Having a program in place to support the mental health of the students in your school or district is not enough; if there is no communication associated with the program, most likely, it will struggle. In this session you will hear how one district initiated a coordinated communication effort in support of its mental health strategy and changed the conversation from mental illness to mental wellness. These communication activities proved to support a consistent message and helped raise awareness about where students could get help. Learn from one of the team members of the 2017 Gold Medallion Award winning program about changing the culture of your district to inspire hope and empower students to be well.

Presenters: Shawn McKillop, APR, manager of communications and community engagement, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Hamilton, Ont., and Heather Carter, M.S.W., R.S.W., chief social worker, York Region District School Board, Aurora, Ont.

Moderator: Athena Vadnais, APR, communications and community engagement director, Gresham-Barlow School District, Grehsam, Ore. and NSPRA Northwest Region vice president