Mental Health and Wellness

Positive mental health is a state of well-being that allows us to enjoy our lives and can help us weather the normal ups and downs of life.

Positive mental health helps us with:

  • Success at school
  • Building friendships
  • Communicating effectively with peers and adults
  • Making healthy lifestyle choices
  • Managing stress
  • Helping prevent the onset of mental health issues like anxiety and depression

The following sites are not for self-diagnosis purposes nor are they a substitute for professional advice. They are for your education and to give you information that will allow you to determine the best person to seek help from for your unique situation.

SAANICH SCHOOLS WELLNESS

https://sites.google.com/sd63.bc.ca/comprehensive-school-health/home
https://www.sd63.bc.ca/parents-students/mental-health-and-wellness-snapshots

Click on a category below to access resources

First Nations Health Authority: The First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service
https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/ehealth/virtual-substance-use-and-psychiatry-service

Heretohelp mental health and substance use information
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/

Island Health: Addiction & Substance Use Resources
https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/substance-use-addiction/addiction-substance-use-resources

Island Health: Discovery Youth and Family Substance Use Services
https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/youth-family-substance-use-services/youth-family-substance-use-services/discovery-youth-family-substance-use-services

Saanich School District Mental Health and Wellbeing: Substance use, harm reduction and resources.
https://saanichschools.campayn.com/web_version/

Equitas advances equality, social justice and respect for human dignity through transformative human rights education programs in Canada and around the world.
https://equitas.org/

Government of B.C. ANTI_RACISM
https://antiracist.gov.bc.ca/

ResilienceBC Anti-Racism Network
https://www.resiliencebc.ca/

Anxiety Canada:
https://www.anxietycanada.com/

Anxiety Canada Courses: My Anxiety Plan (MAP) is an anxiety management program based on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
https://maps.anxietycanada.com/en/courses/

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) BC
BounceBack® a free skill-building program designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry
https://bouncebackbc.ca/#gf_3

Foundry BC app — co-created with and for youth and their caregivers in British Columbia
https://foundrybc.ca/virtual/

Foundry: BC Children's Hospital
https://foundrybc.ca/resource/anxiety/

Mindshift CBT: app from Anxiety Canada; Free Evidence-Based Anxiety Relief
https://www.anxietycanada.com/resources/mindshift-cbt/

Saanich School District Mental Health and Wellbeing: Resilience
https://saanichschools.campayn.com/web_version

YMCA of Greater Vancouver:  Y Mind Teen and Y Mind Youth: mental wellness programs delivered across BC.
https://www.gv.ymca.ca/mental-wellness

Government of B.C.: erase = expect respect & a safe education https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase

Stigma-free Society: awareness, understanding, acceptance
https://www.stigmafreetoolkit.com/

Cybertip.ca
This web site has information on online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and what teens can do if it happens to them. If you have concerns about shared intimate images, online luring, and other areas involving victimization on the internet, here is help.
https://www.cybertip.ca/en/

The Canadian Mental Health Agency https://cmha.ca/
Association canadienne pour la santé mental https://cmha.ca/fr/

The Child and Youth Legal Centre is committed to improving the well-being of children and youth in British Columbia through the advancement of their legal rights.
https://www.scyofbc.org/child-youth-legal-centre/

BC Children's Hospital Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre
https://keltymentalhealth.ca/

Centre for Suicide Prevention is an education centre, a centre of excellence, based in Calgary, Alberta. We are a branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resources/

FamilySmart® has three main programs that are focused on enhancing the experience and quality of services and supports for children, youth, and their families.
https://familysmart.ca/

Government of B.C.: Mental health and well-being
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/mental-health

Island Health: the teenage mind.
https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/children-youth/youth-resources/healthy-mind

Red Cross: kids safety online
https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/violence-bullying-and-abuse-prevention/parents/kids-safety-online

BC Bereavement Helpline confidential service that connects the public to grief support services within the province of BC.

