Supporting and Enhancing Children’s Mental Health
Program Overview
Any given classroom likely contains students with mental health concerns. These concerns often impact their ability to learn, to form appropriate relationships with peers and adults, and to develop healthy coping strategies. Children with mental health difficulties are often misunderstood and may be identified as problematic. Many individuals working with these children have a limited understanding of what the children are experiencing and how to best support them.
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. This four-course topic is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the issues surrounding children’s mental health and how these issues may impact children’s lives. As well, classes devoted to intervention will allow for the exploration of case studies and practical suggestions for working with these children.
Experiential learning is learning by doing that bridges knowledge and experience through critical reflection. This program offers the following kinds of experiential learning opportunities:
- Analysis and exploration of mental health conditions impacting children and youth
- Engage with practical case studies with real-world examples
- Develop practical materials to bring back to schools and communities
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
Understanding Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
This course focuses on understanding the range of mental health concerns that may be present in children and adolescents. Discussion will focus primarily on the development and prevalence of mental health disorders (anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, etc.), as well as description and diagnosis, epidemiology, co-morbidity, and associated characteristics of the disorders across preschool, early and middle childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.
Term 2 - Fall
Trauma and Resilience in Children
This course will expand students’ knowledge base of the impact of trauma on children. Specifically, the course will examine how trauma affects brain development and learning and the educational implications for traumatized children. Possible topics to be covered include the neurobiology of trauma, strength-based interventions, building school-community partnerships, and resiliency factors.
Term 3 - Winter
Interventions for Working with Elementary School Students with Mental Health Concerns
This course will examine mental health concerns that are most prevalent for elementary school aged children (ages 5-11). Possible topics may include self-esteem, anxiety and stress, divorce/separation, sibling rivalry, bullying, home/school collaboration, working with parents with mental health concerns, classroom management strategies, and school-based interventions.
Term 4 - Spring
Interventions for Working with Middle & Senior High School Students With Mental Health Concerns
This course focuses on the complex difficulties that adolescents in the middle and senior high school years (ages 12+) with mental health concerns deal with, including peer pressure, drug/alcohol use, educational demands, and societal issues. This course provides an understanding of how these adolescents can be supported within the home, school and community.