An Insider’s Guide to Working with School Boards in Ontario
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Transcript of An Insider’s Guide to Working with School Boards in Ontario
An Insider’s Guide to
Working with School Boards in
OntarioSandy PalinskiManager, Special Education Policy and Programs BranchOntario Ministry of Education
Kathy ShortDirector, School Mental Health ASSISTHamilton-Wentworth District School Board
Objectives
• To welcome you as a partner in the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
• To provide context about the education sector & our commitments to the Strategy
• To help you to successfully navigate the complex world of school boards
WELCOME!The Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Strategy is an exciting initiative and we
all have an important role to play in ensuring success…for the children and
youth in our province.
Overview
• Brief Tour of the Education Sector
• EDU Commitments to the MHA Strategy
• About School Mental Health ASSIST
• Understanding School Board Culture
• Practical Considerations and Suggestions
THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN ONTARIO
A Brief Tour of
Federal Responsibilities
Federal government responsibilities with regard to education: education of Aboriginal students (especially on
Reserves) funding of instruction of and in the official language of
the minority (English in Québec, French in other provinces and territories)
funding of programs to welcome newcomers to schools education of inmates in federal prisons funding of adult training for the labour market funding of university research scholarship and loan programs for students in
postsecondary education of members of the armed forces
Because Canada has no federal Department of Education, a coordinating organization was needed
The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) was established in 1967 as a forum in which Ministers of Education deal with issues of mutual interest and concern
All 13 provinces and territories are members, but not the federal government
Through the Council, Ministers consult and act on matters of mutual interest, and they consult and cooperate with national education organizations and the federal government
http://www.cmec.ca
Council of Ministers of Education
Government & Education in OntarioOntario follows the British parliamentary system:
Government departments are headed by Ministers , elected MPPs who have been appointed by the Premier to Cabinet
The Minister of Education is responsible for child care, elementary and secondary education. The Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities is responsible for employment /training programs and postsecondary education.
Deputy Ministers are civil servants responsible for operation
Through the Education Act, the Ministry of Education provides leadership and develops education policy
Ministry of Education PrioritiesThe Ministry of Education seeks to promote a strong, vibrant, publicly funded education system that is focused on three goals:
1. High levels of student achievement
2. Reduced gaps in student achievement
3. Increasing levels of public confidence in publicly funded education
District School Boards
The Education Act delegates responsibility for governance of schools to four sets of district school boards, all of which are fully funded by the provincial government
Ontario’s 5,000 publicly funded schools are grouped in 72 district school boards: 31 English Public (secular or non-religious: open to all
students) 29 English Catholic 4 French Public 8 French Catholic
DID YOU KNOW??
Our context, our challenge
Trustees-------------Director ofEducation
Superintendents
Principals and Managers
Teachers and Support Staff
TrusteesElected every 4 yearsReceive honoraria (are not salaried)----------------------------------------------Staff Are employees of the school boards
Key Responsibilities of School BoardsOpening and closing of schoolsAdministration /enforcement of policyImplementation of programs Delivery of curriculum
Structure of District School Boards
Publicly Funded Schools
Elementary schools usually offer Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 1 to Grade 8 (ages 3
or 4 to 13 or 14)
Secondary schools Grade 9 to Grade 12 (ages 13 or 14 to 17 or 18)
Provincial schools The ministry directly administers eight Provincial and
Demonstration Schools for deaf, blind, deaf/blind, and severely disabled students; About 800 students are enrolled in the Provincial and Demonstration Schools
Education in Ontario: Quick Facts Publicly funded schools in Ontario = 4,923
4026 elementary 897 secondary
Number of students = almost 2 million 1,355,440 elementary 715,296 secondary
Number of teachers in publicly funded schools = 116,179 72,207 elementary 43,972 secondary
Number of principals /vice-principals in publicly funded schools = 7,368 5,375 elementary 1,993 secondary
COMMITMENTS TO THE MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS STRATEGY
Ontario Ministry of Education
15
Provide fast access to high quality service
Kids and families will know where to go to get what they need and services will be available to respond
in a timely way.
Identify and intervene in kids’ mental health needs early
Professionals in community-based child and youth mental health agencies and teachers will learn how to
identify and respond to the mental health needs of kids.
