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About the Coalition

About the Coalition

The British Columbia School Centred Mental Health Coalition (the Coalition) was started in 2010 to advance the concept of “school connectedness” and the body of research and strategies that support the concept. The Coalition now has members from more than 70 organizations representing government ministries and non-government organizations, service providers, research agencies and institutions, advocacy groups, professional associations and the education system. This cross-sector, interdisciplinary membership helps to ensure that the efforts of the Coalition are relevant and accessible to a diverse range of stakeholders across school communities and the province in general.

The organization is led by a volunteer steering committee. All members are volunteers.

VISION

British Columbia schools are safe and caring learning environments fostering the mental wellness of their communities.

Steering Committee:

The Steering Committee is happy to serve as a leadership team for the Coalition.

Ann Whiteaker

Ann is a School Trustee in the Victoria School District.

Michelle Cianfrone

Michelle is a Senior Project Manager of Health Literacy at BC Children's Hospital.

Deborah Garrity

Deborah is a passionate parent advocate and currently serves as Secretariat for the Coalition.

Mali Bain is a former teacher and a current facilitator, consultant and entrepreneur.

Selma Smith

Selma is a District Principal of Student Support with the Surrey School District.

Gail Markin

Gail is a Middle School Counsellor and Supports Social Emotional Learning in the Langley School District.

Our Strategy

Read about the Coalition's plan for improving the well-being of BC students, families and communities.

Background:

The following snapshot list was created by submissions from members of the BC School Centred Mental Health Coalition between June 2019 and January 2020. This is not a complete list of members, and all content is as submitted directly by individual members.

The intention of this list is to promote connection, sharing, and alignment of members’ activities in the service of the wellbeing of children, youth and families in BC.

Last updated January 2020.

