(Canada) High school to have walk-in clinic for mental health help

Feb 2, 2018, (Canada) British Columbia, BC Local: Addressing mental health a priority for local school district—Starting in March students will have access to a drop in clinic every Wednesday at RSS https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/addressing-mental-health-a-priority-for-local-school-district/ About 15 per cent of Canadian youth are impacted by a mental illness or disorder, and only one in five Canadian students who require mental health services receive them, says the Canadian Mental Health Association. … In an attempt to address these concerns, SD19 has implemented a number of mental health initiatives for students. The most recent service the school board will be providing for students at Revelstoke Secondary School is access to a walk-in clinic every Wednesday from 11:30 to 2:30, which is slated to begin this March. Superintendent Mike Hooker said students might not have considered previously talking to a doctor or mental health professional. “For sure there were students looking for it, and the health nurse and the youth coordinator started that conversation, but I don’t think a lot of students considered that it would be possible to talk to a professional.” The drop-in clinic will run until the end of the school year in June, and is intended to provide students with access to a medical professional who they can ask a question about anything. The idea, hooker said, is to remove the stigma that some students may have attached to seeking advice from a medical professional. …