We create educational, training, and clinical care materials and programs designed for use in schools and care settings to promote:
- mental health literacy
- clinical care capacity
- self-care and psychoeducation
- critical evaluation of existing programs and interventions
All of our work is evidence based and can be accessed through the Webby Award winning site www.teenmentalhealth.org, where all our materials (including publications and evaluation reports) are freely available and downloadable.
We carry out this work in association with the academic team of the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Sciences Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
School mental health literacy
Our highly effective school mental health literacy interventions are currently being applied across Canada and globally. They include:
- A curriculum resource (the Guide) designed to be applied by teachers in usual classroom settings
- “Go To” training designed to enhance identification, triage, referral and school based support of young people at high risk for a mental disorder.
In schools where these interventions have been applied, they have demonstrated:
- improved knowledge
- decreased stigma
- enhanced help-seeking efficacy
- improved mental health outcomes for both teachers and students
- increased access to mental health care for young people
This pedagogically familiar, simple, sustainable, inexpensive, and effective approach is based on our ‘horizontal integrated access to care’ model and has substantial evidence (including longitudinal cohort studies and RCTs) to support it.
In collaboration with three Faculties of Education across Canada we are also developing an on-line mental health literacy curriculum for pre-service teachers.
Primary care education/training
Our primary care youth Depression education/training interventions are credentialed by the Canadian College of Family Practice, are now available through the European Alliance Against Depression, and have been adapted and applied in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America.
Transitions
Our campus mental health literacy resource “Transitions” provides first-year students with information on topics including time management, relationships, sexual activity, mental illness, suicide and addictions. The guide also includes mental health self-help information and recommendations where students can go to get help on their campus. The book and pocket sized book are available on Amazon, and it is also available as an iStore App and at the iBook Store. It has demonstrated significant positive impact on knowledge enhancement, stigma reduction, and help-seeking intent.
Toolbox
Our toolbox contains numerous validated clinically useful tools, translated into numerous languages, for diagnosis and management of common mental disorders that can be diagnosed and treated in young people. These resources (Family Pack; Mini-magazines, etc) are freely available online for use by community health clinics, schools, and mental health NGOs.
Critically Evaluating School Mental Health (CESMH)
This program provides an opportunity for schools, school boards/districts and departments/ministries of education to obtain independent assessments using a focused systematic review model and OJP framework application addressing readiness for implementation to any mental health related program. This information can be used to inform decisions regarding program implementation.
1465 Brenton Street, 2nd floor
Halifax, NS B3J 3T3
Canada
- Dalhousie University (Canada)
- IWK Health Centre (Canada)
- Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Farm Radio International (Africa)
- Sun Life Financial
- Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation
- Max Bell Foundation
- Meighen Foundation
- Nova Scotia Mental Health Foundation
- Dalhousie University
- IWK Health Center Foundation
