October 25, 2022

Thank you for your recent request regarding mental health supports and mental health education in Saskatchewan schools. We appreciate when organizations such as yours pose an interest in student mental health. As Minister of Education, I can assure you the Government of Saskatchewan understands the importance of supporting those who are experiencing mental health challenges and building capacity for mental wellness in staff and students. The government has invested in student mental wellness and we wanted to highlight some of the initiatives being implemented. 

Working Together for Change: A 10 Year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan for Saskatchewan, is a plan which calls for a more coordinated and timely response to people in need of mental health and addictions services. It can be found here: www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/saskatchewan-health­ initiatives/mental-health-and-addictions-action-plan. This plan was a collaborative effort that included input from the ministries of Health, Social Services, Education, Justice and Corrections and Policing and members of the public, including those most affected by mental health issues. 

The Ministry of Education is committed to supporting the mental well-being of students across Saskatchewan through initiatives related to bullying prevention, positive mental health and student safety. The ministry has provided annual funding to support school divisions with staff training costs associated with mental health, student safety and suicide prevention. 

The ministry has invested nearly $500,000 to offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to school divisions, to have at least one staff member trained in each school in Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions. This training occurred in fall 2021 and 733 of the 735 provincial schools have at least one individual trained in MHFA. Staff trained in MHFA can provide help to students and staff when needed, similar to how staff trained in physical first aid can provide help when needed. 

Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB) is an initiative which provides staffing and related supports required to build capacity and implement integrated, school-based community mental health promotion and prevention programming. MHCB is a collaboration between the ministries of Health and Education and the Saskatchewan Health Authority. In 2022-23, 

$2 million in annualized funding has been made available to support the MHCB project. This project was implemented in five schools in 2021-22 and has expanded to support an additional five schools within four school divisions in 2022-23. 

School divisions and schools directly support the mental wellness of staff and students in a variety of ways, when dealing with difficult topics such as suicide, depression and anxiety. The ministry has assisted school divisions through its work with the Embracing Life Initiative (ELI), which is a call for action among partners, to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of communities and working together through health promotion, suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention. The ELI has created the Embracing Life App which can be used with students as well as those who may be experiencing mental health concerns. Additionally, the ministry works with Kids Help Phone (KHP) to promote their e-mental health services which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via phone, text, website and Facebook. KHP’s Resources Around Me database provides children and youth with the opportunity to search for resources in the local community, including counsellor and mental health support. 

Health and social well-being require a comprehensive approach involving collaboration among young people, families, schools, agencies, communities and government. The importance of such a collaborative approach is being demonstrated in the development of our Provincial Education Plan. The education sector has come together to provide valuable input on topics including mental wellness, and this plan will serve to provide a direction to ensure all students have access to the supports they need to be healthy and successful. For example, the Interim Provincial Education Plan includes actions such as increasing communication among ministries and school systems about available mental health and well–being supports, programming and services and the opportunities to share effective, promising practices and research. 

There are numerous opportunities for students to develop relationship skills which positively impact their mental health and well-being. In health education curricula, for example, students in Grade 1 begin by discussing healthy behaviours and nurturing healthy relationships. In Grade 4, students explore strategies related to developing and managing relationships as well as how relationships influence how individuals see themselves. In Grade 7, students explore how to skillfully manage peer pressure and nurture relationships during times of conflict. In Grade 9, students analyze how emotional, physical and mental well-being is enhanced when exploring the topic of safety. 

In addition to health education, many subject areas provide opportunities for the development of ideas related to emotional and mental health at higher grades. In Wellness 10, students assess the impact of mental health on overall well–being and in Physical Education 20, students investigate the benefits of physical activity on mental health. In Health Science 20, students look at health care philosophies and ethics and their impact on all aspects of health, including mental health. In English language arts, students have opportunities to learn about life’s 

challenges such as peer pressures, worries, hopes and relationships. In the renewed Practical and Applied Arts curriculum, Life Transitions 20 and 30, students can investigate holistic approaches towards mental wellness and explore topics related to suicide risk factors, warning signs, and community supports available to self and others. In addition to provincial courses, school divisions have developed and offer locally developed courses such as Mental Health and Addictions, Mental Health Studies and Mental Wellness. 

