Richard Froese
South Peace News
Mental health was one of several issuesd discussed when Holy Family Catholic Regional Division board of trustees met with Peace River MLA Dan Williams at its regular board meeting Jan. 17.
Trustees addressed the need for more wellness workers and vaping issues with Williams, who also serves as the minister of mental health and addiction, says an HFCRD news release dated Jan. 17.
Williams noted HFCRD’s initiative in creating $1 million to provide wellness workers throughout the division’s schools. The figure is about $800,000 above the government grants supplied for the positions.
In January 2023, HFCRD was awarded a grant of $374,000 over two years from the Mental Health in School pilot program which continues to the end of 2025.
Holy Family currently supports wellness workers in schools with an additional $800,000 on top of the grant.
Holy Family currently has seven full-time wellness workers, one full-time behaviour support specialist and other support staff.
Recruiting wellness workers and specialty teachers is one of four Holy Family priorities the board presented to Williams.
Vaping concerns were also discussed.
By last fall, Holy Family had installed vape detectors in all schools and has seen a decrease in vaping activity in the schools since.
Holy Family has been contacted by other school divisions and principals from across the country who are looking for information on the project.
A vaping epidemic is another school division priority. The board wants to know what the government can do to generate an anti-vaping campaign or legislation and what the school division can do to provide support.
Another Holy Family priority is students using cell phones in class and dealing with cell phone addiction.
It was noted that cell phone usage in classrooms and vaping were issues raised by students serving on the HFCRD student engagement team. The team is comprised of at least two student representatives from each of the schools, which includes Glenmary School and Good Shepherd School in Peace River, Holy Family School in Grimshaw, St. Andrew’s School in High Prairie and Ecole Providence in McLennan.
The fourth Holy Family priority is the need to build a replacement building for St. Andrew’s School. The current facility was originally built in 1957 as a one-storey building. Several additions were completed in 1963, 1971, 1985, 1990, 1991, and 1998.