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Plans for student transition are underway and please connect with any questions you may have about process. Please continue to send requests for professional learning our way and take care during your busy days.
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Our theme for this year is "Healthy Relationships through a Trauma Sensitive Lens."
Our Counsellor meetings offer an opportunity for connection, professional development, and consult and collaboration around individual students and work. We value this time to connect and have received your feedback about which resources and community agencies you would like to hear more from.
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Counsellor
Collaboration Dates
Our final counsellor collaboration for the year.
Tuesday, May 30
1-3 pm Virtual Link will be sent out.
We will be using a survey to receive feedback for how to plan for the 2023/2024 school year.
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MYST - Mobile Youth Services Team Thank you to Mia Golden and Gord Magee for presenting "Tied to a Lie" - The exploitation, grooming, recruitment of youth for online sexual exploitation, gang recruitment, and sex trafficking. We are discussing best practice in the sharing of this film so please stay tuned for further information. We thought we would also provide a background on the work of the MYST team.
The Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST) is a critical multi-disciplinary unit that has served the CRD for more than 20 years. Consisting of a partnership between a police officer and currently only one youth & family counselor, MYST aims to reduce trauma and the scope of the sexual exploitation of youth in our community.
MYST proactively engages with youth and their families to provide guidance, support,
expertise, and key referrals. MYST also works closely with other front-line and investigative police units in the region to identify and target offenders.
• Enhanced presence in our local schools to promote healthy relationships
• Balanced time spent supporting youth and identifying/targeting predators and offenders
• Delivered a number of “Healthy Relationships” presentations to middle and high school youth in the CRD
• Provided information on exploitation to School District 61‘s Police Liaison Committee
• Completed the “Tug of War” documentary on exploitation in collaboration with Empress Avenue Media
• Assisted with the successful conclusions of a number of high profile missing persons investigations involving at-risk youth
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Supporting Student Health Guides - Ministry of Education and Health Care The provincial curriculum has brought together physical education and health education in order to develop all aspects of well-being and emphasize the connections between physical, intellectual, mental, sexual and social health.
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Elementary Topics
- Consent
- Body Science
- Safe and Unsafe touch
- Internet safety
- Puberty
- Safer sex (STIs)
- Mental health
- Brain Science
- Bullying
- Wellbeing
| Secondary Topics
- Consent
- Internet safety
- Healthy relationships
- Healthy Relationship decision making
- Healthy Sexual Decision making
- Safer Sex
- Body Image
- Str
- Stigma
- Coping Strategies
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 | BC School Counsellors Association Comprehensive School
Counselling Model Updated in 2021. The Executive of the BCSCA recognized the need for an updated resource that would serve to inform school counselling roles and practices within the province, and which could serve as a quick reference guide to many of the resources that are regularly used by school counsellors.
Note: School districts in BC hold the final decision regarding standards and practices of counselling in schools.
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| BCTF - Starling Minds Upcoming webinar series for mental wellness. We are delighted to announce the return of Starling Minds‘ most popular initiative, the Mental Fitness Course: Unwinding Anxiety with CBT and Mindfulness, presented by Tara Achkar, Starling Minds Mental Fitness Coach. Join this six-week workshop to learn the signs, symptoms, and manifestations of anxiety in your life and how to break the cycles of worry and fear to heal your mind and body.
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Date and timeEvery Thursday at 4:00 p.m. PT, from May 4 to June 8, 2023. Participants will join other educators across North America to engage the following topics:
- the nature and purpose of stress, fear, and anxiety
- its definition and role in your life
- the anatomy and science behind anxiety
- Mind-Body Anxiety Reduction Strategies to find your well-being again
- the power of treating anxiety with cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness.
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How do I sign up?Step
1: Click here to
register for the six-week Mental Fitness Course: Unwinding Anxiety with CBT and Mindfulness. Step 2: Use your BCTF Member ID and the access code (BCTFMEMBER or BCTFFAMILY) to register for the Starling Mental Fitness program. The Mental Fitness program is a self-guided program that will be used during the webinar series.
