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It is estimated that 15 per cent of Canadian children and youth are living with some form of mental illness, and one in five young people will deal with a mental health issue at some point in any given year. Unfortunately, studies show that less than 10 per cent of those affected young people will get help for problems related to mental health, drugs or alcohol. Often, it is the stigma associated with mental illness that prevents people from accessing the treatment they desperately need. Many people with mental illness say the stigma that surrounds mental illness is harder to live with than the disease itself.
Since 2009, the Alberta Teachers’ Association has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Global Television in raising awareness of children’s mental health and discouraging the stigmatization often associated with mental illness. On May 4, 2011, schools across Alberta are invited to participate in Hats On! For Mental Health, a coordinated awareness day focused on raising awareness of issues related to mental health.
On May 4 schools are asked to relax their hat rules and encourage teachers and students to wear a hat to school. Teachers are also asked to integrate awareness of mental health into their classroom by teaching one of three common lesson plans in their classroom. ATA school representatives were sent the lesson plans (one designed for elementary grades, one for junior high and one for senior high) in the March school mailing. The lesson plans can also be downloaded from the “Healthy Minds, Bright Futures” website at www.canwetalk.ca.
The elementary and junior high lesson plans focus on recognizing the effects of stress and the value of managing it to maintain good mental health, while the senior high lesson plan looks at the myths and realities of mental illness and the effects of stigmatization.
Schools and teachers participating in Hats On! For Mental Health Day are asked to complete the registration form sent to schools in the March school mailing. This information will help us record the number of schools participating in the event and maintain contact with schools interested in future “Healthy Minds, Bright Futures” programs.
For information, please contact Jonathan Teghtmeyer, ATA executive staff officer. Telephone: 1-800-232-7208; e-mail: jonathan.teghtmeyer@ata.ab.ca.
In 2009, the Alberta Teachers’ Association partnered with the Alberta Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Global Television to create “Healthy Minds, Bright Futures.” The program aims to increase awareness of the mental health needs of children and youth and decrease the stigmatization often associated with mental illness.
