RESOURCE: Youth Substance Use Resources for Educators

Having conversations about substance use with students and providing support to students experiencing substance use and/or mental health challenges is a reality for many working in education. Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO), School Mental Health Ontario (SMH-ON), and the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) team at CAMH have developed resources to summarize and illustrate the insights and recommendations from youth to support educators in this area.

Included in these resources are findings from the 2021 OSDUHS, which is a population survey of Ontario students in grades 7 through 12 that is conducted every two years. A total of 2,225 students in grades 7 to 12 from 122 schools in 31 school boards participated in the 2021 cycle of the OSDUHS.

Resource 1: Substance Use and School: Opportunities to Support Students – A guide for educators and school system leaders about youth substance use

The purpose of this guide is to support educators and school system leaders in their knowledge about substance use and supports available for students. This resource also offers recommendations for action and considerations for working across student, school and community levels.

Resource 1 English   Resource 1 French
 

Resource 2: Substance Use and School: What Youth Want Educators to Know – A resource for school and system leaders and educators about youth substance use and available resources

This resource provides an overview of experiences with substance use and substance use education that members of the Youth Reference Group shared over a series of seven meetings. It also provides practical recommendations and information for those working with students and supporting substance use education in schools.

Resource 2 English   Resource 2 French