Growing Capacity for Effective School Mental Health

1. Growing Capacity for Effective School Mental Health Mental Health Leader Module December 2012

2. Session Outline • Capacity Building in your Mental Health Strategy • Capacity Building Considerations • Audiences • Content • Format • Sequence • Moving forward in growing capacity • Resources for You!

3. Strategy Cascade

4. Your Board Mental Health Strategy • Should include focus on capacity-building each year • This focus should be driven by knowledge needs identified through resource mapping • Important to identify priority audiences each year (consider prior professional learning, knowledge cascade, urgent issues) • You may need to build structures, teams, roles to ensure adequate depth and breadth of delivery • Mental Health Awareness, Literacy & Expertise resource bank will continue to grow via SMH ASSIST • You will select/adapt what you need for your Strategy, or • You will use/create your own

5. Capacity-Building Continuum • Capacity Building is not an event! It is an iterative deepening of knowledge embedded in school board life. It takes time. • Resources should be tailored for different education audiences

6. Continuum by Audience

7. Continuum by Resources

8. Capacity-Building Principles • Be systematic! • Make use of current implementation structures – know what these are (or create them) • Deliver professional learning in a planful manner across your board • Be responsive! • Determine the purpose and type of learning required to support effective school mental health • Know your audiences and tailor content and delivery to their needs and preferences • Be persistent! • Understand that true capacity-building is iterative • Avoid one-off events

9. Capacity-Building Considerations • Audience • Tailor professional learning to address audience knowledge needs and preferences • Content • Involve stakeholders in creating / contextualizing content and advising on delivery methods • Method • Delivered using multiple methods, over time • Sequence • Capacity building plan requires a systematic approach that includes a careful sequence and clear timelines

10. Considering Audiences Who are the key stakeholders in your school board who need information about school mental health?

11. Considering Content What do they need to know? What are the top priorities for knowledge sharing?

12. Considering Format How will they want to receive knowledge about school mental health? Who will deliver the knowledge?

13. Teacher Preferences Research Cunningham et al., 2012

14. Considering Sequence How should professional learning be cascaded through your system?

15. Moving Forward • You are the conduit for this information in your Board, and responsible for coordinating professional learning related to mental health • Work with your SO and MH Team to set professional learning priorities and to determine audience, content, delivery, and sequence • Cohort 1 may be ready to begin to implement professional learning, cohort 2 will be in planning stages • Engaging others who are currently delivering PD in this area is critical

16. Resources for You! • Mental Health Awareness Webinar Series • For everyone, for senior leaders, for school leaders, for classroom staff • Administrators’ Guide • Educator Guide / ABCs of Mental Health • Ontario Centre of Excellence Modules • Bullying, Stigma, Engagement, Evidence-Based Practice • Suicide resources • Prevention, intervention, postvention

17. Planning for Professional Learning