Salon A: Re
sponding to Mental Health Issues in Our Schools
Chaired by Barbara Compton and Patricia Prowse, this panel of mental health advocates explored “the critical components of mental health wellness in the classroom and how to best support the well-being of students and educators.”
Members of One Thunderous Voice had the opportunity to interview panelists after the workshop. They also held a Socratic Circle, developing their thinking about the subject. You can listen to both below.
Here is what they had to say:
Joanne Brothwell
Therapist, Youth Mental Health Program, Saskatchewan Health Authority
“Connection is huge.”
Shardelle Brown
SAYCW Project Manager, Population Health Promotion Practitioner, Population Health, Quality and Research, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency
“We do provide reports to the schools participating.…We also have supports on our websites…. and a grant process [to respond to the survey data].”
Dr. Jody Carrington
Clinical Psychologist
“Young kids today are amazing”
Jenn Chan & Dr. Jenn de Lugt
Learning Consultant, Prairie South School Division & Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Regina
“I think what surprised me is how readily students talked about anxiety. I expected stigma, I expected hesitation but students wanted us to know. They just wanted someone to listen, and follow through.”
Siobhan O’Conner
Mental Health and Addiction Services, Saskatchewan Health Authority
“All the power is in the youth.”
SOCRATIC DIALOGUE:
The students sit in a circle and worked together to build knowledge. One person starts, and the others find ways to build on the initial idea, connect to related ideas, and surface new questions. As you listen, note how students make meaning within this flexible structure.
Youth Reflection on Mental Health
