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Mental health and substance use

Last updated on September 6, 2024

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Every student in British Columbia deserves a safe, caring and inclusive environment that helps them to learn, grow and thrive. We know that students are better prepared for success when they have positive, meaningful connections along with supports, resources, and tools.  

Students

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What is mental health?

Mental health is different for everyone. It can be influenced by lots of things that we all experience uniquely, from our physical health to our relationships in school and at home to how we see ourselves. It’s common to feel challenges from time to time but, if feelings of anxiety, sadness, or stress start to affect our daily lives, it's important to get help. 

Learn more

    Mental Health 101 – Mind Your Mind
    • Interactive tools and games that have been co-designed with young people to help you build essential skills, cope with stress, foster personal growth, access support, and stay safe during a crisis
  • Mental Health – Foundry
    • Information and tools on various mental health topics including anxiety, body image, disordered eating and eating disorders, low mood, and depression, questioning reality, and stress
  • Mental Health – Kids Help Phone
    • Information on mental health including mental health needs, mental disorders, the spectrum of mental health, and supporting your well-being
  • Open Mind – Doctors of BC
    • Resources for youth and youth adults and information on how to support a friend experiencing a mental health problem
 

What is substance use?

Substances are things people take into their bodies (e.g., eating, drinking, or smoking) that change how they feel physically and/or emotionally. These can include alcohol and other drugs (illegal or legal, such as cannabis, caffeine, and prescription medications).

Using substances can:

  • Affect your health and development
  • Change how you make decisions, how you think, and how quickly you can react
  • Make it hard to control your actions

If you suspect an overdose, call 9-1-1 and administer naloxone if available.

Learn more

 

Suicide prevention and life promotion

Life promotion focuses on addressing thoughts of suicide and promoting well-being. It recognizes that suicide is complex and not solely caused by one factor. The goal is to alleviate pain and support overall mental health.

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency medical center. 

  • Call or text 9-8-8 for the National Suicide Crisis Helpline. Available in English and French
  • Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC. Available in up to 140 languages
  • Call 1-800-588-8717 for the BC KUU-US Indigenous Crisis and Support Line
  • Call 310-6789 for 310 Mental Health Support. No area code needed
  • Visit Help Starts Here- Suicide Prevention to find additional information and where to seek help

Adults

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Mental health

Adults can support young people in developing skills to support their mental health. This may involve talking to young people regularly about mental health, checking in on how youth are feeling, listening empathetically without judgment, validating their experiences, and teaching them coping skills. It’s also important to know where to connect young people to resources, from youth centres, counsellors, to primary care providers and where you can find resources on supporting youth’s mental health. 

Information and Tools

Services

  • Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) Teams
    • Provide a range of mental health assessment and treatment options for children and youth (0-18 years of age) and their families at no cost. These clinics are staffed by mental health clinicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists
  • First Nations Health Authority
    • Overview of peer support services to provide young people with the chance to connect to another young person who’s had their own experiences navigating mental health or substance use challenges
  • Indigenous Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) Services
    • Free mental health and wellness services for Indigenous children, youth, and their families, offering services that are respectful of culture, traditions, and traditional healing
  • Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) Teams
    • Provide wraparound mental health and substance use services and support for children, youth, and families
 

Substance use

Substance use can affect young peoples’ general health, physical growth, and emotional and social development. Adults can talk respectfully and honestly with young people in their life about the facts and risks of using substances. Look for natural opportunities to discuss the topic and ask questions about what young people are hearing, seeing, or have learned. It is important to create an open and judgement-free environment where it's safe to ask questions. It’s important to know when to seek support when needed by reaching out to a crisis centre, counsellors or doctors when needed.

Information and Tools

 

Suicide prevention and life promotion

Suicide is a challenging topic to talk about in general and can be even more so when it’s with a young person in your life. If you have any concerns about a young person’s mental health, it’s important to act.

Life promotion focuses on addressing thoughts of suicide and promoting well-being. It recognizes that suicide is complex and not solely caused by one factor. The goal is to alleviate pain and support overall mental health.

If you recognize warning signs that a young person is thinking about ending their own life or has suicidal thoughts/ideas:

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency medical center. 