Close critical service gaps for vulnerable kids, kids in key transitions, and those in
remote communitiesKids will receive the type of specialized service they need
and it will be culturally appropriate
TH
EM
ES
IND
ICA
TO
RS • Reduced child and youth suicides/suicide
attempts
• Educational progress (EQAO)
• Fewer school suspensions and/or expulsions
• Decrease in severity of mental health issues through treatment
• Decrease in inpatient admission rates for child and youth mental health
• Higher graduation rates
• More professionals trained to identify kids’ mental health needs
• Higher parent satisfaction in services received
• Fewer hospital (ER) admissions and readmissions for child and youth mental health
• Reduced Wait Times
OVERVIEW OF THE MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS STRATEGY - FIRST 3 YEARS
INIT
IAT
IVE
S
Provide designated mental health workers
in schools
Implement Working Together for Kids’ Mental
Health
Hire Nurse Practitioners for eating disorders program
Improve service coordination for high needs
kids, youth and families
Implement standardized tools for outcomes and needs
assessment
Amend education curriculum to cover
mental health promotion and address stigma
Develop K-12 resource guide for educators
Implement school mental health ASSIST program &mental health literacy
provincially
Enhance and expand Telepsychiatry model and
services
Provide support at key transition points
Hire new Aboriginal workers Implement
Aboriginal Mental Health Worker Training Program
Create 18 service collaboratives
Expand inpatient/outpatient services for child and youth
eating disorders
Reduce wait times for service, revise service contracting, standards, and reporting
Funding to increase supply of child and youth mental
health professionals
Improve public access to service information
Pilot Family Support Navigator model
Y1 pilot
Increase Youth Mental Health Court Workers
Provide nurses in schools to support mental health
services
Implement Mental Health Leaders in selected
School Boards
Outcomes, indicators and development of
scorecard
Strategy Evaluation
Interconnected Initiatives
School Boards
Health care settings
Community settings
MOHLTCNurse LeadersMHA Nurses in DSB programService CollaborativesSSLI
MCYSMH Workers with SchoolsWorking Together Student Support Leadership Initiative (SSLI)
EDUSMH ASSIST SSLI
Schools are an optimal setting in which to:Reduce stigmaPromote positive mental health Build social-emotional learning skillsPrevent mental health problems in
high risk groups Identify students in needCreate bridges to needed services
The MHA Strategy Recognizes that Schools
Have a Unique Opportunity
EDU Strategy Commitments
• Amend the education curriculum• Develop a K-12 Resource Guide/Website• Provide support for professional learning in
mental health and addictions for all Ontario educators
• Fund and support Mental Health Leaders• Implement School Mental Health ASSIST
LNS SS_Lto18
LNS SS_Lto18 Positive
School Climate
Positive School
Climate
Learning for All
Learning for All
Leadership Strategy
Leadership Strategy
Growing Success
Growing Success
Student Voice Student Voice
Parent Engagement
Parent Engagement
Accepting and Safe Schools
Strategy
Accepting and Safe Schools
Strategy
Aboriginal Education
Strategy
Aboriginal Education
Strategy
Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy
Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy
BIP for Student Achievement
BIP for Student Achievement
K-12 School Effectiveness
Framework
K-12 School Effectiveness
Framework
Healthy Schools
Healthy Schools
Mental Health& Addictions
Strategy Connections
Amend the education curriculum
Implement School Mental Health ASSIST
Develop a K-12 Resource
Guide /Website
Fund and support
Mental Health Leaders in
school boards
Provide support for professional
learning in mental health and addictions for educators
Related EDU Initiatives
School Mental Health is Not New
• Schools and communities in Ontario and elsewhere have been dealing with these issues for decades
• Inconsistent, fragmented approaches, with pockets of excellence…
• What’s new is the galvanizing of research, policy and practice to reach an integrated solution to a complex problem
OUT OF THE SHADOWS AT LAST
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
The Honourable Michael J. L. Kirby, Chair
May 2006
Making the school a site for the effective delivery of mental health services involves several key steps. First, its potential must be recognized.
