Mental Wellness Hub

Supporting Positive Mental Health Promotion in Saanich School District


We acknowledge and thank the W̱SÁNEĆ people on whose traditional territory we live, learn, and teach. The W̱SÁNEĆ people have lived and worked on this land since time immemorial.

March 2024 Opportunities

For Parents and Caregivers

Family Smart offers a monthly learning series for parents called "In the Know.All Online events are facilitated by FamilySmart Parent Peer Support Workers, and videos are available to watch anytime on Family Smart's website.


March 2024 - Beyond behaviours - When is it More 13 - 18 year olds

Details: Why can it feel so tricky to tell if our kids are on track, going through a phase, as opposed to struggling with something more, or beyond behaviours? In this video conversation, a parent and counsellor talk about the developmental stages of children who are 13 years of age and older. Speaker: Karen Peters, Registered Clinical Counsellor.


Online dates Register Here: https://familysmart.ca/monthly-events/

Watch Now: https://youtu.be/8KPdXLTnw9M?si=yw8VYYO5xmekZ1C8

Watch videos anytime: https://familysmart.ca/videos/

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Caregiver workshops and support groups through Foundry Virtual 

The Caregivers Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) workshop helps caregivers support their loved ones living with mental health and/or wellness challenges. 

Session dates:

March 4, 11, 18 and 25: a 4-evening workshop, Mondays, 5:30pm to 8:30pm

May 4 and 11: a 2-day workshop, Saturdays, 9:00am to 4:00pm

June 17 and 24: a 2-day workshop, Mondays, 9:00am to 4:00pm


The Caregivers Support Group provides drop-in peer support for caregivers supporting youth with mental health or substance use challenges.

Groups run on Wednesdays bi-weekly from 7:30-9:00 PM

Next sessions: 

March 6th, 2024

March 20th, 2024

April 3rd, 2024

April 17th, 2024

May 1st, 2024

May 15th, 2024


 More info and register here.

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BC Children's Hospital and Healthy Minds Learning have created an 8-module online course for caregivers called "Rolling with ADHD." From their website: "Rolling with ADHD is an eight module series that covers practical tools and strategies for caregivers of children with ADHD. This series has been adapted from the long standing in-person program at BC Children’s Hospital, and includes what research show really works for kids and families living with ADHD."

For more info and to register, click here


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Boys and Girls Club is offering a series of online programs helping parents of teens, pre-teens, and children gain confidence, discover practical tips and resources, and find support from other parents.  



For more information visit BGCSVI and/or  contact parentingprograms@bgcsvi.org, or 250-686-9122.

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The Foundry has launched a resource guide for parents or caregivers of a young person with a substance use disorder - Parents Like Us

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FamilySmart has a FREE workshop series called Help For The Hard Times. These workshops are for South Island families and caregivers whose child or youth has been a patient in a psychiatric unit or have had repeated hospital ER visits at Victoria General or Ledger House. These will be delivered every month and are facilitated by parents with lived experience and are hosted online.   


Session 1: How to support a safety plan at home (Part 1)

Session 2: How to support a safety plan at home (Part 2) 

Session 3: How to take care of yourself and your family after a crisis 

Session 4: How to find the resources you need


For more information and registration: https://familysmart.ca/workshops/

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Saanich Neighbourhood Place is offering in-person programs to support parents and youth. Contact Family@snplace.org for more information or visit the SNP website for other programs. 

See parents/resources section for more information

For Students

OneLove - learning about healthy relationships. Videos, quizzes, and learning tools about what makes a healthy vs unhealthy relationship.

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YMIND The YMCA-YWCA Y Mind Groups are a free, weekly psychoeducational support group for teens 13-18 and young adults 18-30 experiencing stress, worries and anxiety. Participants learn healthy coping skills through mindfulness, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and Self-Compassion to navigate their anxiety, connect with other young people and receive support all in a safe and supportive community environment. The program is designed to provide tools and support to folks who experience mild to moderate anxiety and is funded by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions as an early intervention program.


There are two modes for this program - in-person and virtual. Find more information and register here, or contact Lana at mindfulness@vancouverislandy.ca 

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Foundry Virtual Group for mood and Anxiety - Mind Me

February 5th to March 18th, from 4:00pm to 5:30pm.

Mind Me aims to support youth who are dealing with low mood and/or anxiety by helping them learn more about worries, anxiety, and depression and understand the impact of emotions and thoughts on our well-being.


It also aims to facilitate the learning of strategies to cope with challenging emotions, worries and situations that can feel overwhelming.


Info and Register Here

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2SLGBTQ+ Social at Saanich Commonwealth Place Youth Centre. A safe space to be yourself and connect with a youth leader and peers. Play games, make crafts, spend time outside and connect with our staff. Youth in Grade 6 - 11 are welcome.  This is a free event, but registration is required. Register and more info here.

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Dungeons and Dragons club for youth aged 11-17 at Saanich Commonwealth Place. This is a free event, but registration is required. Register and more info here.

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Wellness Together Canada This new resource includes information, self-help tools, and support opportunities around topics such as mood, worry, stress, relationships, and substance use. Resources and supports are available for both adults and youth. 

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Teen Lounge and Sport Drop-in at Greenglade Community Centre

Teen Lounge is designed to be a safe and inclusive atmosphere for local teens (11-16yrs) to meet, connect, and relax with friends. The space features pool, ping pong and arcade basketball tables, interactive video games, couches and tables for lounging.

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The Saanich Peninsula Youth Clinic is open every Thursday from 5:30-7:30PM. The clinic is an opportunity for youth aged 12-24 to meet with a doctor or counsellor for physical, mental or sexual health support. Services are 100% free and confidential. Located at 2A-2379 Bevan Avenue, Sidney. Call 250-656-4143, press 4, then 5. IG: @saanichpeninsulayouthclinic

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Foundry Victoria Youth Clinic  and Foundry's virtual services offer drop-in and scheduled counselling and peer support, primary care, employment support and groups for young people aged 12-24 and their caregivers across B.C. No referrals are required and all services are free and confidential.   If seeking access to physicians / nursing / counseling / outreach and peer support,  call 250-383-3552. Booking for the day begins at 10:30 am by telephone.   See social media for updates and changes, and check out the Foundry app to support virtual appointments. Their Pathfinder service can also help you find the right support or resource.

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See students resources section for more information.

For Staff


See staff resources section for more information.

Please also visit the Saanich School District website to see Monthly Snapshots