9 additional mental health classrooms open in Alberta schools [Video]

The Alberta government says it is a third of a way to its goal of opening up 60 classrooms dedicated to assisting students with mental health struggles across the province.

Nine additional CASA Mental Health Classrooms opened in seven Alberta communities when students headed back to class this fall. The classrooms provide dedicated supports to students facing complex mental health challenges, while not disrupting their education.

Each classroom is staffed with a full-time teacher, a mental health therapist, a mental health aide and other staff who support students in their recovery.

“With the difficulty and the challenges around mental health, we know that kids need wraparound services, where mental health classrooms like the CASA classroom, are going to have supports from psychiatrists, from psychologists, from physicians, from nurses – registered psychiatric nurses – and obviously from mental health therapists and teachers,” Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams said.

“These dedicated classes are there …