MUSKOKA, ON-The Trillium Lakelands District School Board has set up a summer mental health support system to assist students and parents.
Catherine Shedden from the TLDSB told MyMuskokaNow while they have had mental health supports available throughout the school year, they wanted to also make it accessible during the summer season.
“There is always an ongoing need for students and families to have access to assistance and support if they need it and so we have been very specific about that for this summer. Since a lot of families have been at home, some have been struggling with having their children at home for an extended period of time, and we know that this can have an effect on mental health and wellness. We want to make sure people know there are mental health supports available,” said Shedden.
If families and students need assistance, they can contact the board to set up an appointment to meet with a school counsellor and the sessions will consist of positive mental health and well-being.
It is important to note this is not a crisis service, and if you need immediate help, call either 911 or the Canadian Mental Health Association at 1-888-893-8333.
If you are interested in setting an appointment up, you can email [email protected], or you can make use of the other organization the board has partnered up with, like the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 and Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600.