*Type of organization*	*Name of organization / individual*	*Short description*	*Website*
Non-Profit Organization	The Bateman Foundation	The Bateman Foundation was founded to inspire a lasting relationship with nature through the lens of art, and is currently one of the only non-profits in Canada primarily using artwork to promote a connection to nature and the environment. Through our programs, exhibits, community collaborations, gallery, and retail operations, we inspire a generation of people to have a deep relationship with nature.	www.batemanfoundation.org
Non-Profit Organization / Initiative	BounceBack®: Reclaim your Health	Based out of the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division, BounceBack® is a free skill-building program designed to help individuals 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Delivered online or over the phone with a coach, participants get access to evidence-based tools that will support them on their path to mental wellness. The program has been available for individuals aged 19+ since 2008 and for youth aged 15-18 since 2017.	www.bouncebackbc.ca
Non-Profit Organization	Child and Youth Mental Health in Fraser Cascade
Non-Profit Organization	Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education	Founded in Vancouver, BC, in 2005, the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education is a non-profit, charitable organization. We are a secular, research-based organization with no political ties. Our mission is to educate the hearts of children. We do this by informing, inspiring and engaging adults who care for and teach children in homes, schools and community, by sharing current research, scientific knowledge, resources and best practices related to social emotional learning.
Non-Profit Organization	DASH Dedicated Action for School Health	DASH collaborates with schools and other partners to create, facilitate and support school communities to be optimal places for health and learning through an evidence-based Comprehensive School Health approach. DASH’s vision is that all students are healthy, engaged, and connected at school and in their communities.	www.dashbc.ca
Non-Profit Organization	Equitas International Centre for Human Rights Education	Equitas advances equality, social justice and respect for human dignity through transformative human rights education programs in Canada and around the world. The Equitas Regional Office in British Columbia works closely with community to support the growth and sustainability of Equitas’ programs in Western Canada. Since 2009, we have worked in over 10 communities and with 80 community partners to identify emerging issues impacting young people, to develop innovative tools, educational resources and training to help build leadership skills of diverse children and youth in communities.	https://equitas.org/where-we-work/canada/our-programs-in-british-columbia/
Non-Profit Organization	Family Support Institute of BC	The Family Support Institute (FSI) is a provincial non-profit charitable society registered in 1985. FSI was created to strengthen families faced with the extraordinary circumstances that come with having a family member who has a disability. FSI has established a volunteer network of Resource Parents (RPs) and Resource Family Members (RFMs) in communities across the province. These 250 volunteers have all faced the challenges that come with having a son, daughter, or family member with a disability. The purpose of the Family Support Institute of BC is to strengthen, connect and build communities and resources with families of people with disabilities in BC. We believe that families are the best resource available to support one another. Directed by families, the Family Support Institute provides information, training, and province-wide networking to assist families and their communities to build upon and share their strengths. All our services are free to families throughout the province.	www.familysupportbc.com
Non-Profit Organization	Foundry	Foundry offers young people ages 12-24 health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through integrated service centres in communities across BC.	www.foundrybc.ca
Non-Profit Organization / Initiative	Healthy Minds \| Healthy Campuses – CMHA/CISUR	Co-led by the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division and the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Healthy Minds \| Healthy Campuses (HM \| HC) is a vibrant province-wide community of practice that engages students, campus professionals, faculty, administrators, and community partners. This initiative facilitates creative and collaborative learning opportunities to build capacity in campus mental wellness and healthier relationships with substances.
Non-Profit Organization	Langley Restorative Action Program	A collaborative initiative between non-profit Community Justice Initiatives and Langley School District #35, the Restorative Action Program offers youth and school communities the skills and resources to work with conflict in a restorative way. Through experiential circles, youth K-12 learn about focused topics and practice skills that relate to conflict such as creating connection, empathy, understanding and coping with emotions, anger and arousal, perspective taking, and communication skills. The program also offers training for youth in Restorative Peer Mediation, ProD opportunities for staff and admin, and professional restorative facilitation for complex or serious conflict and crime.	www.cjibc.org/programs/restorative-action-program-for-schools www.cjibc.org
Non-Profit Organization	McCreary Centre Society	McCreary Centre Society is a non-government not-for-profit committed to improving the health of BC youth through research, evaluation and community based projects. Our vision is that all youth are supported to be healthy and connected.
Non-Profit Organization	OneSky Community Resources	Community service organization with direct services to children, youth, adults, seniors. We work with the school district delivering programs in schools and provide counselling support in the community. We are the lead agency for Foundry Penticton, an integrated children and youth mental health and primary care centre which opened in June 2019..
Non-Profit Organization	Social and Emotional Leadership Foundation	Strategic customized partnerships with schools to create a dramatically stronger sense of belonging for students. Neuroscience informed Pro D days for all teachers and stuff, intervention peer groups to reverse unhealthy patterns (including training so schools can run them on their own), peer leadership program, SEL classroom programs/support using drama. Please refer to selfoundation.ca
Non-Profit Organization	Society for Children and Youth of BC	We are a not for profit child rights organization dedicated to improving the wellbeing of children and youth in BC by advocating for their rights. We provide child and youth rights workshops to a variety of audiences and well as printed child rights education materials to groups and individuals across the province. We host child and youth engagement programs including our Urban Explorers initiative, where young people have opportunities to have their voices and opinions considered in the spaces that affect their lives. We also house BC’s first and only Child and Youth Legal Centre through which we provide free and confidential legal services to children and youth in the areas of family law, child protection and human rights.	www.scyofbc.org
Non-Profit Organization	WITS Programs Foundation	Our programs bring together schools, families and communities to help elementary school children deal with bullying and peer victimization and encourage adults to respond to children's requests for help.	witsprogram.ca
