Mental Health Resources

Updated Feb 18, 2021 – This page is a collection of credible and reliable resources to support the mental health and well-being of staff and families.

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Action for Happiness:  There are lots of positive things we and our families can do to stay as physically and mentally healthy as possible.  Action for Happiness

Alberta Council for Environmental Education A parent resource page features fun and simple activities that connect children to nature and support home-based learning.

Alberta COVID-19 Youth Mental Health Resource Hub on Jack.org – Alberta’s government partnered with the Kids Help Phone and Jack.org to create the Youth Mental Health Resource Hub where youth, educators and parents can find easy-to-access tools and supports. The youth-focused resources on this hub include:

• Jack Chapters – Youth-led, community-driven mental health advocacy clubs at schools or in the community.
• Jack Talks – Mental health presentations delivered to young people by young people.
• Jack Summits – Mental health conferences developed by youth, where young people within a region connect, strategize and learn from one another.
• Do Something – Tools to take small, simple steps that make a big difference to youth mental health and the mental health of others.
• Be There – Tools to support someone who may be struggling with their mental health.

Alberta Health Services has information and a variety of resources available for Albertans at albertahealthservices.ca

• Help in Tough Times
• Healthy Together
• Text4Hope

Autism Survival Toolbox: This is a little collection of visual tools. They are easy to put into practice but they will make a huge difference in how you and your child with autism survive this pandemic time: Autism Survival Toolbox

Be fit for life is a group of Albertans who work collectively to inspire, educate and support Albertans to lead healthy, physically active lifestyles. Check out their Active at Home page.  

BOKS is an organization that team believes that sport & fitness have the power to change lives. BOKS At Home will share as many games and activities as possible to keep kids active and happy during this difficult time.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is a national charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is offering resources and information to keep families, schools, child-serving organizations, and, most importantly, children safe during this unprecedented time.

The EdCan Network is a compilation of carefully curated external resources and original content to support K-12 staff and parents who are navigating working from home and, most importantly, finding ways to support their well-being and staying connected to family, students, and colleagues. EdCan Network

MediaSmarts is a trusted and reliable source of guidance for parents with regard to children being online.  Here are a few of their suggestions.

• Identifying health misinformation
  • Help the whole family learn four easy fact-checking skills that can be done in under a minute with our Break the Fake tips, videos, quizzes and more.
  • Here are three tips to help you find good information about health and science topics.
• Family screen time and social distancing
  • Four tips for managing your kids screen time
    • The best ways to use screens mindfully and set limits in your household.
  • Co-viewing with your kids
    • Here are some things to think about while consuming media as a family.
  • Social media and screen time during a pandemic
    • With our day-to-day lives being thrown off kilter, it can be tricky for families to manage social media use and screen time. Here’s how one parent is attempting to strike a good balance.
• Explaining news and media coverage to your kids
  • Dealing with fear in media
  • Helping kids cope with media coverage of war and traumatic events
  • How to verify online news

Mental Wellness Moment is a YouTube series with Dr. Nicholas Mitchell, AHS medical director, Addiction and Mental Health. This collection of 25 videos are under three-minutes each and cover a wide-range of topics such as social isolation, household tensions, loneliness, managing cravings, and self-care. Mental Wellness Moment

PHSD counselling support people will continue to contact students on their rosters and will establish ways to maintain connection. If you know of a student who is seeking support, direct them to the person you would usually use at your school.

Positive Parenting Program (Triple P):  Triple P is a parenting program, but it doesn’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s more like a toolbox of ideas. You choose the strategies you need. You choose the way you want to use them. Start here:  Parenting during COVID-19

Talking to Kids About Coronavirus (COVID-19): ATA’s informative PDF and interactive online resource provide suggestions on what might be said to children and youth during the pandemic, what can be done to support our public health care system in Alberta, and how we will get through this together.

Together Talk Counselling – Through funding from the Alberta Government, Together Talk is a local partnership that provides Virtual and Walk-In counselling services free of charge. Services are availalbe for everyone in our local communities.

Wellness Together Canada: The Canadian government is extending its support, offering wellness resources, self-assessment tools and phone, video and text counselling through its Wellness Together Canada site. Supports are available 24/7, free, and accessible to everyone. Spread the word.

Westlock Family Connections promotes children getting a healthy start in life through. They are offering free weekly online sessions to support families: Triple P Thursdays