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No Shortage of Questions: Helping Kids Cope with Big Life Changes
Changes and transitions are part of life. We know this as parents and caregivers. However, we don't always know how to support our kids through these big life events - such as starting a new school, moving, the arrival of a new sibling, or loss of a loved one. In this minisode, hosts Bryn and Char discuss this topic with Dr. Ashley Miller, child psychiatrist and family therapist.
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Questions include:
- What is it about transitions and big life changes that can be hard for kids?
- What effects can major life changes have on my child's mental health?
- What are some strategies I can share with my child to help them cope during transitions and big life events?
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No Shortage of Questions:
Supporting Your Child During Separation and Divorce Separation and divorce can be a highly emotional time and stressful experience for children and youth, and tough to process at any age. In this minisode, we bring questions from BC families on separation and divorce to Dr. Ashley Miller, child psychiatrist and family therapist. We discuss tips for supporting both you and your child’s well-being and mental health, and explore questions including: What strategies can I share to help my child cope during the hard times? How can I ensure my divorce doesn’t impact my child’s future relationships? And much more. EPISODE RESOURCES
- Kelty Blog: 7 Tips for Parenting to Help Children and Teens post Separation/Divorce
- Online Resource: Coping with Separation Handbook, by the Legal Services Society of BC
- Parent Peer Support for Families at the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre
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The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available to all Indigenous people across Canada. Experienced and culturally competent counsellors are reachable by telephone and online ’chat‘ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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MAY SNAPSHOT TOPIC: Transition and Change
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| We encourage you to read the information linked above. On May 31, 2022, Health Canada approved the Province‘s request to decriminalize personal possession of illegal substances in B.C.
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Decriminalization came into effect on January 31, 2023 for an initial 3 year period.
Criminal penalties will no longer apply for possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use when abiding by the terms of the exemption.
Trafficking will remain illegal, regardless of the amount possessed.
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| Collaborative and Proactive Solutions: 2 Day Virtual Training with
Dr. Ross Greene
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Thu, May 4, 2023, 9:45 AM –Fri, May 5, 2023, 5:15 PM EDTIn this webinar, Dr. Greene will provide an overview of the CPS model, along with more advanced coverage of the nuances of assessment and engaging kids in solving the problems that affect their lives. You don't have to participate on both days. On day one, Dr. Greene will provide a general overview of the CPS model, including key themes, using the assessment instrumentation (ALSUP), and solving problems collaboratively. On day two, he will dive deeper into various facets of the model, with extensive use of video examples and ample time for questions and discussion. If you've already attended an introductory training with Dr. Greene, you may want to sign up for the second day. If you're only interested in an introduction to the CPS model, just sign up for the first day. Or you can sign up
for both days. The recordings of both days will be available for viewing following the live webinar. (Usually within 5 days after the live webinar
ends.) Registration Link
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District Mental Health Team Our work focusses on supporting schools and families with students who present with complex profiles that may include emotional, behavioural, mental health, and substance use concerns. We collaborate with district levelled teams and school teams for the purpose of complex problem solving and integrating supports. This also includes collaboration with community agencies (i.e Discovery, CYMH, Police) to develop consistent interventions to offer increased wrap around support to the students and families that we serve. Professional learning opportunities, snapshots, and newsletters are created to promote ongoing education and resource sharing with colleagues, students, and families. Additional work includes VTRA (Violent Threat Risk Assessment) and CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) response when these needs arise in our school community.
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District Counselling Team Contact Info:
Middle District Counsellor: Monique Moore mmoore@sd61.bc.ca
Elementary District Counsellor: Maureen von Tigerstrom mvontigerstrom@sd61.bc.ca
Youth & Family District Counsellor: Jen Aston jaston@sd61.bc.ca
Indigenous District Counsellors
Secondary Joanne Mitchell jomitchell@sd61.bc.ca
Middle David Davidson ddavidson@sd61.bc.ca
Elementary
Pam Russ pruss@sd61.bc.ca
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Additional Members of the District Mental Health Team: District Vice Principal: Christina Pelletier cpelletier@sd61.bc.ca
Deputy Superintendent: Harold Caldwell hcaldwell@sd61.bc.ca
Mental Health Resource Coordinator: Marnice Jones mjones@sd61.bc.ca
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