Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools provides Counselling Services to:

• Support students in developing positive interpersonal relationships and citizenship
• Encourage positive student transitions through life changes and developmental milestones 
• Assist students who are struggling with challenging issues in their lives

Schools also encourage positive student transitions through life changes and developmental milestones through developmental guidance & career counselling.  Developmental guidance occurs in the classroom setting or through group activities that teach and build relationship skills and capacities that are developmentally necessary to deal with the social world around us.  This involves not just skill development but successful transitioning through the life stages and changes.

Schools support students in developing positive interpersonal relationships promote positive interpersonal relationships and citizenship through school wide programs.  Each school has a school wide program or model that teaches and ensures a positive school climate. Through planned programming, all students are taught the code of behavior that is expected and are engaged in discussions that assist them in developing and performing these behaviors.   Examples of such programming are:

Effective Behavior Supports (EBS) http://www.pbis.org
Circle of Courage http://www.reclaiming.com ;
Safe and Caring Schools http://www.edc.gov.ab.ca/safeschools;
Challenge Day http://www.challengeday.org ;
UNESCO programming http://portal.unesco.org ,
Character Education http://ascd.org
Counsellors Handbook (February 2009)
Family School Liaison Handbook

Counsellors assist students who are struggling with challenging issues in their lives by offering  responsive counselling services.  Every student has the right to be supported by a trained professional in the school setting to address immediate personal/emotional needs and concerns of a confidential nature. This might help to resolve difficulties in relationships or normal developmental tasks; or crisis counselling and short-term interventions to help deal with situations that occur suddenly and exhaust normal coping capacity.  Although it is usually best for parents to be aware and supportive of their child's progress in the counselling process, the counselling relationship is regarded as confidential.

Responsive Counselling services are provided by professionals who have appropriate training and expertise.  These professional are Guidance Counsellors and Family School Liaison Workers (FSLWs).

HUB is a Mental Health Capacity Building project funded by the Alberta Mental Health Board (AMHB) and is delivered through a multi-disciplinary team. The aim is to build resiliency skills in children, youth and families and to help youth to stay in school.  The key partners in the HUB initiative are:

• Alberta Mental Heath Board; Alberta Education
• David Thompson Health Authority (DTHR)
• Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools (WRPS)
• Wetaskiwin Youth Centre (WYC)

Other stakeholders are:
AADAC Region 4 CFSA; Partners Building Healthy Communities

Three schools have been chosen to pilot the HUB project they are:

• Wetaskiwin Composite High School
• Clear Vista School
• Parkdale Elementary School

The purpose of this initiative is to build community capacity by providing mental health promotion, prevention and education thereby building a foundation for mental health and resiliency. Through this programming, children and youth will explore process and give outward expression to their emotional experiences in guided and creative ways. It will also provide students, families, and services providers with networking, collaboration and linkages between the school and broader community.

For more information on the HUB project contact:

HUB: Building Community Connections
Brian Hockin
Mental Health Project Coordinator

E-Mail: HUB Coordinator