Good mental health is something we all want for ourselves, our friends, our family, and others in our community. Take the time to care for your own mental health. Some of the things we do for our physical health like getting enough sleep, eating well, and minimizing screen time are also good for our mental health.

How do you ask for help?

Asking for help seems like a big step, but it isn’t as hard as it seems. Once you have decided to ask, and have an idea of who you will approach, it is a matter of finding a few words to start off with. The rest usually falls into place because you are then sharing with a caring adult.

Here are some conversation starters:

• "I haven't been feeling well lately, and I think I need some help."
• "Things haven't been going well for me. I need some help to turn things around."
• "I can't seem to get past the feelings I'm having. I wanted to reach out before things get worse."
• “I don’t know if you can help me, but I’m hoping you can help me to find someone who can. I’m worried that I have a problem with my mental health.”
• “I’m not good at asking for help, and I wish I didn’t have to, but I don’t think I can handle this alone. Can you help me?”

Adolescent Care Workers (ACW) (secondary) provide social, emotional, and well-being related support to students. ACWs may be accessed through self-referral or a member of the in-school team. Parental consent is not required for students to see the ACW.

Social Workers (all secondary, limited elementary) provide crisis intervention support and one-to-one counselling in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, trauma, social determinants of health, etc. Social Workers may be accessed through self-referral in secondary, or a member of the in-school team. Parental consent is not required for secondary students to see the Social Worker; it is required for elementary students unless there is immediate consent for student safety.

Student Support Counsellors (SSC) (elementary) help address the behavioural, emotional and social needs of children, provide behavioural problem solving, programming, and school support. Parental consent is required for elementary students to see the SSC unless there is immediate concern for student safety.

Clinical Consultants (elementary and secondary) provide consultation and psycho-educational assessments for students to assist schools in developing appropriate programming to meet students' needs and to address mental health concerns. Referrals are made solely by members of the in-school team. Parental consent is required for students to see the Clinical Consultant unless there is immediate concern for student safety.

Help-Seeking Resources

Reaching Out: You might be thinking problems are important or big enough to talk to anyone about or I’m worried I might be labelled or that people might judge me. Reaching Out Resource

No Problem Too Big or Too Small: We all have mental health and talking about things is one of the ways we can take care of it. Reaching out for help.

Youth-Focused Mental Health Resources

An online hub of COVID-19 youth-focused mental health resources from Jack.org, Kids Help Phone and School Mental Health Ontario.

Kids Help Line: Access to 24/7 counselling by phone or text, and find information on different mental health topics. Call Kids Help Phone for support.

The Hope for Wellness Help Line: Mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada through Hope for Wellness Help Line.

Be There by Jack.org: Find guidance on how to Be There for a friend who may be struggling with their mental health.

School Mental Health Ontario for Students: To centre student voice and provide easy access to mental health learning, tools and supports, SMH-ON has launched a student-facing website.

Self-Care Resources

Self-Care 101 for Students: Self-care is an important part of wellness. Take time and discover what helps you to feel good and recharge. Self-care 101 for students.