National School Mental Health• School-Based Mental Health & Substance Abuse
Consortium
• Canada’s Mental Health Strategy (MHCC)• Evergreen• National Infant Child & Youth Mental Health Consortium• Opening Minds
• Joint Consortium for School Health• Public Health Agency of Canada• Canadian Association for School Health• Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse
Release of SBMHSA Findings
MH Promotion Prevention Intervention/Ongoing Care
School/Class-wide Social Emotional Learning is associated with enhanced prosocial ability and academic achievement
Internalizing
Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy / Behavior Therapy that is skill-based and builds protective factors can reduce symptoms
CBT/BT focused on core elements like social problem solving, cognitive restructuring, relaxation
Externalizing
Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy / Behavior Therapy that builds conflict resolution and anger management skills can reduce symptoms
CBT/BT focused on core elements like identifying cues for aggression, resisting automatic aggressive impulses, alternative behaviors
Substance Use
Mixed results – best strategies are interactive and build refusal and life skills
Insufficient evidence
Meta-Synthesis of Reviews
Report of 150 nominated programs and strategies, from every province
Across the Evergreen continuum Development and adaptation driven by need, resulting in
islands of innovation Inconsistent alignment with evidence, inconsistent use of
local evaluation
Actionable messages Build tools to support coherence and decision-making
NATIONAL SCAN DATABASE Support evaluation and scale up of research-consistent programs
Release of SBMHSA Findings
Scan of Nominated Best Practices
Release of SBMHSA Findings
National Survey of Schools and Boards
Broad Findings85% of board-level respondents, and 65% of school-level participants, indicated they were
concerned or very concerned about student mental health and/or substance use
Over 80% of respondents indicated that there are unmet student mental health and/or substance use needs in their board or school
Most Common – Problems With: attention & learning, anxiety, substance use, social relationships & bullying, oppositional behavior & aggression, depressed mood
Identified need for organizational conditions at the school and board level (board policy, clear service pathways, infrastructure, role clarity, systematic PD)
Inconsistent coverage of the continuum of care in boards and schools. Primary focus on identification and referral, individual intervention and crisis intervention
Implementation Barriers include: insufficient resources in schools/communities, insufficient qualified staff in school boards, need for parent engagement/collaboration, need for
promotion/prevention programming, need for systematic PD for educators
• International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Schools http://www.intercamhs.net/
• US – Canada Alliance for School Mental Health
• Advances in School Mental Health Promotion
• Key conferences featuring School Mental Health 7th Annual World Conference on Mental Health Promotion and Treatment of
Behavioral Disorders, October 17-19, Perth, Australia 17th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, October 25-27, Salt
Lake City, Utah 26th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research and Policy Conference, March 3-6,
Tampa, Florida
International School Mental Health
Taking Mental Health to School Ontario• Different models of mental health service delivery
across boards (Taking Mental Health to School, 2009)
Variable leadership structures, variable levels and types of professional support, variable relationship with community, variable range of services
• Educators are very concerned about student mental health, but feel ill-prepared to provide support
• Acknowledgement of promising supports (e.g., Student Support Leadership Initiative)
Need for leadership, coordination, access to evidence-based approaches,
implementation support, evaluation
School Mental Health ASSIST is a provincial implementation support team designed to help Ontario school boards to promote student mental health and well-being, through leadership, practical resources and systematic research-based approaches to school mental health.
Ontario Ministry of Education Lead Special Education Policy & Programs Branch
School Board Lead Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
SMH ASSIST Core Team Director, and 4+ P/T Implementation Coaches (3 Senior School Mental Health
Professionals, 1 Superintendent),.5 Research Associate (new!)
Cross-Sector Partners Interministerial Staff Team Hospital for Sick Children, Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child & Youth MH Provincial Stakeholder Organizations
Evaluation and Implementation Consultation Team Drs. Michael Boyle, Bruce Ferguson, Tom Kratochwill, Robert Lucio, Ian
Manion, Doris McWhorter, Karen Milligan, Caroline Parkin, Joyce Sebian, Mark Weist
Leadership Structure
Priorities
1. Organizational Conditions for Effective School Mental Health
2. Mental Health Capacity-Building for Educators
3. Implementation of Evidence-Based Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Programming
Organizational Conditions
1. Commitment
2. School Mental Health
Leadership Team
3. Clear & Focused Vision
4. Shared Language
5. Assessment of Initial
Capacity
6. Standard Processes
7. PD Protocols
8. School Mental Health
Strategy / Action Plan
9. Broad Collaboration
10. Ongoing Quality
Improvement
Top 10 List
Capacity-Building
Mental Health Awareness Mental Health Literacy
Mental Health Expertise
Basic mental health information, tailored for different school board
audiences
Deeper working knowledge for those who have a direct role in supporting student mental health (creating
mentally healthy schools & classrooms, recognizing early
signs of difficulty)
Skills and knowledge for SMH professionals to
effectively provide evidence-based
promotion, prevention, and intervention
ALL SOME FEW
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
• Not all programming in school mental health is helpful for all students. Some programming, though well-intentioned, is benign or harmful for certain populations.
