Ottawa recently announced funding to help promote mental health among the nation’s teachers, including those shaping young minds in Saskatchewan.
On Thursday, Ottawa MP David McGuinty announced $798,500 in funding for the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) for mental health and to prevent mental illness among essential workers in grade schools.
“Educators play a crucial role in communities here in Ottawa and across Canada,” said McGuinty in a release. “We are committed to supporting their mental health during the pandemic recovery and beyond. Thank you to all educators for their courageous work.”
The project aims to address mental illness and trauma. The CTF will deliver and assess the project at three pilot sites across Canada and deliver a virtual group intervention through webinars and community discussion boards.
The president of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) said it’s important for teachers to look after their mental health.
“We know that our students are struggling with their mental health, and we need to ensure that they have the best teacher available, which means that that teacher is also well and able to support those students in their classroom,” said Samantha Becotte. “So, this helps teachers, but it also helps students in the long run too.”
The president of the CTF said the funding support from the federal government is an essential step in the pandemic recovery.
“This funding will enable the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, in collaboration with our provincial member organizations, to provide educators with the necessary tools to promote mental health and prevent mental illness for K-12 public education workers,” stated Sam Hammond.
According to a release, the investment builds on an announcement the Government of Canada made in February of $198.6 billion over 10 years to improve health-care services for Canadians, reduce surgical backlogs, support health workers, and improve integrated mental health and substance use services.
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