What is the challenge?
Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) high school in Thunder Bay is a First Nations school serving youth from rural and remote northern reserves. The school's mission includes “ensuring students develop a strong sense of identity in the distinct language, culture and traditions of the Anishnawbek, to achieve academic excellence, and become active members of society.”
Many students transitioning from their home communities into the city face significant concerns and challenges. Some of the more serious concerns include high rates of suicide, self-harm, and other mental health and substance use issues. Students also expressed not feeling like they were part of the city or community. Compounding the problem was the fact that the high school lacked a formal connection to the mental health and substance use system, had few existing relationships with local service providers and the wider community.
What did the Service Collaborative do?
Part of the service collaborative process was to identify an evidence-based intervention to address the challenges at DFC. The collaborative identified a model—Fostering School, Family, and Community Involvement: Effectiveness Strategies for Creating Safer Schools and Communities—developed by Drs. Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The UCLA model included a three-pillared approach designed to improve the school system by developing a comprehensive system of learning, focused on improving instruction and curriculum, school governance, and student success. Although the UCLA model was more broadly designed to improve an entire school district, the collaborative attempted to adopt and adapt the model by focusing on two core principles. The DFCHS-specific principles included:
Crisis/emergency assistance and prevention
Support for transitions
Choosing these elements from the broader model enabled the collaborative to address the priority issues faced by DFCHS. These elements created a starting point for the collaborative, which developed and implemented the following strategies:
A transition video was developed to prepare students from remote fly-in communities for life in Thunder Bay and at DFC. The video (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzCcRf5SC6k&feature=youtube.be) was produced by school staff, students, and Confederation College Broadcasting students;
The SC helped re-imagine DFC’s The Amazing Race activity. Taking its name from the TV show, the Amazing Race is an adventure-based scavenger hunt aimed at helping students familiarize themselves with the City of Thunder Bay and the services available to them. The collaborative helped increase the number of services involved—from sectors that included health care, mental health and addictions, education, recreation, leisure services, and transit—while promoting teamwork;
Crisis trainings were offered to DFCHS staff, which included ‘safeTalk’, ‘ASIST’, and Mental Health First Aid to provide basic information on suicide, mental illness, and support strategies. Additionally, two staff became trainers for Non-violent Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training; and
Three distinct Crisis Protocols were designed to support and guide staff in the event of a school crisis.
What were the outcomes?
One of the things is having Dilico (Dilico Anishinabek Family Care) here has been huge. That’s fantastic! Students have a place to go. I’ve noticed students sticking around after school until Dilico staff leave. They get a snack but they also get a positive environment to spend time in after school, it’s given them a place to hangout that’s inside.
— Thunder Bay Service Collaborative member
Number of times the Transitions video has been viewed on YouTube.
DFC's 'Amazing Race Thunder Bay' participants indicated that their awareness of community services, including mental health and addictions supports, increased by 85%, while that of the teachers increased by 65%.
The results of the intervention and SC effort were two-tiered. On one level, the work helped increase feelings of connectedness or trust between youth and their community. One example shared by a collaborative member centered on the importance of Dilico to the students. The member stated, “one of the things is having Dilico here has been huge. That’s fantastic. Students have a place to go. I’ve noticed students sticking around after school until Dilico staff leave. They get a snack but they also get a positive environment to spend time in after school, it’s given them a place to hangout that’s inside.”
Some results were more tangible and easier to measure. For example, the Transitions Video was developed and uploaded to YouTube, and has since been viewed over 1000 times. The Amazing Race, designed specifically for Thunder Bay, has run each and every year since its inception, and has created a new sense of awareness of the supports available to students in the community. A survey conducted after the first year of the race indicated that students’ awareness of community services, including mental health and addictions supports, increased by 85% (n=55), while that of the teachers increased by 65% (n=8). The crisis trainings were offered to select staff and school administrators, and some even went on to become crisis trainers themselves to help sustain the changes. It should be noted that although the Crisis Protocol development was started, due to decisions around capacity and resources this final piece was eliminated from the process. In all, the SC implemented several significant changes at DFC to help address several gaps in the system.
Next Steps
The Northwest PSSP team will stay connected with the DFCHS staff and students, and remain available for continued follow-up and support, if necessary.
Who is involved?
- Northwest Region PSSP staff
- Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School
- Confederation College Broadcasting program students
- health care, mental health and addictions, education, recreation, leisure, and transit.
Resources
For more information, please contact:
Alison Warwick, Regional Implementation Coach
- Thunder Bay
- 807-626-9145 ext. 77207
- Renee.Monsma@camh.ca