In alignment with our Board’s mission, "Together We Educate Heart, Mind and Soul," the Superior North Catholic District School Board is deeply committed to the mental health and well-being of our students, staff, families, and communities. We actively cultivate safe, affirming spaces that are engaging, validating, and reinforcing for every individual we serve.

Teaching Excellence: Belonging and Connections

In alignment with our board's motto, “Together We Educate Heart, Mind and Soul,” the Superior North Catholic District School Board is profoundly committed to the mental health and well-being of our students, staff, and families. To foster environments where every student can thrive, we operate under a structured, relational, and highly collaborative framework grounded in five key pillars of excellence:

1. On-the-Ground, Interdisciplinary Support: We provide direct, identity-affirming intervention through a dedicated team of Mental Health Workers and Positive Behaviour Support Workers (PBSWs). Operating as a cohesive network, this team works closely with our Mental Health Lead to deliver timely, evidence-informed care that reflects the unique needs of our school communities.
2. A Relational Foundation: At the heart of our strategy is the belief that student success begins with connection. We prioritize deep, safe relationships and cultivate “circles of support” by nurturing collaborative partnerships among students, school staff, and families to ensure a holistic sense of belonging.
3. Standardized, Equitable Access: To maintain the highest standard of care and ensure equitable resource distribution, all schools utilize our standardized referral process via the Greenspace Health platform. This guarantees consistency, clinical fidelity, and clear, transparent pathways to care for every student.
4. Evidence-Informed Accountability: Excellence requires ongoing reflection and measurement-based care. Our team utilizes systematic clinical tracking and bi-weekly supervision to uphold professional standards. Furthermore, the Mental Health Lead facilitates annual check-ins with Principals to co-construct tailored school action plans that remain responsive to evolving student needs.
5. Culturally Responsive Partnerships: We recognize parents and caregivers as essential partners and the experts on their children. We are committed to fostering holistic, culturally safe, and identity-affirming pathways to care, prioritizing collaboration with Indigenous-governed organizations and community partners to support student well-being both inside and outside the classroom.

Focus on the Future: Literacy, Programming, and Evidence-Based Care

The Superior North Catholic District School Board (SNCDSB) prioritizes a culture of mental health and well-being. By integrating evidence-based programming and providing high-quality staff training, we foster executive functioning and resilience in our students.

Our strategy is driven by these key initiatives:

• Vetted, Evidence-Based Resources: We utilize strictly research-informed materials (e.g., School Mental Health Ontario) to ensure clinical safety.
  Educator Professional Development: We offer dedicated release time for staff to complete the SMH-ON Mental Health Literacy Course for Educators.
• Regular Communication: Our newsletter promotes provincial and local wellness initiatives while highlighting new, valuable resources.
  Mental Health Literacy for Students: Educators and our implementation team meet regularly to ensure consistent, reflective delivery of the Ministry’s Mental Health Modules (for grades 6, 7, and 8).
• Direct Classroom Programming: Positive Behaviour Support Workers (PBSWs) facilitate experiential, evidence-based learning on social-emotional topics in all classrooms.
• Approved SEL & Coping Programs Facilitated in Classrooms: Our Positive Behaviour Support Workers and Mental Health Workers, where appropriate, run structured, experiential programs designed to enhance students' ability to cope, build resilience, and improve executive functioning, including:
  • Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) for Schools Program
  • Kids in the Know
  • Roots of Empathy
  • Zones of Regulation
  • Second Step Program

Faith and Justice: PPM 169 and Student Safety

The Superior North Catholic District School Board (SNCDSB) integrates Faith and Justice to provide dignified, collaborative mental health support. Guided by Catholic values, we ensure every student receives high-quality care through secure systems, community partnerships, and responsive planning.

Dignity & Student Voice

Secure Care (EMHware)

 We protect student privacy using EMHware, a PHIPA-compliant database that ensures all mental health information remains confidential and secure.
Measurement-Based Care (Greenspace): We use Greenspace to elevate students' voices, using specialized assessments to track progress directly from students' lived experiences.

Collaborative Community Partnerships

 In alignment with PPM 169, SNCDSB builds "circles of support" through the Rural Education and Mental Health Collective District of Thunder Bay. This alliance coordinates care between coterminous boards and community agencies, including:

Key Partners:

• Superior North Catholic District School Board (SNCDSB)
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales (CSDCAB)
• Superior-Greenstone District School Board (SGDSB)
• North of Superior Counselling Programs (NOSP)
• Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Children’s Aid Society (CAS) District of Thunder Bay
• Local Mental Health and Addiction Nurses (MHAN)

Inclusive & Responsive Planning

• Inclusive Collaboration and Responsive Planning
•  Relationship-First Approach: We prioritize deep connections with staff and families as the foundation for student healing and learning.
• Data-Informed Strategy: Stakeholder feedback and clinical data guide our resource allocation and strategic planning to ensure effective support for every student.

Indigenous Education: Collaboration and Quality Improvement

The Superior North Catholic District School Board (SNCDSB) views education as a shared journey. Rooted in truth, reconciliation, and mutual respect, we partner with families and communities to ensure every student is safe, valued, and seen. Our Indigenous Education strategy prioritizes culturally safe care and systemic excellence to support holistic well-being.

We uphold our commitments through three key pathways:

1. Relationship and Culture
   • Culturally Responsive Support: We prioritize student and community voices over prescribed solutions to create respectful, culturally appropriate support plans.
   • Walking Alongside Communities: We collaborate with First Nations to ensure our programming and spaces reflect the identity, history, and culture of our students.
     Radical Inclusion: We foster a culture of total acceptance, working with families to provide every child with high-quality, individualized care.
2. Quality and Accountability
   • Vetted Resources: We utilize School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) tools to provide inclusive, evidence-based support for our diverse population.
   • Continuous Improvement: We conduct annual reviews of care pathways and embed these standards into staff training to maintain professional excellence.
3. Holistic Partnerships
   • Indigenous-Led Collaboration: We partner with Indigenous-governed providers to ensure barrier-free access to traditional healing and mental health services that care for the whole child - mind, body, heart, and spirit.

Our Three-Year Roadmap

Our goal is to ensure that mental health is a foundational element of student achievement. We focus on establishing "hospitable environments" through leadership commitment, meaningful collaboration, and systematic professional learning.

Year 1: Foundation and Launch

• Continue the SNAP program board-wide to provide evidence-based coping strategies.
• Sustain and facilitate the Boardwide Virtual Student Leadership Committee to give students a voice in system-level strategy.
• Deliver annual system-wide Mental Health Professional Development.

Year 2: Engagement and Evaluation

• Execute intensive parent and caregiver engagement workshops across the board.
• Conduct an audit of internal and external service pathways to ensure every family knows exactly how to get help when they need it.
• Expand Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programming through our partnership with Brave Education.

Year 3: Full Integration and Sustainability

• Scale Indigenous-governed services board-wide to ensure culturally safe and holistic pathways to care.
• Achieve full integration of Greenspace Measurement-Based Care to verify that our services are effectively meeting student needs.
• Reach a target of 60% of permanent teachers having completed the SMHO Mental Health Literacy course.

Looking Toward 2029

By the end of this three-year cycle, we anticipate a measurable reduction in chronic absenteeism, 100% compliance with student safety protocols, and verified stakeholder understanding of all care pathways within our community. We remain dedicated to educating the Heart, Mind, and Soul of every student we serve.