Clearview has been awarded grant money of $246,000 each year up to August 2019 as part of the Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB) initiative.
"The dollars used are provided to allow for our Family School liaison staff to provide support for students that need help with their mental health," said Associate Superintendent, Business and Finance Peter Neale. "Dollars are also used to support school staff in identifying and training to have the knowledge and tools to help students."
Neale said that the funds would be used in 2016-17 to support three full-time positions, including a mental health coordinator, mental health success coach, and support existing staff among the Family School liaison program.
For this academic year, staffing will be reallocated to provide for the mental health coordinator and mental health success coach, which in the past has been taken care of by Clearview's clinical director and Family School liaison staff and all funds will be used for staffing and staffing costs, according to Neale.
"With the MHCB grant of $246,006, Clearview has committed over $218,500 towards supporting our students with needs for counselling and mental health support," Neale added. "The Family School liaison program is also supported by $110,000 in provincial funding and $130,252 from Child and Family Services."
These dollars go towards supporting eight full-time equivalent staff that are shared throughout Clearview division and ensure students are supported in their mental health needs.
"Don Porter, our clinical director responsible for the Family School liaison program, has been excellent in ensuring staff are in place to support our students," Neale explained. "His leadership, with the great work of our Family School liaison staff, are working every day to support our student success. Having a commitment from Alberta Mental Health for three years will provide certainty that this much-needed program will continue."