On this podcast, we talked with registered social worker Laura Conboy, who is the Mental Health Lead at Limestone District School Board. Laura discusses mental health as a continuum, strategies for mental health in the classroom - both individually and as a group, how to create caring conditions, what a circle of care looks like, how to navigate the tiers of intervention, creating brace spaces, and she provides some really great tips on how to take care of yourself as a teacher. 

Resources for Mental Health in the Classroom 

• ONE CALL Desk Reference
• Guiding Questions to Build a Mentally Healthy Classroom Community 
• Mental Health Literacy Course for Educators 
• The Third Path 
• OCT Professional Advisory 
• Introduction to Children and Youth Mental Health: Skills for Educators 
• Personal Resiliency Tips  
• Brene Brown Podcast on Compative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth and Settling the Ball 
• 211 Ontario 
• Good2Talk 

Laura Conboy is a registered Social Worker and has been working as the Mental Health Lead for the Limestone District School Board since 2017. As part of her role, Laura creates and implements Limestone’s Mental Health and Substance Use Strategy and annual action plans. Prior to coming to Limestone, Laura worked as a hospital social worker in several departments including the emergency department, high-risk obstetrics, and child and adolescent psychiatry. When Laura is not working, she can be found reading, traveling, or learning to play pickleball.