We don't provide mental health advice, counselling, or treatment. If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact your local community crisis team. You can also reach out to the Indigenous Hope for Wellness Help Line 1-855-242-3310, the Black Youth Helpline 1-833-294-8650, or Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868.
Structured psychotherapy is an approach to
mental health intervention that is systematic, short-term and evidence-based.
It can be provided to individual students or in small groups.
In 2019, School Mental Health Ontario began
training school mental health professional to deliver structured psychotherapy
within Ontario schools.
Who is school-based structured psychotherapy for?
The therapies provided through
schools focus on prevention or early intervention and are for students with
mild to moderate mental health problems, often anxiety or mood problems. School
and board staff work with community and health partners to support students who
require more intensive services.
Structured psychotherapy formats offered in Ontario schools
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a key
part of most structured psychotherapy offered through Ontario schools. CBT
addresses thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and their intersection. Some
recommended interventions also include other evidence-based techniques, such as
School Mental Health Ontario supports the following structured psychotherapy formats, which fit within the school environment and have the potential to align across sectors, beyond education.
Students who present mental health problems of mild to moderate severity.
School mental health professional regulated by a professional college
Individual or group format
Menu of core CBT elements
Standard evidence-based protocols
If you are aware of evidence-based, implementation-sensitive prevention or early intervention programming that fits within a structured psychotherapy model, please contact us with information. We’re testing a number of approaches in our Innovation and Scale Up Lab to enhance this suite of approaches and related training.
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We will continue to expand our resources based on input. Please send us your ideas for topics to cover so we can meet your professional learning needs.