Vulnerable students and their families are seeing mental health benefits from a program that brings social service agencies right into Edmonton schools, according to recently published research from the University of Alberta's School of Public Health.
All in for Youth follows a "wraparound" model of support that offers services including meals and snacks, success coaching and student mentoring, family counselling and out-of-school care within eight local elementary, junior high and high schools.
According to the study, 42.7 per cent of 2,073 students enrolled at seven of the schools in the 2021-22 school year used at least one of the mental health services offered. Almost a quarter (24.5 per cent) of service users self-identified as Indigenous persons, close to one-tenth (9.5 per cent) had refugee status, 30.1 per cent were English language learners and 18.7 per cent had specialized learning needs.
