The cool autumn rain drummed against the windows of Plains Elementary School as I sat with counselor Margaret Whiteman in her tiny office, adorned with crayon drawings and student-made thank-you cards. Outside, the Saskatchewan prairie stretched endlessly, but inside these walls, a quiet revolution in student mental health was taking shape.
“Before the program arrived, I felt like I was constantly putting out fires,” Whiteman told me, cradling a mug of tea between her hands. “Now, we’re actually preventing them.”
She’s referring to Saskatchewan’s Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB) program, which provincial officials announced last week will expand to 20 additional schools across the province, bringing the total to 49 schools serving approximately 24,000 students.
The expansion represents a $2.4 million investment, part of a growing recognition that mental health support must begin early and be woven into the fabric of education itself.
“These aren’t add-on programs,” explains Dr. Janice Cowan, child psychologist at the University of Saskatchewan. “What we’re seeing is a fundamental shift in how we approach child and adolescent mental health—moving from a crisis-intervention model to one that builds resilience, awareness, and daily coping skills.”
I first encountered the MHCB program two years ago while reporting on rural healthcare access. What struck me then—and continues to impress me now—is how it addresses mental health through multiple channels: classroom education, family supports, teacher training, and community connections.
Walking through the halls of Plains Elementary with Principal Lee Thunderchild, we pause to watch a grade three classroom engaged in a mindfulness exercise. The children, cross-legged on colorful mats, practice deep breathing techniques led by wellness coordinator Amina Hassan.
“They’re learning the language of emotions,” Thunderchild explains quietly. “When they can name what they’re feeling, they can begin to manage it.”
The data supporting this approach is compelling. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence. Yet the Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that only one in five children who need mental health services receives them.
The MHCB program aims to close that gap by catching problems early and normalizing conversations about mental wellness. School-based programs are particularly effective because they reach children where they already are, eliminating barriers to access that many families face.
In Buffalo Narrows, a northern community where the program was implemented in 2021, school attendance has increased by 12% and behavioral incidents have decreased by nearly a third, according to provincial education data.
Leanne Goldstein, who coordinates the MHCB program for the Prairie Spirit School Division, attributes this success to the program’s community-based design.
“Each school builds their programming based on what their community needs,” Goldstein explains. “In some schools, that might mean more focus on cultural connections and land-based healing. In others, it could be anxiety management or healthy relationships.”
The community-specific approach seems particularly important for Indigenous students, who make up nearly a quarter of Saskatchewan’s school population. At Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation School, where the program was introduced last year, traditional knowledge keepers work alongside mental health professionals.
“Our wellness comes from connection—to the land, to our culture, to each other,” Elder Joseph Standing tells me as we sit in the school’s newly created wellness room. “This program gives us space to bring those teachings back into our children’s daily lives.”
The expansion hasn’t been without challenges. Some parents initially expressed concerns about mental health discussions in schools, worried about medicalization or overreach into family matters.
Education Minister Dustin Duncan addressed these concerns directly in last week’s announcement: “This isn’t about replacing families or medicalizing normal childhood experiences. It’s about giving students tools to understand themselves and supporting families who are already doing their best.”
When I asked parents at Plains Elementary about their experiences, the responses were overwhelmingly positive.
“My daughter now comes home and teaches us about ‘big feelings’ and how to handle them,” says Janelle Morrissey, mother of a second-grader. “She’s actually helping our whole family communicate better.”
The program’s ripple effects extend beyond emotional wellness. Teachers report improved classroom behavior and academic engagement. Research from the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health shows that similar school-based mental health initiatives contribute to better academic outcomes and reduced absenteeism.
As education systems nationwide grapple with post-pandemic mental health challenges, Saskatchewan’s approach offers valuable lessons. The province’s recent announcement indicates a growing commitment to what was initially a pilot program.
“Mental health is health, full stop,” says Dr. Cowan. “And just like we teach physical health in schools, mental health literacy needs to be part of the foundation we’re giving our children.”
Back in Margaret Whiteman’s office, she shows me a drawing from a fourth-grade student—a colorful mind map about “things that help when I’m sad.”
“This is why it matters,” she says, carefully returning the drawing to her bulletin board. “They’re learning they have options, that feelings pass, that asking for help is brave.”
As I left Plains Elementary that afternoon, the rain had cleared, and students were pouring onto the playground for recess. Their laughter echoed across the schoolyard—a reminder that while the work of mental health support is serious, its ultimate goal is joyful, resilient children equipped to face whatever weather lies ahead.