  • Call or text 9-8-8 for the National Suicide Crisis Helpline. Available in English and French
  • Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC. Available in up to 140 languages
  • Call 1-800-588-8717 for the BC KUU-US Indigenous Crisis and Support Line
  • Call 310-6789 for 310 Mental Health Support. No area code needed
  • Visit Help Starts Here- Suicide Prevention to find additional information and where to seek help

Resources

School staff

The Mental Health in Schools Strategy (PDF, 7.7MB) (français, PDF, 1,6 Mo) is a vision and pathway to promote mental health and well-being into all aspects of our K-12 education system. It focuses on three elements:

  • Compassionate systems leadership
  • Capacity building
  • Mental health in the classroom

The strategy was guided by the Province’s 10-year plan, A Pathway to Hope, which outlines our approach to mental health and addictions in B.C.

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Compassionate systems leadership

Provides tools and practices for school staff to support their well-being and is anchored in self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management, and relationship skills. Providing these tools to adults in the school system will allow them to better support student well-being and resiliency. 

A B.C.-specific network was established with thousands of school staff having completed introductory training. 

 

Capacity building

Trauma-informed practice is about creating kind and welcoming learning spaces, understanding how to cope with difficult situations, helping students become more independent, and being aware of the different ways that people react to trauma.

The Ministry partnered with representatives from public and independent schools to develop the following resources that support mental health and well-being in all learning environments:

  1. Supports for Mental Health and Well-being in Schools
    Supports for Mental Health and Well-being in Schools (PDF, 211KB) (français, PDF, 229 Ko) builds on the Key Principles and Strategies for K-12 Mental Health Promotion in Schools (PDF, 804KB) to clarify how the Key Principles (Cultural Responsiveness and Humility, Proportionate Responses and Supports, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Strengths-Based Approaches) support mental health and well-being in B.C. schools. 
  2. Integrating the Key Principles
    Integrating the Key Principles (PDF, 133KB) (français, PDF, 127 Ko) is an infographic that provides a quick-start guide to integrating the four Key Principles (PDF, 804KB) into our provincial practice—regardless of your role within the education system. It illustrates that we can start by reflecting on how we show up, including our connection to interpersonal and systemic influences and resources, and offers guiding questions to support this practice. This infographic is also available as a poster (PDF, 1.3MB) (français, PDF, 841 Ko).
  3. CampFIRE of Learning
    CampFIRE of Learning (PDF, 156KB) (français, PDF, 162 Ko) is an infographic that illustrates what is needed to create conditions for learning spaces that are Functional, Instructional, Relational, and Engaging. Using a campfire as a metaphor, it demonstrates the role of social-emotional learning in our education system. This infographic is also available as a poster (PDF, 1.67MB) (français, PDF, 476 Ko).

Resources

  • MindUP for Educators
    • A course to promote well-being and build resilience through the science and practice of self-care and mindful teaching
 

Mental health in the classroom

Decision-making tool 

The Decision-Making Tool (PDF, 341KB) (français, PDF, 358 Ko) was developed as an optional toolkit to support educators in identifying appropriate, effective mental health and substance use resources for their learners.

Boards of Education are responsible for setting policies regarding learning resources. Mental health and substance use learning resources must align with local policies and the B.C. curriculum, be age-appropriate, and selected for use to support the delivery of a specific lesson, activity, or topic.

Mental health and substance use language guide

The Ministry of Education and Child Care Language Matters! An Introductory Guide for Understanding Mental Health and Substance Use: A Resource for Educators and School Communities (PDF, 1.8MB) supports mental health literacy and building capacity in the K-12 system to facilitate conversations, build common understandings, and support practice of mental health and substance use concepts and terms. 

Social-emotional learning

Social-emotional learning is a process that helps individuals develop important skills like empathy, emotional management, setting goals, building relationships, making responsible decisions, processing information, and communicating effectively. These skills are crucial for success in school and life and can be learned and practiced by everyone.

  • SEL BC Network
    • SEL BC is a network of educators, researchers, and community organizations committed to the promotion of social-emotional learning
  • Well-Being BC
    • This website provides an assessment toolkit and various resources promoting schoolwide well-being and social-emotional learning

Substance use

Students in British Columbia are educated about substances and substance use through mandatory learning standards in their Physical and Health Education courses from kindergarten through to grade 10. The focus in the primary years (K-3) is education on different types of substances and strategies for them to prevent personal harm. Throughout grades 4 to 10, students explore strategies for managing needs related to mental well-being and substance use, factors influencing use, and effects of psychoactive substances.

Resources