Social Work Services
Our Vision: To nurture a faith-filled community where every student thrives academically and personally through strengthened mental health and active school participation.
Our Mission: To improve student mental health and wellness within a Christ-centered environment by building student and staff mental health literacy. We are committed to the integration of mental health planning, curriculum strategies, healthy school initiatives, the creation of clear pathways to care and timely access to evidence-based mental health service.
Core Beliefs:
We are called by God to serve, to love, to care, to accompany each other on our respective journeys
Each human person has fundamental dignity because they have been created in the image and likeness of God (ICE 2017)
The well-being of our children is a gospel mandate, and a moral imperative. (ICE 2017)
A child’s mental health and well-being is inextricably linked to their environment
Supportive home and school environments enhance student well-being, resilience and school success
The Huron-Perth Catholic DSB Mental Health and Wellness (MHW) Team consists of a Mental Health Lead, School Social Workers and Attendance Counsellors, who provide school-wide mental health promotion, prevention, intervention, school engagement and counselling services to students at both an elementary and secondary level.
Using a Tiered Model of Support, we can promote mental health and wellness for ALL students; help to identify SOME students with, or at risk of developing, mental health problems; and access clinical support for the FEW students who require more intensive intervention.
Within this framework, we can promote awareness and amplify protective factors. Through building capacity to understand mental health and noticing student needs, we can recognize early signs of distress and provide timely assistance. We strive to identify students who may be experiencing mental health worries and connect them with a circle of support. Our commitment lies in offering guidance, support, and resources rooted in the values of our Catholic faith, so that students can navigate their challenges with strength and resilience.
School Mental Health Ontario is a provincial implementation support team who help school districts enhance student mental health through the use of evidence-based strategies and services using a systematic and comprehensive approach to school mental health.
What is Mental Health?
We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental health is one component of overall health.
The World Health Organization defines Mental Health as "a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is fruitfully able to make a contribution to his or her community."
