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.
