Wednesday September 2, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
The BC Government is boosting funds immediately for school-based wellness programs and supports by $2 million, topping up the $8.8-million investment over three years that was announced last September.
This was announced today by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
For the 2020-21 school year, this now means that school districts and independent school authorities will receive a total of $3.75 million, the ministry stated. The funds are to promote mental wellness and provide additional supports for students, families and educators “as they work together to get through this challenging time” (i.e. kids going back to school during the COVID pandemic).
Last week the Ministry of Education indicated a coming top-up would include the hiring of more teacher-counsellors and other supports, but it appears each of the 60 school districts and the independent schools will decide on suitable application of funds for their local needs.
Deciding what to do with additional funds:
“We are just receiving this news now as well and will need some time to determine best use of the funding,” says SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson, which best sums up the scenario of dealing with new-found money for a longstanding problem amidst the day-by-day adaptations required during the ongoing pandemic.
SD62 already has a robust and well-defined Healthy Schools program which could possibly be expanded, but there has often been mention of needing more counsellors in schools in order to meet the need (which probably isn’t unique to SD62).
More Integrated Child & Youth Teams:
Today Mental Health & Addictions Minister Judy Darcy also announced a specific application of funding within three more school districts for enhanced mental health support teams. Integrated child and youth (ICY) teams work to fill gaps in the current system of mental health and substance use care.
This model of care has been successful in other jurisdictions with positive results, including reduced wait times, better health outcomes and increased engagement at school.
Richmond, Coast Mountains and Okanagan-Similkameen join Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows and the Comox Valley, bringing the total number of school districts with ICY teams to five since they were first introduced in July 2019.
None of the ICY teams are yet on Vancouver Island.
When school districts & health authorities are ready:
Minister Darcy says school districts are selected for participation in the ICY funding based on “primarily an assessment of need and readiness, and opportunities for reconciliation in the community”. She says “it’s about building partnerships” and to “bring all resources to bear in our community”. Staff are added in through existing teams. Readiness has to do with “leadership on the part of school districts and health authorities,” said Darcy in a media announcement today.
Funding for three new ICY teams is part of the Province’s $74-million investment over three years announced in Budget 2019 to support mental health initiatives for children and youth. It is estimated to take up to one year for programs to get up and running.
