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Comprehensive School Health and Positive Mental Health Approaches

Comprehensive School Health and Positive Mental Health Approaches. Traditional Approaches to Mental Health Care.

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Comprehensive School Health and Positive Mental Health Approaches

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  1. Comprehensive School Health and Positive Mental Health Approaches

  2. Traditional Approaches to Mental Health Care • Mental health programs and services within the school, health and community settings have often focused on addressing concerns related to the psychological well-being of children and youth through • The identification/screening of risk-need factors • The design and delivery of intervention and support services

  3. Positive Mental Health • Traditional approaches have emphasized: • the problems or challenges associated with existing or emerging mental health-related concerns • the approaches or interventions needed to remediate or address areas of risk and need • Recent better practice research across health and educational domains assert the importance of including a positive view of mental health

  4. Positive Mental Health • Involves the recognition that a student’s state of psychological well-being is: • not only influenced by the absence of problems and risk-need concerns • but also impacted by the existence of positive factors present within individuals and their social settings that contribute to positive growth and development

  5. Paradigm Shift • The emergence of positive mental health perspectives has shifted the focus of educators and health professionals from a preoccupation with repairing weakness to enhancement of positive qualities(McDougal & Riley-Tillman, 2004, p. 101). • Such qualities or factors may include: • Positive individual traits • Positive personal experiences and relationships • Initiatives, programs and environments that assist in: • Enhancing quality of life • Preventing or reducing the risk of developing mental health-related concerns

  6. Assumptions Related to Positive Mental Health Approaches • Children and youth have inner strengths and gifts that support their capacity to initiate, direct, and sustain positive life directions (Hamilton & Hamilton, 2004; Losier and Morrison, 2007) • Child and youth engagement and empowerment are critical considerations for facilitating positive development or change (CSPH, 2002; Deci & Ryan, 2007)

  7. Assumptions Related to Positive Mental Health Approaches • Social contexts and networks provide important resources and influences that have the capacity to contribute to and enhance psychological well-being (Losier & Morrison, 2007; Sheridan, Warnes, Cowan, Schemm & Clarke, 2004) • Children’s and youths’ relationships with adults and peers that contribute to psychological well-being are characterized by interactions that convey genuineness, empathy, unconditional caring and affirmation (Brendtro, 2003)

  8. Schools as a Critical Setting for Positive Mental Health • Schools provide: • Critical contexts for shaping children’s self-esteem, self-efficacy and sense of control over their lives • Key opportunities for promoting the delivery of activities and comprehensive initiatives related to positive mental health • As children move into their early and later teen years, schools may play an even greater role than the home context in influencing youth, given the powerful influence that teacher support and peer networks have within the educational settings

  9. Health Promoting Schools • A World Health Organization (WHO) systematic review found: • School-based programs “are particularly effective if developed and implemented using approaches common to the health promoting schools approach” (Cushman, 2008, p. 232). • In the Canadian context, the approach for health promoting schools is known as comprehensive school health.

  10. Comprehensive School Health • Evidence of effectiveness has been noted for school-based initiatives that adopt a whole-school approach including major characteristics associated with the health-promoting schools model, including: • Student skill development • Changes in the school environment • Participation of parents and members of the local community

  11. Four Pillars of the Comprehensive School Health Approach • The comprehensive school health framework involves a whole school approach that includes four inter-related pillars that provide the foundation for this model. They include: • Social and Physical Environment • Teaching and Learning • Healthy School Policy • Partnerships and Services (JCSH, 2009)

  12. Four Pillars of Comprehensive School Health • Social and Physical Environment refers to the quality of the relationships among staff and students in the school; the emotional well-being of students; and the buildings, grounds, play spaces and equipment in and surrounding the school. • Teaching and Learning includes the resources, activities and provincial/territorial curricula where students gain age-appropriate knowledge and experiences, helping to build the skills to improve their health and wellbeing.

  13. Four Pillars cont’d • Partnerships and Services: When connections are established between a school, its students, families, and surrounding community organizations, supportive working relationships are formed, enabling health, education and other sectors to work together to advance school health. • Healthy School Practices and Policies are the management practices, decision-making processes, rules, procedures and policies at all levels that promote health and wellbeing, and shape a respectful, welcoming and caring school environment.

  14. Joint Consortium for School Health • The document, Schools as a Setting for Promoting Positive Mental Health: Better Practices and Perspectives, provides an overview of better practices based on the four pillars of comprehensive school health. http://www.jcsh-cces.ca/

  15. Key Concepts in PMH • Social-emotional learning • Positive youth development • Resiliency • Protective factors • Diversity • Acceptance and understanding of student mental health needs • Connectedness • Strength-based perspectives • Self-efficacy • Mental fitness

  16. What is Mental Fitness? • Mental fitness is a state of psychological well-being derived from our thoughts and emotions, and is based on our need to belong (relatedness), need to be recognized for our strengths and positive qualities (competence), and the freedom to make choices (autonomy) (Deci and Ryan, 2007). • When your needs for respect, inclusion and recognition are met, the conditions are right for you to be at your best. • We all have a role to play in fostering Mental Fitness in self and others.

  17. Mental Fitness Needs

  18. Mental Fitness Needs

  19. Mental Fitness Needs

  20. PMH Indicator Framework • The Indicators of Positive Mental Health framework is a tool for for assessing and planning positive mental health promotion in schools • Developed based on evidence-informed practices outlined in Schools as a Setting for Positive Psychology • Applied and validated in BC and NB schools (French and English)

  21. PMH Indicator Framework • Includes practices associated with the four pillars of Comprehensive School Health • Employs benchmarks based on Prochaska’s Stages of Change theory • Illustrates progression from awareness to action to embedding practices

  22. Stages of ChangeHow do we view the process of positive change? • The Stages of Change Model (SCM) is used to show the process of positive change in some aspect of behaviour or lifestyle (reducing risk and fostering development/resilience). • The idea behind the SCM is that behaviour change does not happen in one step. • Rather, people tend to progress through different stages on their way to successful change.

  23. Stages of Change Model (Adapted from Prochaska)

  24. Stages of Change • Pre-Awareness - not yet acknowledging that there is a need for change • Awareness and Contemplation - Acknowledging that there is an area of concern or need for change, but not yet ready or sure of wanting to make a change • Capacity Building: Initial Plans and Actions - Getting ready to change; thinking about or making plans; increasing commitment • Capacity Building: Expanded Plans and Actions - Implemented efforts directed at change; small step successes; securing support and encouragement • Sustained and Embedded Practice - Persisting with positive changes

  25. PMH Indicator Framework • The framework is to be used as a self-assessment of schools. • Indicators are organized according to the four pillars of comprehensive school health and serve to probe the overall school environment for areas that are in need of change. • A school’s performance in each indicator of PMH is rated according to the five benchmarks along a continuum of change, including: • Pre-awareness • Awareness and Contemplation • Initial Plans and Actions • Expanded Plans and Actions • Sustained and Embedded Practices

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