Education Commons^™

Investigating Gender Affirmative Approaches To Counselling: Learning From Counsellors In The Profession And Reflecting On Implications For Graduate Counselling Programs, Thomas L. Pigeau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals often report experiencing several obstacles with accessing mental health services prepared to meet their needs. This current study used a case study methodology to explore the subjective experiences of three therapists working with the transgender population using gender affirmative counselling approaches. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) inadequate training and independent learning, (2) the damaging impact of inadequate training, (3) foundational baseline knowledge, and (4) core embodied practices. The results of this study provide the perspective of therapists with experience practicing gender affirmative therapy and can be used inform professional training programs to better prepare …

Moving Toward Wellness: A Transformative Approach To Addressing Inadequacies In Mental Health Supports For Indigenous Youth In Residential Treatment Resource, Tsion Tekie

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Indigenous youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system in Canada. Organization X, a Ministry of Children and Families program provider, has made significant efforts to address the needs of Indigenous youth in care, including creating the Residential Treatment Resources (RTR) program. While behavioural-focused RTR program is an important step in the right direction, the program fails to address the causal mental health needs, which has resulted in high numbers of recidivism among Indigenous youth after discharge. After careful review of the literature, the possible solutions revealed mental health counselling is a vital supportive resource required for this population. Additionally, …

Improving Stem Graduate Students' Mental Health And Wellbeing, Aneesa Khan

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

An emerging problem with graduate education is the unprecedented rise in mental health and wellbeing concerns across higher education institutions in Canada. Graduate education is widely associated with emotional, physical, and psychological stress. Graduate students are at risk of the onset of mental health illnesses due to a culture of acceptance that graduate studies is synonymous with stress and anxiety. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores approaches to improve the mental health and wellness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) graduate students to promote their personal wellbeing and academic success. The goal of my Problem of Practice (PoP) is …

Improving Faculty Capacity To Support Student Mental Health, Nishma Bhaloo

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Mental health issues are on the rise among students at postsecondary institutions (PSIs), necessitating a campus-wide initiative to address growing concerns about mental health problems among students. Extending the circle of care model to include faculty ensures the timely delivery of support and services to address students’ mental health needs. This integrated approach also enables faculty to respond to students’ needs and direct students to the appropriate resources. However, faculty must be equipped with the knowledge needed to recognize the signs of mental health issues among students to positively impact students’ overall health and well-being. Improving faculty capacity to support …

Supporting Faculty In Responding To Distressed Students, Karolina E. Kulinska

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The increased numbers of students struggling with mental health problems require faculty to increase their competence and confidence in working with distressed students. In this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP), I explore this problem of practice, pursuing improved mental health literacy among higher education faculty and an enhanced ability to recognize signs of distress and employ role-appropriate interventions. A mentally healthy and supportive learning environment improves student engagement and academic achievement; therefore, it is pedagogically relevant. Well-being and mental health-related knowledge and a helpful network of colleagues can help faculty respond to distressed students. This OIP is rooted in the Okanagan …

Building A Co-Curricular Wellness Program For Medical Students At A Canadian Medical School, Renea D. Leskie

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The increasing number of medical students who present with mental illness and burnout is becoming a very real challenge among medical schools nationally and globally, prompting a need for medical schools to address this very real problem. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) seeks to help solve this problem by means of a co-curricular wellness program aimed at preventing mental illness and burnout from happening. Rather than being reactive as students self-identify as having a mental illness, this OIP argues for preventative measures that help to prevent mental illness and burnout from occurring at all.

Using a three-pronged leadership approach of …

Implementing Innovative Mental Health Supports And Services At A Post-Secondary Institution, Adam K. Lawrence

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In 2020, the Government of Ontario published a report entitled In It Together: Foundations for Promoting Mental Wellness in Campus Communities. This document outlines that the priority of post-secondary institutions should be the health and well-being of students by ensuring that students receive the supports they need to be successful. Most importantly, the document outlines a community approach needed for students to access mental health supports and services on their campuses. Many post-secondary students are becoming increasingly aware of their own mental health needs prior to enrolling at university or college. This has resulted in a culture on post-secondary …

One Size Does Not Fit All: An External Leader’S Process Towards Supporting Positive Mental Health In Schools, Alexandra Fortier

