Mental Health Promotion

At Hamilton Public Health Services, the mental well-being approach aims to advocate for and provide experiences that promotes feeling good about and functioning well in life.  Children and youth who feel good about life experience happiness, satisfaction, and enjoyment.  When they function well in life, children and youth find purpose, have some control over their lives, enjoy positive relationships, and have a sense of belonging.

Resources for mental health promotion

See ideas and resources below for promoting mental well-being:

  • Use the Kids Have Stress Too! program for children in Kindergarten to grade 9 from the Psychology Foundation of Canada. This program promotes positive social-emotional development and effective stress management.  The program includes:
  • Kids Have Stress Too! For grades 1-3
  • Stress Lessons for grades 4-6
  • Stress Lessons: From Stressed Out to Chilled Out  for grades 7-9
  • Use the Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium Positive Mental Health Toolkit to promote school health practices and perspectives within the school environment.
  • Read Supporting Minds to learn how to support students with mental health and addiction problems through early recognition and effective classroom strategies.
  • Set up formal ways for students to be heard on decision-making bodies for schools, organizations and the community.
  • Assess how well your school is addressing mental well-being.  Create a plan with actions and policies to improve the mental well-being of students and staff.
  • Advocate for physical activity in schools and other recreational opportunities for youth.
  • Advocate for policies that positively influence the school climate.
  • Provide opportunities for students to share their perspectives and solutions for community issues through media and arts projects.
  • Engage students in creating murals, banners, videos, Photovoice projects.
  • Work with youth to host events and activities for their peers.
  • Hang posters from Kids Help Phone and Hamilton Bullying Coalition in the school.  Request posters by emailing healthyschools@hamilton.ca.
  • Make sure mental health resources and information about how to get help is easily accessible to students.
  • Make sure that students feel safe and comfortable in common spaces at your school. Work with students to assess and make improvements to common spaces.
  • Connect students with culturally relevant social support networks. 

COAST- the Crisis Outreach and Support Team
St. Joseph’s Healthcare COAST Youth program in Hamilton serves children, youth and their families or caregivers who have mental health concerns and are in crisis. Call COAST at 905-972-8338.

Contact Hamilton for Children’s and Developmental Services
Contact Hamilton is an entry point to services for children and youth with emotional, behavioural or developmental concerns and adults with developmental disabilities.

CAMH – the Centre for Addition and Mental Health
CAMH provides resources for teachers to promote positive mental health.

​Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone provides information for children, youth and helping adults. Call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

SNAP Connection
SNAP, also known as Stop Now and Plan, is a program for children under 12 years of age and their parents to help regulate feelings and prevent impulsive reactions. The program uses cognitive-behavioral principles and offers family counselling, parent education and supports groups.  

Certains renseignements et certaines ressources du Service de santé publique présentés sur cette page Web pourraient être disponibles en français. Communiquez avec l’infirmière affectée à votre école ou envoyez au courriel à healthyschools@hamilton.ca pour en savoir plus long sur les ressources et les services offerts en français.