I.M. Well understands the importance of mental health and the impact it has on a student’s life, both academically and personally. That’s why we’re excited to announce our participation in the upcoming Canadian Association of Public Schools Conference from May 14th-16th, where we’ll be hosting a workshop session on proactive approaches to care for students with mental health concerns.
Our goal is to inform school administrators about how to create an inclusive environment that fosters early intervention and support for mental health, helping students thrive in their educational journey.
Early Diagnosis is Key
Mental health disorders can often go undiagnosed in children, leading to difficulties in handling the symptoms as they grow older. In Canada alone, an estimated 1 in 7 children suffer from undiagnosed, treatable mental health disorders.
Early diagnosis and intervention can greatly reduce the long-term impacts of these conditions, allowing students to develop coping strategies that will serve them well into adulthood. Individuals who do not seek treatment for mental health conditions early have a higher probability of experiencing unnecessary disability in adulthood, unemployment, substance abuse, and overall poorer quality of life.
Our workshop at the CAPS-I Conference will focus on the rising mental health cases in our classrooms and how early and inclusive intervention is imperative to improving overall wellness of students.
Continuing to Reduce the Stigma
We’ll provide information on supporting students with mental health conditions such as ADHD and OCD, but also how to handle conditions that are seen as more “bothersome” in the classroom such as Tourette’s or Asperger’s. These conditions aren’t romanticized and often don’t get the same level of attention as others which allows the stigma surrounding them to remain prevalent. Education is the solution, and the more students and support staff learn about how these conditions are not all that different from others, the better off everyone will be.
International Students & Mental Health
In our efforts to break the stigma surrounding mental health, it’s crucial that we extend our understanding and support to all ranges of mental health disorders. International students may face significant barriers due to cultural differences in the perception and treatment of mental health. This is certainly something that I.M. Well has noticed, and one of our goals is to increase the accessibility and support of the service to international students across the country. Through providing education and resources to both students and teachers, we aim to create a more compassionate and inclusive environment for everyone.
Whether you’re attending this year’s CAPS-I Conference or not, we invite you to learn more about proactive approaches to mental health care and how we can work together to create a brighter future for our students. Together, we can break the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure that all students have access to the support they need to succeed.
