Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange announces additional funding for mental health and learning supports, November. 16, 2022. (Photo credit: Government of Alberta)

By Sarah Jones

Alberta to double funding for mental health programs in K-12

Nov 17, 2022 | 3:54 PM

CALGARY, AB – Alberta Education has announced it is doubling down on its initial funding to support mental health initiatives for students.

Earlier this year, the government allocated over $100 million towards comprehensive support in response to learning disruptions in the K-12 school system.

That included $10 million dollars per year for the next two years, specifically dedicated to new mental health programs for struggling students.

In response to the growing need for support within the mental health sector, the government is increasing the original funding allocation to $20 million per year.

That means a $40 million dollar investment over the next two years will go towards supporting nearly 60 new mental health pilot projects to improve K-12 students’ well-being.

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Projects will begin this winter and take place in both rural and urban districts including public, private, independent, Francophone, Catholic and First Nations schools.

Examples of the activities being piloted include:

• Having a registered psychiatric nurse, a teacher with additional training in supporting mental health and behaviour, and a social worker readily available to classrooms;
• Appointing a mental health navigator to become a point person for families seeking mental health information, supports or resources.
• Giving students time and space to regulate, with the help of certified staff, when they are having difficulty managing their feelings.

It’s estimated that the new funding will benefit almost 50,000 students across the province.

Minister of Education Adriana LaGrange said in a news conference on Wednesday, November 17, 2022, “We are aware that as students continue to recover from learning disruptions, additional mental health supports are needed to ensure each individual is able to move forward and reach their fullest potential within the school system.”

“This investment ensures that students across Alberta have adequate access to mental health resources and supports, which will result in a better chance of participating in meaningful learning and relationship building,” she added.

According to the Alberta Government, research has shown that if educators can identify and help struggling learners early, those students can catch up to grade level relatively quickly.

By providing extra support to Alberta’s youngest learners, the province is attempting to prevent pandemic learning disruptions from having a lasting impact on students’ development.

School authorities across the province will collaborate with mental health service providers to carry out their pilot projects until December 2024.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now