The Alberta Teachers’ Association

“I know it was around the time I was getting teased about one thing or another,” says Xavier (not her real name). “A teacher I had had for three years and had developed a friendship with caught on to this problem near the end of Grade 9. No one else had said anything or even taken the time to ask me if anything was wrong.”

Xavier says that wasn’t the end of her problems, but the friendship was a turning point toward getting help and eventually feeling more in control of how she deals with difficulties. “I think she helped because I trusted her,” admits Xavier. “I knew she wasn't there to make a scene or hurt me in any way. She didn't sit there and lecture me. She straight up told me that I needed help and my mother needed to know. Her taking the time to care really made a big impact on my self-esteem. It really was the turning point for me.”

The Alberta Teachers’ Association is collaborating with the Canadian Mental Health Association on a program to ensure that students like Xavier get the support they need. “Healthy Minds, Bright Futures” provides teachers with information on common mental health issues, tools to help identify students in need and resources to help teachers make referrals to mental health professionals.

“Teachers are on the front lines for identifying mental health issues,” says Melinda McNie, department head of student services at W. P. Wagner High School, in Edmonton. “They see their students regularly and establish a relationship of trust.

Sometimes teachers notice things parents don’t because they see things from a different perspective. There’s a saying that it takes a community to raise a child. A teacher is one component of that community.”

McNie says signs of mental health problems that a teacher might notice include behavioural changes, anger, poor attendance, unkempt appearance, and lack of focus in class or slipping grades. It might be enough just to give the student a chance to talk, she adds.

“Students are not often asked how they’re feeling without being judged. They need someone to listen to them and validate their feelings. You need just three little words to get kids to talk: ‘Are you OK?’”

For serious problems, a teacher can act as an intermediary to get the student help. “Kids have much more to deal with these days than in the past,” McNie says, pointing to drugs, peer pressure, family breakups, blended families, moving from school to school and bullying. “Bullying can become a really serious problem, and now kids are being bullied outside of school through texting and online social networking sites like Facebook and Nexopia.”

Xavier agrees. She believes that teachers can provide an important buffer for students coping with mental health issues. “With all the peer pressure and all the crazy things going on in the world, having someone take the time to say they’re there for you really helps. It's the simple things like that that make a difference.”

Marylu Walters is a freelance writer.