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Going back to school is exciting for some and scary for others. No matter how you’re feeling, Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 to support you
TORONTO, ON (September 16, 2020) – With millions of young people across Canada returning to virtual or in-person classrooms this month, it’s clear that this is a back-to-school season unlike any other.
From staggered starts to temperature checks, mandatory masks to socially distanced seating arrangements, the new protocols in place to help combat COVID-19 are causing many students to feel high levels of stress and anxiety.
In fact, Kids Help Phone’s data reveals that one in three young people reaching out via text feel distressed at the thought of going back to school – the third highest reported issue behind loneliness and general mental health.
“Kids Help Phone has been hearing from students, parents and teachers in every part of Canada who are expressing feelings of concern about heading back to school,” said Katherine Hay, President and CEO, Kids Help Phone. “This is an unprecedented new school year during an unprecedented moment in history. But we want people in Canada to know they are never alone: Kids Help Phone is absolutely unwavering in our commitment to helping people coast to coast to coast navigate these challenging days and weeks, just as we have been every day for over 30 years.”
As Canada’s only 24/7, bilingual e-mental health solution for young people – with services available by phone or text at any time of day or night – Kids Help Phone is here for Canada’s students, families and educators.
To help people across the country feel supported during this time of transition and uncertainty, Kids Help Phone has created a special back-to-school program offering a range of resources, tips and insights.
The back-to-school program includes:
Kids Help Phone is also offering the following advice and resources for young people returning to school as well as the adults in their lives.
Tips to support youth who are heading back to school:
For adults looking for ways to help young people manage stress and cope with uncertainty, here are several strategies:
We encourage all young people and caring adults to share and access Kids Help Phone resources. Support is available 24/7.
Be sure to visit Kids Help Phone’s back-to-school checklist, designed to help young people cope with changes to their school year during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Thank you to the national partners of our back-to-school program – Desjardins Group and Honda Canada Foundation.
Thanks to our growing community, Kids Help Phone offers free, 24/7 e-mental health services to young people in Canada. Your generosity helps ensure that someone is always there when support is needed for any issue, big or small.
Live Chat is available from midnight until 7:00 a.m. You can always text CONNECT to 686868 to reach a trained volunteer Crisis Responder 24/7.
For a better mobile chatting experience, download our Always There app
Get information about how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are connected and what you can do to care for your well-being. Learning about mental health can help empower you with the language to communicate how you’re feeling.
Practise with tools, tips and resources to help build your skills and improve your wellness in the way that feels best for you. Learn how to identify your strengths, communicate thoughts and feelings, overcome obstacles and connect with support.
Find out how much you know about specific topics and get resources to learn more.
Reduce stress and have fun at the same time.
Identify who and where your community is to get help when you need it.
Try different tools to express how you’re feeling.
Access tools for safety planning and reporting.
Regain calm and relax with these activities.
Identify how you’re feeling and find resources to support you right now.
Explore lived experiences from other young people across Canada. Learn from real-life youth stories, gain new ideas and ask questions to connect and inspire your own wellness journey.
If you need help right now, you can talk to a trained volunteer crisis responder about anything you're going through. No issue is too big or too small.
If you identify as Indigenous, you can ask to be connected with a First Nations, Inuk or Métis crisis responder (if one’s available) by messaging FIRST NATIONS, INUIT or METISto 686868 or through Facebook Messenger.
Connect with a professional counsellor to better understand what you're going through and help take a step in the direction you want to go.
You can immerse yourself in data about some common conversation topics to get a deeper understanding of mental health in Canada.
Want to learn about mental health, connect for support or get involved? You can check out our tools and resources.