Calgary Schools Expand Mental Health Supports as Student Anxiety Soars Post-Pandemic
The CBE hires 40 new counsellors and partners with community agencies to address rising youth mental health needs.
The Calgary Board of Education is hiring 40 additional school counsellors and expanding partnerships with community mental health agencies as data reveals a sharp increase in student anxiety, depression, and behavioural challenges since the pandemic.
The Data
Internal CBE surveys show that 38% of students in grades 7–12 report moderate to severe anxiety, up from 24% in 2019. Referrals to school-based counselling have increased 55% over the same period, far outpacing the capacity of existing staff.
“Our students are not okay, and we cannot pretend otherwise,” said CBE superintendent Christopher Usih. “Mental health is a prerequisite for learning, and we must invest in it accordingly.”
New Supports
The 40 new counsellors will be deployed to high-needs schools across the city, with a focus on junior high schools where mental health challenges tend to emerge or intensify. The CBE is also launching a new social-emotional learning curriculum and expanding its partnership with the Distress Centre to provide students with 24/7 access to crisis support.
Barriers Remain
Despite the expansion, advocates say school-based supports alone cannot address the scope of the youth mental health crisis. Wait times for community mental health services in Calgary average six to eight months for non-urgent cases.
“School counsellors are doing heroic work, but they’re not clinical psychologists,” said Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos, a child mental health researcher at the University of Calgary. “We need a system-wide investment in children’s mental health.”
The CBE’s investment is funded through a reallocation of existing resources and a $5-million grant from the Alberta government’s Mental Health in Schools program.
