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Wood Buffalo Schools Offer Student Support and Tackle Mental Health Issues Among Students

Wood Buffalo schools are starting to offer student support and tackle mental health issues among the students. Educators in the area have formulated protocols for intervention and response in order to better assist students who need help with mental health issues. Staff at Wood Buffalo schools are being trained to spot behaviors associated with mental health issues, so that early intervention can be offered before the problem becomes worse. Students with mental disorders need support, but this support must be given at the right time and in the right way in order to be effective. Student support is offered whenever it is needed, and staff training means that students who need help with mental health issues will get this faster.

Brenda Sautner, the associate superintendent of education and administration for FMPSD, explained “We developed a protocol that has different levels — if a student is thinking about suicide, talking about suicide or making a plan — and depending on the level, the level of support is immediately engaged. School counsellors will deal with the low level (risks), in consultation with Alberta Health staff and parents, but the kids who are identified as high risk, which means they have a number of high risk factors, they are immediately sent to the crisis intervention (a children’s mental health therapist) with the parent. The supports are immediately wrapped around the student.” Other options also include collaboration with mental health services in order to boost student support at a time when this support is sorely needed.

Buddy Bench Offers Student Support

Student support at Ecole St. Paul has increased thanks to the buddy bench, a bench designed to be a friend that students may need from time to time. The concept started with an American student who proposed placing these benches at his school late in 2013, and the buddy bench really took off in popularity. The message given at buddybench.org is simple and straight forward, “The buddy bench is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground.” When a student sits on the buddy bench this lets everyone know that they need a friend or a listening ear, and others can respond to this need.

According to St. Paul parent council chair Joanne Dubuc “The buddy bench is out on the school grounds and if a child needs somebody to talk to if they’re having a bad day or just need someone to play with, which happens quite a bit, they have a seat on the bench and then everybody on the schoolyard knows they need someone to come talk to them, Another child sees that and goes and joins them on the bench. Then they either go off and play together, or they sit and talk, or if it’s something more serious, they can go get a teacher.” This increases student support. Dubuc also talked about letting the kids personalize the benches before they are finished and placed outside, saying “It makes it their own. It makes it their possession and it makes it part of their idea as well. We’re having all of our teachers and staff (add their prints) as well.”