Strengthening the U.S./Canadian Alliance: A Workshop to Advance

School Mental Health

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USAMinneapolis, Minnesota, USANovember 5, 2009November 5, 2009

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Greetings from Canadian Colleagues

• Claire Avison, Executive Director, Ministry of Education, British Columbia

• Doug Crossman, Senior Policy Advisor,Mental Health Promotion Unit, Healthy Communities Division, Center for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention,Public Health Agency of Canada

• Marlien McKay, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Wellness Branch, Dept Wellness, Culture and Sport (Government of NB)

• Farida Gabbini, Senior Director, Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection

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Greetings from Canadian Colleagues

• Doug McCall, Director, Canadian Association of School Health

• Michelle Forge, Co-chair, Canadian School Mental Health Community Community of Practice, School Mental Health Liaison for Canadian Association of School Administrators

• Lynn Damberger, Manager ‑ Children, Youth and Family Interventions, Alberta Health Services ‑ Addiction and Mental Health

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Goal:

•To assemble representatives of significant federal/national efforts in the United States and Canada school based mental health •for the purpose of initiating dialogue around potential networking possibilities,•with the intention of encouraging possible co-operation and/or collaboration that would further mutual aspirations in this work,•with the ultimate goal of enhancing school success for our students.

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Objectives

• Build connections• Explore the possibilities inherent in developing a

shared framework• Refer to highlights of evidence and research for

school based mental health• Present a selected menu of current activities

and plans in the US and Canada that may present opportunities for collaboration in the areas of research, practice, practice, policy and training

• Identify potential opportunities, next steps5

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Innovation and Progress: The Role of Networks

• Collaborative structures that rely on trust and reciprocity for exchange and accountability

• Create new patterns of relationships that go beyond members’ primary affiliations, thus are

• Effective mechanisms to integrate otherwise isolated capacities for a common purpose

• Establish infrastructure of processes, information, people and relationships needed to create synergies across multiple organizations and across wide geographic areas.

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Canadian Organization Web Links

• Canadian Association for School Health, School Mental Health Community of Practice : www.canadianschoolhealth.ca/page/Mental+Health+%26+Schools+CoP

• Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health (Positive Mental Health Initiative):

www.jcsh-cces.ca/upload/Positive%20Psychology%20in%20Schools%20April%202009.pdf

• Mental Health Commission of Canada:

www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/english/pages/default.aspx

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