Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools: Social Justice in Practice
Program Overview
This certificate/ diploma is designed to meet the needs of teachers and other staff working in school settings who find themselves in informal or formal counselling or career guidance roles within the school setting, and who want to expand their knowledge base in this area. It is also designed to allow graduates of the certificate program to ladder into a future course-based MEd in School Counselling, which is currently under development.
Program Details
Courses in this program are offered online. Courses are held in both an asynchronous environment (D2L) and a synchronous (real-time) environment (Zoom) which allows instructors to virtually meet and talk with students and experience a live exchange of ideas, hear class presentations and do group work with access to a whiteboard. For additional information regarding online delivery, refer to the eLearn website.
This certificate can be taken as a stand-alone certificate or as an option for Year 2 of the MEd in School Counselling Program.
Experiential learning is learning by doing that bridges knowledge and experience through critical reflection. This program offers the following kinds of experiential learning opportunities:
- Creating case scenarios that identify common mental health themes and challenges in schools
- Conceptualizing individual and school-wide interventions to mental health in schools from a social justice lens
- Applying theoretical concepts and frameworks to real-world scenarios and problems related to mental health and social disparities and inequities
- Encouraging critical reflection, community engagement, and relational accountability to meet the needs and aspirations of diverse students and educators
A registration package will be sent to new students after they have been admitted. Registration for the summer term will be available in late winter. Fall and Winter registration opens in the spring. Your Graduate Program Administrator will send more information about registration to you.
Fee details are available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.
The University of Calgary offers multiple ways to meet the cost of your education. Please refer to the Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries page to learn more about options available to students. For additional information, please contact Student Financial Support.
Please refer to Admission Requirements for Master's Programs.
Program Schedule & Course Descriptions
- Program begins each Summer term (refer to the Academic Schedule for specific dates)
- Outlines are normally available 1-2 weeks prior to the start of term in D2L
- 3 units per course
Term 1 - Summer
Supporting Student & Teacher Wellness (Promoting Comprehensive School Health)
In this course, students will explore foundational knowledge that guides approaches to comprehensive school health and the promotion of health and wellbeing in school settings. Special emphasis will be placed on developing on supporting strategies that support student and teacher wellness. Students will critically evaluate programs, theories and research relevant to health and wellness, while enhancing skills in coordinating such strategies in school settings.
Term 2 - Fall
Social Justice Trauma-informed Practice
In this course students will expand their knowledge base of the impact of trauma in the school setting from a social justice lens. The course will examine how schools play a role in hindering and supporting individual and collective wellbeing. Macro (e.g., structural oppression, discrimination) and micro (e.g., prejudice, interpersonal violence) factors and aggressions will be examined as potential sources of individual and collective trauma. Individual and community-building strength-based and cultural-safe promoting interventions will be discussed from the perspective of equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization.
Term 3 - Winter
Structural and Systemic (Mental Health and Wellness) Interventions
In this course students will explore the different systems and structures that contribute to mental health promotion and how the school can serve as a hub of wellness to individuals, communities, and societies. The course will orient students to critical contemporary theories and interventions. From a social justice perspective, students will address supportive practices and interventions that connect the wellbeing of children and youth in schools to that of their families and communities.
Term 4 - Spring
Special Topics in (Social Justice,) Promoting Wellness, and Career Counselling
In this course students will explore current topics, approaches, and innovations in wellness promotion in schools from a social justice lens perspective. Examples of topics include career counselling in K-12 settings, youth-led advocacy, school-community partnerships, critical service learning.