One in five children struggle with mental health issues.
And the Bruce Grey Catholic School Board wants to put a greater emphasis on mental health education for staff.
Superintendent Catherine Montreuil says while staff can’t diagnose mental health problems — they can be trained to identify the signs and symptoms.
She says teachers are front line workers who have the opportunity to reach out to youth in need.
Montreuil hopes the training will increase teachers comfort level with the issue and reduce the stigma associated with mental health.
A recent survey for the Bruce Grey Catholic Board revealed that only 18 per cent of staff feel comfortable dealing with children’s mental health.
Social Worker Ann-Marie Deas says teachers will greatly benefit from this mental health first aid training.
She says staff need to be as comfortable addressing a student’s mental health issue as they would be bandaging a scraped knee or helping a child with a broken bone.
Unfortunately, Deas says children’s mental health resources are limited in the area.
She notes there isn’t one child psychiatrist in Grey Bruce.
But Deas notes there are several partners in the community — such as Keystone Children’s Services and other health agencies — to address students needs.