Non-Profit Organization	YMCA	The YMCA is committed to strengthening the foundations of community by: helping children and families thrive; promoting healthy living; and fostering belonging and connection. The Y delivers mental wellness programming across BC for teens and young adults who experience stress, worry, and/or mild-moderate anxiety and depression.	https://gv.ymca.ca/Programs/Categories/Health-Management/Mental-Health
Post-Secondary Institution	UBC Human Early Learning Partnership	Provide data and research on child-wellbeing along with support for data usage i(Knowledge to Action).
Post-Secondary Institution	Faculty of Education, UBC	Teacher education at both pre-service and in-service teacher levels; coordinating provincial mental health literacy ProD
Post-Secondary Institution	Langara College	snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College is a public post-secondary institution located in Vancouver, BC. Langara is one of BC's leading pathways institutions, providing University Studies, Career Studies, and Continuing Studies programs and courses to more than 23,000 students annually.
Post-Secondary Institution	UBC Faculty of Medicine, Learning for Life	Learning for Life is an education initiative that promotes healthy lifestyle behaviours and builds digital health literacy skills among intermediate elementary students and families in BC. Learning for Life provides students with competencies to use technology to support their health, to critically assess information provided through technology, and to balance technology usage with the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours, using up to date Canadian guidelines.	https://digem.med.ubc.ca/projects/ubclearningforlife/
Provincial Association	BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC)	BCCPAC, a registered non-profit and non-partisan charity, is the provincially mandated voice of parents and guardians of over 565,000 children attending provincial public schools.	https://bccpac.bc.ca/index.php
Provincial Association	British Columbia School Trustees Association "BCSTA"	BCSTA supports British Columbia's 60 boards of education in their key work of improving student achievement.
Government	Ministry of Children and Family Development - Child and Youth Mental Health Policy - Prevention Team	Our aim is to prevent or mitigate the risks of children and youth developing a mental health disorder through the provision of high quality, evidence-informed prevention and early intervention resources for children, youth, educators, caregivers and families. Our team leads and coordinates the provincial implementation of EASE (Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators) workshops and classroom resources for K-7 district, independent and First Nations schools.	www.gov.bc.ca/Everyday-Anxiety-Strategies-for-Educators
Government	BC Children's Hospital - Health Literacy Team	Enhancing the mental health and well-being of children, youth, and families through provincial health literacy and health promotion, as well as peer support provided through the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre .	keltymentalhealth.ca
Government	Northern Health Authority	Regional Nursing Lead for Healthy Schools and Youth	School & Youth Health Northern Health Imagine Grants
Government	Vancouver Coastal Health - Community Investments	The VCH Community Investments team grants long-term core funding to nearly 70 non-profit organizations in the Vancouver Coastal Health region that are doing upstream and system-changing health promotion work. We also give out short-term health promotion project-based grants and capacity building grants on a semi-annual basis.	vch.ca/grants
Government	Fraser Health Authority	Fraser Health’s Healthy Schools Program partners with schools and school districts to support the integration of health promotion at school using a Comprehensive School Health approach. The Healthy Schools Program Project Lead and a Healthy Schools Public Health Nurse, and a Community Health Specialist participates in this Coalition.	Fraser Health Healthy Schools Program
School District	SD 45 West Vancouver	District Principal for Public SD serving Bowen Island, Lions Bay, and West Vancouver	https://westvancouverschools.ca/
School District	SD 41 Burnaby	Burnaby School District has 41 elementary schools, 8 secondary schools and 4 Learning Pathways programs supporting the learning and social emotional development of approximately 24 000 students. District Counsellor and Mental Health Liaisons attend BC SCMHC meetings.	burnabyschools.ca
School District	SD 62 Sooke	Healthy Schools Healthy People Team: supporting the well-being of students, staff & families in our district and ensuring an optimal learning environment by honouring student voice & choice through engaging, purposeful & experiential learning in a safe & respectful community.	mswinburnson@sd62.bc.ca rumcarthur@sd62.bc.ca
School District	Shirley Giroux currently with SD 57 (Prince George) SD #57 (Prince George) - Michele David	School Counsellor (Valemount Elem. / Valemount Sec.) EdCan “Well at Work” contributor District Mental Health Behaviour Clinician and Team Lead for SD #57 Mental Health Clinic and Assessment Centre	sgiroux@sd57.bc.ca mdavid@sd57.bc.ca
School District	SD 34 Abbotsford	District Principal of LSS & SEL District teacher
School District	SD38 Richmond	District MH/SEL team attending meetings: Richard Steward, (Director of Learning Services), Marie Ratcliffe (District Administrator), Connie Easton (Coordinator Mental Health, SEL & Counselling)	ceaston@sd38.bc.ca rsteward@sd38.bc.ca mratcliffe@sd38.bc.ca
School District	SD61 Greater Victoria	District Team - Supporting the mental health needs and well-being of all students within an inclusive learning model.	dwhitten@sd61.bc.ca hcaldwell@sd61.bc.ca
School District	SD37 Delta SD 37	Trustee, Delta Board of Education Director, Learning Services Inclusive Learning Joanna Angelidis	jangelidis@deltasd.bc.ca https://www.deltasd.bc.ca
School District	SD35 Langley	Located approximately 45 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, BC, Langley School District provides services to the Matsqui, Kwantlen, and Katzie First Nations, the City of Langley and the Township of Langley. Our mission is to inspire all learners to reach their full potential and to create a positive legacy for the future.	gmarkin@sd35.bc.ca https://www.sd35.bc.ca
Other - Consultant	Dr. Jane Irvin SD 43 Coq, SD 75 Mission, SD 48 Sea to Sky, SD 87 Stikine, SD 39 Vancouver, SD 41 Burnaby, SD 44 North Van, Lax Kw’alaams, Squamish Nation, Atlin, Alert Bay, Haida Gwaii, Campbell River	There’s got to be a better way to respond to what is happening with today’s youth, for they are... our future and... our most *valuable* resource. We are *all* being called to step forward...but who will really answer? The answer would certainly be, to inspire, a strong sense of hope for children, helping them to feel motivated enough to create significant, social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral leap forward. A new paradigm is awakening; and it’s calling each and everyone of us. There is only one way to go... more than any other time in history and that is... *ahead. Who* will really be there and *who* will really be willing to answer this very urgent call? *Let it be each of us!*	http://www.knowledgenavigatortraining.com drjaneirvin@gmail.com
Other - Network	BC Health Literacy Network	This network was established in 2011 with the goal of addressing the issue of low health literacy	https://phabc.org/about-us/partners-and-collaborators/health-literacy/
Other - Government Mandated Family Court & Youth Justice Committee	Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee	Family Court (1966) Youth Justice (1986) mandated by Federal & Provincial Legislation to be aware of the circumstances for youth and families who may come into contact with the justice system.	cday@colwood.ca website to follow shortly (going live soon)

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