Promoting Mental Health Through a Whole School Approach
Post submitted by Gloria Wells, president of whole child partner the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Schools Society and executive director of Wellsprings Education and Human Service Consulting, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Addressing mental health issues in schools is vitally important to the well-being of school community members. The International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Schools (INTERCAMHS) Society is a network of global agencies and individuals in the fields of education, health, mental health, and academia who collectively recognize the intrinsic interconnectedness of positive social, emotional and mental well-being as a precursor to optimal academic outcomes. Via its not-for-profit society status, it is providing a mechanism for anyone with similar beliefs to become a member as a means to further boost progress in this work.
The INTERCAMHS Society believes that promoting mental health through schools supports a whole school approach involving effective mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment. This approach is supported by policies, skills for social-emotional learning, a healthy psychosocial school environment, and access to services in the school or in the broader community. The full participation of teachers, students, families, and community agencies is encouraged with informed dialogue and collaboration among people and programs throughout all phases of the continuum. This action is supported by principles that value diversity and inclusiveness, and