Question 5 – Zone 7 Response
Contents
The Question in brief
Response from:
– Kim Woods
The Question in Brief
What do you believe an OCDSB trustee’s role is re: promoting well-being in Ottawa public schools? (See full text of Question 5.)
Kim Woods
What do you believe an OCDSB trustee’s role is re: promoting well-being in Ottawa public schools?
Answer: While school boards are primarily engaged in the provision of education services, they do so with regard for the promotion of student well-being. The board sets policies that guide
the actions of administration and school staff in their dealings with students and their families. In this regard, issues such as student safety, student discipline, food services, attendance, matters related to health, and student transportation are significant matters for the attention of school board members.
Provide 1-2 examples of initiatives the OCDSB has recently undertaken to prevent mental illness and promote mental health and well-being that you support.
Answer: The OCDSB uses a tiered approach to promote mental health and well-being. Promoting mental health & well-being begins in the classroom where all students learn and practice social emotional learning skills such as problem-solving, decision making, and coping with stress.
As an experienced mental health and addictions nurse who worked with school boards across the province, this approach is a health beginning; there are many other strategies that can be implemented to promote mental health and wellness.
Provide 1-2 examples of initiatives the OCDSB has recently undertaken to prevent physical illness and promote physical health and well-being that you support.
Answer: It is not clear to me what initiatives the OCDSB has recently undertaken to prevent physical illness and promote physical health. Their website does have several resources to support physical health on their website but it is not outline if there is active participation in these initiatives.
Do you think the OCDSB’s response to psychological distress experienced by youth is proportionate to the scale of the crisis?
Answer: I don’t think OCDSB’s response to psychological distress experienced by youth is proportionate to the scale of the crisis. However, in fairness to the board, resources and accessibility to supports is lacking and severely underfunded. This is a systemic problem that goes way beyond the school board and until there is sufficient funding to the health system and community collaboration to support children and youth in crisis, this will continue to escalate.
Are there any initiatives or programs you would support that might promote mental well-being (cf. preventing mental illness)?
Answer: Yes. The Upper Canada District School board has developed a very innovative, inclusive and collaborative approach to promote mental health and is evidence based. It does not just promote health and well-being for students but builds capacity with educators by providing staff with tools and training in mental health.