Mental Health Action Plan

We are please to share highlights of the Durham Catholic District School Board's 2025-2026 Mental Health Action Plan. These goals are also articulated in the board’s 2023-2026 Mental Health Strategy - Together for Mental Health: Everyone, Everyday, and in the Annual Student Achievement Plan.

Through the board-level secondary student mental health leadership group, BWell, students will lead the development and implementation of mental health promotion campaigns aligned with key awareness days, ensuring coordinated, identity-affirming messaging that engages students, staff, and families across the system.
Durham Take Action Make an Impact for Mental Health (TAMI) Coalition’s and the Durham Youth Drug Awareness Committee will build the capacity of students and staff by providing practical, ready-to-use mental health promotion activities that can be adapted and implemented within school communities.

Implementing a consistent, system-wide trauma-sensitive framework that builds staff capacity, promotes safe and inclusive learning environments, and supports the well-being and engagement of all students.
Enhancing Wellness Wednesdays across the board by continuing to develop weekly school announcements and informative resources for parents/guardians with a focus on noticing and supporting student mental health with connections to community resources.

Developing a curated bank of culturally responsive Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) everyday practices, programs, and resources that educators can access based on identified student and classroom needs. Accompanying professional learning opportunities will build educator confidence and capacity to effectively implement these strategies, fostering consistent, embedded SEL practices across schools.

Supporting the delivery of the Grade 6 Healthy Choices Literacy modules, helping students strengthen their knowledge and skills to make healthy, informed choices related to substance use and digital well-being.
Establish Phoebee as DCDSB’s mental health mascot and a recognizable symbol of the #BuzzOffStigma campaign, promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and increasing student knowledge of available school-based mental health supports and how to access them.

Enhancing professional learning opportunities for educators and support staff to recognize early signs of mental health concerns and respond effectively within the classroom setting.
Deepening mental health literacy among staff in specialized support roles, including Guidance Educators, Student Success Educators, Chaplains, and PSTSs, to enhance their knowledge, confidence, and capacity to recognize and respond to student mental health concerns. Professional learning will emphasize practical, evidence-informed strategies and targeted interventions to support students experiencing mental health challenges.
Equipping new teachers with the knowledge and tools to identify and support student mental health needs through the development of a comprehensive resource guide and targeted professional development opportunities.

Partnering with Lakeridge Health to develop and implement a Care and Treatment classroom that supports secondary students experiencing mental health barriers to regular school attendance.
Continuing to provide tailored support for students from specific communities, such as through the Coach Advocates for Black Students, well-being initiatives for 2SLGBTQIA+ students, use of School Mental Health Ontario resources for newcomer students and virtual services offered when most appropriate to meet the unique needs of students and their families.

Continuing our commitment to evidence informed practice by supporting staff in accessing trainings in evidence-informed brief interventions and identity affirming approaches for school mental health professionals.
Focused specialized training for regulated health professionals to strengthen their knowledge, skills, and confidence in supporting students experiencing attendance concerns, with a focus on mental health-informed assessment, intervention, and engagement strategies.
Enhancing equity-focused assessment practices within Psychological Services through the adoption of new culturally responsive tools and the expanded use of existing assessment measures, ensuring more inclusive and representative approaches to understanding student strengths and needs.

Strengthening staff awareness and understanding of the Suicide Prevention and Intervention Protocol by incorporating an annual mandatory review, ensuring all staff are familiar with their roles, responsibilities, and procedures for supporting student safety and well-being.
Increasing the number of staff who are trained in suicide prevention and intervention to create suicide safer schools:
- Prepare; Prevent; Respond: Life Promotion, Suicide Prevention Workshop
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
- Mental Health First Aid-Youth

Strengthening collaborative relationships with community partners to enhance coordinated, accessible, and culturally responsive supports for students and families.
Continuing to raise awareness among parents, families, and caregivers about local, culturally relevant mental health supports and how to access them, through parent presentations and regular information shared with families.

Continuing to bolster information available to parents/guardians through newsletters, videos, workshops, and school/board events, to build parent/guardian knowledge in supporting their child's mental health and well-being.
Developing a parent/guardian podcast series focused on student mental health and well-being, providing accessible information, practical strategies, and guidance to support children and youth at home and school.