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By rdnewsNOW staff

Classroom complexity

Alberta government allocating $69 million for mental health in the classroom

Dec 4, 2025 | 9:36 AM

The provincial government is allocating $69 million to help address issues of mental health in the classroom through the Mental Health and Well-Being Grant.

The Alberta government says classrooms across the province have become increasingly complex and mental health challenges have added to it.

As a result, they’ll be investing the money into the grant over three years. This funding for mental health supports comes from the 2025 provincial budget.

“When students’ mental health needs aren’t met, classrooms become more complex,” said Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare, in a media release. “This money will give schools the tools they need to support student mental health, helping to reduce complexity and create a better learning environment for everyone.”

The funding will be given to all school boards so they can expand access to services in school that promote mental wellness and reduce pressure on school staff to improve access to mental health tools, training, and resources.

Officials say mental health is crucial to success in the classroom, adding that investing in mental health will contribute to the work of the Class Size and Complexity Cabinet Committee in their efforts to address aggression, complexity and mental health concerns, support classrooms and student well-being.

“Improving youth mental health is critically important. This investment will complement our commitment to establish up to 60 CASA Classrooms across the province by 2027, with 25 already supporting students with complex mental health needs,” said Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

The Mental Health and Well-Being Grant funding can be used on supports that address students’ mental health, such as training staff in social-emotional learning and violence threat risk assessment, bringing in wellness coaches and counsellors to provide mental health support, delivering social-emotional learning in the classroom, hiring a teacher for CASA classrooms, and more.

“Students with positive mental health and well-being are more ready to learn and to engage in educational experiences. This funding will support us in enhancing our services and supports to be more responsive to the needs of individuals and to better nurture the holistic development of all students,” said Sandra Palazzo, board chair, Edmonton Catholic Schools.

The Mental Health and Well-Being Grant builds on the success of previous pilot projects that tested new ways to address student mental health in schools.

School boards will be required to report annually on how the funding is used and the impact it has on student well-being.