Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness

Mental health and illness is a component of teaching that has evolved and increased in importance in recent years. The role of the teacher does not include diagnosis or treatment recommendations for student with mental health diagnosis. It does include: teaching of mental health literacy; responding to student’s/parent’s concerns by supportive listening and referral to the most appropriate person within the school to help address those concerns (such as a counselor, social worker, psychologist) and providing ongoing academically appropriate support to the student as part of the school’s integrated response to the student’s needs.