Education Worker Toolkit
Like all Canadians, education workers and teachers experience mental health challenges. As part of a larger study of Canadian professional workers, 1146 education workers completed a survey to explore their experiences with mental health, leaves of absence, and return to work between November 2020 and May 2021.
Click below for the education report
A high number of education workers in our study, over 50%, reported having had a mental health issue at some point during their careers, with female teachers reporting high rates.
53 education workers were interviewed about their experiences. Themes such as increased workload, digital stress, the impact of leadership, social isolation and feeling disconnected were mentioned most often.
Our research team utilized survey data and interview stories to curate a list of resources to help improve education worker mental health with a focus on system, organization and team level resources.
Please watch our introductory video to help guide you through the resource options available.
What Interviewee’s are Saying:
“Nobody quits a job. They Quit a Manager”
“My interactions with health and wellness have left me feeling frustrated and feeling like I’m a number and not a person”
Mental Health First Aid Course
Mental health first aid is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem, experiences a mental health crisis, or a worsening of their mental health. It can help increase awareness and confidence while decreasing stigma.
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
Accommodation strategies for employees with mental health issues who are at work or returning to work.
Workplace Wellness Playbook
The Workplace Wellness Playbook is intended to support and inform school authority leaders in collaborative conversations, resulting in the development of a school authority workplace wellness plan.
Professional Induction Program for New Teachers (PIPNPE)
NTIP is the second job-embedded step along a continuum of professional learning for new teachers, building on and complementing initial teacher education programs. It provides professional support to help new teachers develop the requiste skills and knowledge to be effective teachers in Ontario.
A Conversation on Pan-Canadian Teacher Mental Health
A discussion of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation latest pandemic research report “But at what cost?” Teacher mental health during COVID-19
Mind Beacon
MindBeacon is changing mental health care by making support available to every Canadian. Services include guided CBT programs, video or phone sessions with a therapist and in-person therapy appointments.
Guarding Minds at Work
Guarding Minds is a free online set of resources designed to assess and address psychological health and safety in your workplace. It is intended to be administered by one of your own employees.
This Toolkit explores how to implement the Canadian Healthy School Standards, with a specific focus on the actions needed at a school system leadership level. It provides a pathway to follow in the form of six interconnected checklists, along with connections to additional resources.