Call the Helpline at 604-738-9950, Monday - Friday 9am - 5pmToll free 1-877-779-2223 https://www.bcbh.ca/

BC Childen's Hospital: Kelty Mental Health: Grief and Loss
https://keltymentalhealth.ca/grief-loss

Heretohelp Mental health: grief
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/grief

Foundary BC - Body image and eating concerns. An online space for youth and young adults in B.C.
https://foundrybc.ca/resource/body-image-eating/

heretohelp; mental health: eating disorders.
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/eating-disorders

Jessie's Legacy provides education, resources and inspiration to prevent eating disorders and address disordered eating.
https://jessieslegacy.com/

Foundry: learn about how to have healthy relationships, how to know if a relationship is not working, and what to do if you're in a difficult situation.
https://foundrybc.ca/resource/relationships/

Saanich School District Mental Health and Wellness: Healthy Relationships https://saanichschools.campayn.com/web_version

PFLAG Canada: helpful resources
https://pflagcanada.ca/helpful-resources/

PFLAG BC local chapters
https://pflagcanada.ca/british-columbia/

Peer-support directory
http://www.phsa.ca/transcarebc/care-support/peer-community-support/srvc-directory

QCHAT: A peer support line and resource database for LGBTQ2S youth in BC
https://www.qchat.ca/

Qmunity: BC's queer, trans and two-spirited resource centre
https://qmunity.ca/get-support/youth/

Trans Care BC: will help you understand the concepts, definitions, terms and expressions used when talking about trans identity, gender, sexual orientation and health and wellness. http://www.phsa.ca/transcarebc/child-youth

Youth Line offers confidential and non-judgemental peer support.
https://www.youthline.ca/
Helpline: https://www.youthline.ca/get-support/ways-we-support/

Child Mind Institute: Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature
https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/

Outdoor Play Canada is a network of advocates, practitioners, researchers and organizations working together to promote, protect, and preserve access to play in nature and the outdoors for all people living in Canada.
https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/about/

Psychology today: Nature Therapy: Exposure to nature can quiet the rumination of a worried mind. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201608/nature-therapy

ISH is a community health care centre for people of all genders, orientations, abilities, and ages in Greater Victoria, BC
https://www.islandsexualhealth.org/more-info/links/#glbt

Beyond the talk: Beyond the Talk is  Island Sexual Health's  sexual health information and education program  that provides youth with factual and current information
http://beyondthetalk.ca/

OPTIONS for Sexual Health: registered nurses, counsellors, and sex educators offer information and resources on sex, sexuality and sexual health, for people living in British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada.
https://www.optionsforsexualhealth.org/sex-sense/

heretohelp: Wellness module 6: getting a good night's sleep.
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/wellness-module/wellness-module-6-getting-a-good-nights-sleep

Saanich School District Mental Health and Wellbeing: focus on sleep https://saanichschools.campayn.com/web_version

Government of B.C. Online Safety. "Erase cyberbullying Embrace compassion" https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/online-safety

Needhelpnow: If you or someone you know has been negatively impacted by a self/peer exploitation incident.
https://needhelpnow.ca/app/en/

Saanich School District Mental Health and Wellness: Digital Technology, Social Media, and Screen Time
https://saanichschools.campayn.com/web_version

Foundry: what leads to stress, how to manage and prevent it from affecting your mental and physical well-being.
https://foundrybc.ca/resource/stress/

Heretohelp Mental Health: Stress
https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/stress

YLC helps people to say 'no' to suicide by steadying them emotionally, restoring hope and reconnecting them with their reasons to live. Tomorrow is counting on you.
https://yourlifecounts.org/

Youthspace: an emotional support & crisis chat line.
https://www.youthspace.ca/

Beacon Community Services: offered in partnership with School District 63 and Ministry of Children and Family Development. Services are available Monday-Saturday.
https://beaconcs.ca/services-programs/counselling-mental-health-services/children-youth-counselling/

Government of B.C. Child & Youth Mental Health intake clinics https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/child-teen-mental-health/mental-health-intake-clinics

Island Health: Resources for Children & Youth Mental Health
https://www.islandhealth.ca/learn-about-health/children-youth/mental-health-children-youth/resources-children-youth-mental-health

Victoria Youth Clinic community resources link
https://victoriayouthclinic.ca/community-resources