Dan Williams, minister of mental health and addiction, announces mental health classroom funding from Bev Facey Community High School in Sherwood Park. (Government of Alberta/YouTube)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Alberta

Province announces funding for up to 60 mental health classrooms

Sep 11, 2024 | 6:40 PM

As part of a partnership with CASA Mental Health, the Government of Alberta is investing $70 million over three years for the creation of up to 60 new CASA Mental Health Classrooms across the province.

Nine of these classrooms opened this month across seven communities:

• Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary
• St. Cyril School in Calgary
• St. Joseph Catholic High School in Edmonton
• Rosslyn Junior High School in Edmonton
• Bev Facey Community High School in Sherwood Park
• H.E. Bourgoin School in Bonnyville
• Senator Riley School in High River
• St. Gabriel School in Fort McMurray
• Pines Alternative School in Red Deer

“Services like this are important to the long-term success and well-being of children and youth who are right now facing some very difficult challenges with their mental health,” said Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams. “Every kid deserves to know that help is available, and that they can recover and live fulfilling lives. Our government is going to continue with investments like this that change the lives of children, youth and their families.”

CASA Mental Health Classrooms help Grade 4-12 students facing complex mental health challenges receive professional care without disrupting their education, officials say. Each classroom is staffed with a full-time teacher, mental health therapist, mental health aide, and other staff that support students in their recovery. Officials say they can accomodate about 12 students at a time from anywhere within a school division’s boundary.

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“I am excited to see more children and families able to access CASA Mental Health through CASA Classrooms. After many years as a principal, I saw first-hand the benefits of mental health classrooms,” said Janet Hancock, board chair of CASA Mental Health. “I also experienced the impact CASA makes on kids and families. CASA saves lives. School-based supports decrease the risk of treatment in hospitals by providing services in the setting where children and teens learn, grow and thrive.”

Government officials say it first started supporting CASA Mental Health Classrooms in 2023. As of September this year, 17 are in operation across the province, more than double what was available last year.

Classrooms are slated to open in a phased approach, with up to 60 classrooms supporting about 140 Alberta communities by 2026. Once all the classrooms are up and running, officials say CASA Mental Health Classrooms will help about 1,500 students per year.

“When our daughter needed help, CASA Classrooms were a healthy space for her to learn and grow in. She gained a multitude of skills and tools to cope with emotional distress, while being academically successful. The CASA Classroom has been a great success for our daughter, and I am thrilled to see more Albertans be able to access this program,” shared Alice Long, parent of a CASA Mental Health Classroom alumni student.

CASA Mental Health is the second-largest provider of community-based mental health services for children and youth in Alberta. The non-profit organization focuses on supporting youth who have mental health challenges that are complex but do not require treatment in a hospital or other acute care setting.

Previous to this announcement, existing CASA Mental Health Classrooms include:

• Fort Saskatchewan Elementary in Fort Saskatchewan
• J.A. Fife School in Edmonton
• St. Gabriel Catholic School in Edmonton
• Guthrie School in Sturgeon County
• Sturgeon Composite High School in Sturgeon County
• Escuela Vista Grande School in Red Deer
• South View Community School in Medicine Hat
• Wetaskiwin Outreach school (C.B. McMurdo) in Wetaskiwin