The Ministry of Education resumed secondary curriculum development in 2017 based on recommendations received from provincial engagement sessions. Wellness 10 was previously renewed in 2012, and Physical Education 20 and Physical Education 30 were renewed in 2019. Health education in grades 1 to 9 is a required area of study, and one course of Wellness 10, Physical Education 20 or Physical Education 30 is a requirement for graduation in Saskatchewan. 

A Curriculum Advisory Committee has been established to develop recommendations regarding future curriculum development and renewal and Saskatchewan’s high school graduation requirements beyond 2023 for the Minister of Education. The committee brings together a cross-section of representatives from Kindergarten to Grade 12 education stakeholders, including teachers; post-secondary institutions; the business community and parents. 

We value working collaboratively to find solutions to best prepare our province’s youth by providing educational opportunities and support in the area of mental wellness. We appreciate your stance on student mental health and we commend your efforts when it comes to addressing students’ social-emotional lives. 

The Honourable Dustin Duncan – Minister of Education, Saskatchewan Ministry of Education

June 13, 2023

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the mental health needs of Canadians including youth, reflected in a series of investments and initiatives. Budget 2023 confirmed that the Government of Canada will increase health funding to provinces and territories close to $200 billion over 10 years. Twenty-five billion of this funding will be flowed through tailored bilateral agreements to go towards four shared priority areas: family health services, health worker and backlogs, mental health and substance use services and supports, and a modernized health system.

This investment will build on the 2017 investment of $5 billion over 10 years to provinces and territories to improve access to mental health and addictions services. A key priority area for this funding is expanding community-based mental health and substance use services for children and youth. One way in which provinces and territories are supporting this priority area is by expanding Integrated Youth Services (IYS). IYS models of care provide locally relevant, effective, youth-focused and integrated services for mental health, substance use within the community. This includes “one stop shop” integrated youth hubs. There are currently approximately 70 operational integrated youth hubs across Canada and more under development.

Collectively, these investments will help ensure that Canadians have access to mental health supports including at the community level.

The federal government also provides nationwide mental health and suicide prevention services such as:

• Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 (evenings)
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868 (youth) or 741741 (adults)
• Mental Health Crisis Hotline: Call or text 988 to be directed to a mental health crisis or suicide prevention service free of charge
• Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
• Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366

More information on federal government suicide prevention resources can be found online at: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/suicide-prevention/warning-signs.html.

Another key initiative that Canadians, including youth, can access is the Wellness Together Canada (WTC) portal. The portal, launched in April 2020 in response to the pandemic, provides free, credible information and supports available 24/7 to individuals across Canada in both official languages to help address their mild to moderate mental health and substance use issues.

Through the portal, Kids Help Phone delivers one-to-one counselling via phone and text lines dedicated to youth, so that youth can access services tailored to their needs. WTC also features extensive youth-specific content available through a specific landing page designed for youth to make it easier to access tools and resources dedicated for them.

To learn more about Wellness Together Canada, please visit: wellnesstogether.ca.

Health care including mental health care, is a shared responsibility between the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories. While the federal government provides financial support to the provinces and territories for health care services, the responsibility for matters related to the administration and delivery of these services falls within provincial and territorial jurisdiction, including province-specific legislation such as the Saskatchewan’s Mental Health Services Act.

We note that your correspondence was also sent to the Honourable Everett Hindley, Saskatchewan Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.  If you have not done so already, you may also wish to contact the federal Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino at marco.mendicino@parl.gc.ca to share your concerns regarding firearms.

Please be assured that mental health is a priority for the federal government, and we will continue to work with our partners to make improvements in this area. We are optimistic that this collaboration will lead to improvements in the availability and quality of mental health services.

Strategic Policy Branch – Health Canada