• Program implementation standards are critical (training, coaching, fidelity to protocols, evaluation)
• SMH ASSIST can help boards to select and sustain appropriate mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies
Mental Health Promotion & Prevention
Resources• Webinar series, other staff development materials
• Decision support tools• Templates• School Administrators’ Toolkit
Consultation
Workshops
Representation on provincial reference groups & committees
Support to ALL Ontario boards
• 15 boards were Focus Boards in 2011-2012, another 15 announced for 2012-2013
• Boards receive 1 FTE Mental Health Leader and SMH ASSIST support
• Reciprocal relationship with SMH ASSISTASSIST provides leadership &
implementation supportFocus Boards help with piloting resources
that will be rolled out to all boards in time
Focus Boards
Focus Boards
Algoma DSBAlgonquin and Lakeshore Catholic DSBCSD Catholiques Centre-SudCSD des écoles catholiques du Sud-OuestCSD du Nord-Est de l'OntarioDistrict School Board of NiagaraHamilton-Wentworth DSBHastings and Prince Edward DSBHuron-Superior Catholic DSBKeewatin-Patricia DSBKenora Catholic District School BoardPeel DSBSimcoe-Muskoka Catholic DSBToronto Catholic DSBTrillium Lakelands DSB
Selected for geographic, language, Catholic/Public representation, along a
continuum of School Mental Health capacity
CSD catholique des Grandes RivièresCSD du Grand Nord de l'OntarioGrand Erie DSBHalton DSBLakehead DSBLambton Kent DSBLondon District Catholic DSBNortheastern Catholic DSBOntario North East DSBOttawa Catholic DSBSimcoe County DSBThunder Bay Catholic DSBToronto DSBUpper Grand DSBYork Catholic DSB
Mental Health Leaders• Mental Health Leaders are senior mental health
professionals hired by District School Boards to: Provide leadership & coordination in school mental health, conduct/update a mental health needs assessment, co-create a Board Mental Health Strategy, oversee the implementation of the Board MH Strategy, support community collaboration
• Mental Health Leaders work closely with Superintendents with responsibility for mental health, and existing school mental health professionals to tailor the role for the board
Work within a community of practice, participate in SMH ASSIST leadership modules, receive ongoing coaching
Visit SMH ASSIST
http://smh-assist.ca/
Understanding School
Board Culture
What Life in School Boards is Really Like…
A day in the life of a school• We teach students, age 3 through 18+,
literacy, numeracy, content, character, coping, career…
• We get them to school safely on buses, feed them, clean up cut knees and wipe away tears, watch them play, learn, make mistakes, and help one another
• We provide extra support to vulnerable students
• We assess progress, maintain records, aggregate data
• We reach out to parents • We collaborate with our community partners
We support one another, and our students , every day…
Education Priorities
• Academic learning is our primary responsibility
• Important to make the connections between mental health and academic achievement
• Boards create an annual achievement plan (BIPSA)
• Schools create an annual achievement plan (SIP)
• Boards and schools follow a planning / monitoring process called the School Effectiveness Framework
Getting Started…
• Learn about the board(s) – they are each unique
• Make contact with the Superintendent responsible for student mental health
• Connect with the Mental Health Leader, if present & the Chief Social Worker / Psychologist
• Confirm expectations for the role (scope, focus)
Some Good Questions…• Who has lead responsibility for student
mental health in the board?• Is there a board mental health
leadership team? May I join?• Who provides mental health services in
the board currently? Who does what?• Does the board have a mental health
strategy? What are the key priorities?
Resource Mapping
• If your board has a Mental Health Leader, then a resource mapping will have been completed
• This mapping is meant to illuminate system strengths and gaps, for use in the development of the board mental health strategy
• In many boards, the mapping extends to school level resource/program information, to assist with school programming decisions
Professional Learning
• Movement towards working together in a climate of collective inquiry towards a clear focused educational goal
• Cross-classroom, cross-division, cross-school, cross-department, cross-board
• Aligns with research on adult learning and teacher preferences
Tiers of Intervention• Key initiatives that are foundational to
mental health ascribe to a tiered model of intervention (e.g., Student Success, Learning for All)
• This aligns with the national Evergreen framework, and the public health model Mental health promotion, prevention, intervention and
ongoing care
• Boards deliver promotion & prevention routinely, and many have mental health professionals who provide intervention services
But there is much to do and we rely on our partners for help!
Tiered Support in Systems of Care
Universal Evidence-BasedMental Health Promotion, Social-
Emotional Learning
Targeted Evidence-Based Prevention
E-B ClinicalIntervention
Evidence-Based Clinical Intervention
Targeted Evidence-Based Prevention
Universal E-B Mental Health Promotion
Community
School BoardsIm
plementation Focus
Questions for Reflection…
Contact Information
Sandy PalinskiManager, Special Education Policy & Programs Branch
Ontario Ministry of [email protected]
Kathy ShortDirector, School Mental Health ASSIST
Hamilton-Wentworth District School [email protected]