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

With the growing societal, personal, and financial costs related to unaddressed mental health issues (Smetanin et al., 2011), the World Health Organization [WHO] (2004) urges stakeholders to start with preventative work. The premise is to focus upstream of the plethora of potential consequences and to address these issues before they become problematic. The WHO (2004) further suggests starting with children and youth, which are, for the most part, in schools. While this seems a logical starting place, research suggests that it is essential to be well in order to teach others to be well (Acton & Glasgow, 2015; Ontario Principals’ …

Flourishing Firefighters: A Plan For Optimal Organizational Deviance Using Healthy Human Systems, Sajel Bellon

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The purpose of this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is to offer the potential groundwork to enhance the current support services of a union representing firefighters in Canada. The hope is to address the growing number of firefighters that are afflicted with Occupational Stress Injuries (OSI) and to provide a more comprehensive positive approach to mitigate the psychological effects and professional ramifications of the consistent exposure to traumatic events and other associated occupational stressors. The aim is to leverage the existing structure and resources to address the Problem of Practice (PoP): How can union leaders effectively address the increasing prevalence of …

Resiliency: The Implementation Of A Strategic Framework, Michael L. Allegretti

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

As the incidences and complexity of student mental health continue to rise, there is an emphasis on the need to review the first year experience to ensure that students are prepared for the challenges they will face in post-secondary education. Institutions attempt to address the concern of student mental health by increasing the scope and number of student supports, both formal and informal, in the context of decreasing budgets and increasing student expectations. Despite institutional efforts, students continue to report confusion about available services and an increased desire for specialized supports.

This OIP uses various leadership approaches and methods of …

Exploring Mental Health In Justice Involved Youth: Relevance For Policy And Practice, Angelina Sarah Maclellan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Over the past two decades, awareness of the prevalence of mental health problems in young offenders (ages 12 to 17 years) has grown, with estimates suggesting significantly higher rates compared to the general population. While experiencing poverty does not cause crime, recent research drawing from the Social Psychology of Crime suggests that individuals who experience poverty tend to live in adverse social environments, which can facilitate exposure to modeling and/or reinforcement that is related to antisocial behaviour. In the present study, archival data were drawn from 281 young offenders’ files from an urban-based court clinic to examine how the youth’s …

An Investigation On The Value Of Integrating Mental Health Supports In Education To Build Capacity For Change, Erin Keith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Current statistics in Ontario show that one in five students suffer from mental health issues (Canada, 2012). Mental health disorders cause significant distress, impairing students’ functioning at school, at home, and in the community (Children’s Mental Health Ontario, 2014). Research has shown that prevention and early intervention strategies targeting students at risk for mental health challenges are beneficial, cost-effective, and reduce the need for more costly, intensive interventions. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). In response to recent Ontario Ministry mental health initiatives (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006; 2011; 2013), the Peel District School Board, in Ontario, Canada, launched an interprofessional, …

Beyond Burnout: Educators' Experiences Of Mental Health Issues, And Stigma In The Workplace, Jenny Kassen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines Ontario teachers’ experiences of mental issues (MHI) and identity management in the workplace. Although numerous local and national initiatives exist to help raise awareness, decrease stigma, and assist teachers in supporting students with MHI, there appears to be an absence of literature that focuses on teachers' personal experiences with MHI and stigma in their professional environment. Two theoretical frameworks, Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS) (Pescosolido, Martin, Lang, & Olafsdottir, 2008), and Jones and King’s (2014) Managing stigmatized identities in the workplace, provide a lens for making meaning of the experiences of the participants. A …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Challenging Stigma At A Faculty Of Education, Melanie-Anne P. Atkins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation investigates the stigma of mental illness in schools. In today’s Canadian classrooms, at least one in five students is experiencing a mental disorder, which without treatment or support can severely impede students’ academic performance and can reinforce stereotypical beliefs about: (a) these students’ ability to be successful in the classroom, and (b) their teachers’ abilities to meet their needs. While mental health awareness about these issues is steadily increasing, stigmatizing attitudes – which present a major barrier to help-seeking – are not decreasing at a comparable rate. Therefore, I used mixed methods to explore the experience of mental …