry of Education, education faculties, College-accredited Additional Qualification courses and programs, federations, and profes- sional associations. The College specifically references students’ mental health as an area of focus in its Accreditation Resource Guide16
for Ontario’s faculties of education working with teacher candidates.
While educators are frequently in a position to observe, they should not attempt to diagnose mental health problems. However, they can promote positive mental health, destigmatize conditions, and help to identify and report students at risk.
Legal and Disciplinary Considerations
Legal rights, liabilities and requirements involve a number of competing legal principles set out in a variety of provincial and federal statutes as well as in common law. These principles address issues such as age of consent, right to privacy, duty of confidentiality, duty to accommodate, workplace safety, duty to report17 suspected child abuse and professional obligations.
Several acts provide guidance on matters affecting mental health concerns. These include but may not be limited to: the Education Act18, the
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Ontario Ministry of Education webpage. “Suspension and Expulsion. What Parents and Students Need to Know.”; edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/NeedtoKnowSExp.pdf;
Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being, 2013; edu.gov.on.ca/eng/ document/reports/SupportingMinds.pdf
R.S.O 1990, c. E.2 ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02 oct.ca/members/know-your-college/your-professional-and-ethical-standards oct.ca/public/professional-standards/standards-of-practice oct.ca/-/media/PDF/Accreditation%20Resource%20Guide/Accreditation_Resource_Guide_EN_WEB.pdf
Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 14; ontario.ca/laws/statute/17c14 R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2; ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY: SUPPORTING STUDENTS‘ MENTAL HEALTH 3