The Case for School‑Based Mental Health Supports
Mental health challenges among children and adolescents affect attendance, behaviour, and learning; early identification and in‑school supports reduce escalation and improve outcomes. The Ministry of Education’s Student Support Services Division provides a model for delivering psycho‑social and behavioural services within schools, showing how coordinated supports can reach students where they learn. For Mayaro and Guayaguayare, embedding basic screening, counselling touchpoints, and referral pathways into school routines ensures students receive help quickly and reduces stigma around seeking care.
Practical School Interventions and Partnerships
Effective school interventions combine trained counsellors, teacher awareness, and clear referral systems. Programs like the CALM mental health initiative demonstrate the value of multidisciplinary teams that engage schools, families, and health professionals to support at‑risk adolescents through confidential, adolescent‑friendly services.
Schools can adopt tiered supports: universal wellbeing lessons for all students, targeted small‑group interventions for those showing early signs of distress, and specialist referrals for clinical needs. Training teachers to recognise warning signs and to use basic classroom strategies for anxiety and behaviour management is a high‑impact, low‑cost starting point.
Community Linkages and a Coordinated Policy Approach
Local clinics, NGOs, and regional health programmes are essential partners for sustained care; experts have called for a national school‑based mental health framework to standardise services, train staff, and ensure consistent funding and oversight. For coastal communities, partnerships with regional health authorities can enable periodic in‑school clinics, telehealth consultations, and family outreach that address barriers like transport and confidentiality. Collecting simple data—referral numbers, attendance changes, and student wellbeing surveys—helps schools and the Education Council advocate for resources and measure impact.
Steps for Mayaro and Guayaguayare Schools to Act Now
Start with three practical moves:
- train a small cadre of staff in mental‑health first aid and classroom strategies;
- set up a clear referral map linking the school to local health services and the regional CALM‑style clinics;
- run a pilot wellbeing curriculum and track simple indicators (attendance, referrals, student self‑reports).
Engage parents through information sessions that normalise help‑seeking and explain confidentiality.
Student wellbeing is the foundation of academic success. The Council is committed to strengthening mental health supports in our primary and secondary schools, ensuring that every child in Mayaro and Guayaguayare has access to safe spaces, caring guidance, and resilience‑building programmes.
- Mayaro/Guayaguayare/Rio Claro Education Council (MGREC) Notes
Secure modest multi‑year commitments from local partners to fund counselling hours and teacher release time. With these steps, schools can build resilient, community‑anchored mental health supports that keep students learning and thriving.
