How to Know When to Get Help

It’s normal to feel down from time to time. But when “stressed” crosses the line into “struggling,” it’s important to know how to find help.

That’s why Greenwood’s Jack Chapter put together a document called “How to Know When to Reach Out for Help,” which is available to all students. The document helps students to understand the spectrum of mental health, and to know when extra care from a trusted adult or professional might be needed.

The document also highlights questions students can ask themselves to determine whether they need to seek support, including:
  • Have I been feeling really out of sorts emotionally for over two weeks, most of the time each day?
  • Am I still not  feeling better in spite of what I try to do?
  • Have I begun to let my school work slip (missing classes, not doing my homework and assignments) because of how I have been feeling?
Answering “yes” to any one of these questions is a good indicator that it’s time to explain your feelings to a trusted adult.

Where to Go to Get Help

There are many places students can turn when they need additional support, both in and out of school. A student’s Adviser or a trusted teacher is a great first point of contact; students can also schedule a visit with our school social worker, Lori Houzer. Outside of school, students can text 741741 to talk to a crisis text line counselor, call Kids Help Phone or visit a drop-in clinic like Skylark.

How to Help a Friend

Support from a friend can mean the world to someone who’s struggling. Here’s what students can do:
  • Be kind.  Simple acts of kindness like smiling or being a good listener can let someone know you’re there for them.
  • Listen and ask. Expressions like “You’ll get over it” and “Just relax” can minimize how a person is feeling. Listening and asking how you can help can be the first step in recovery.
  • Let your friend know that you care and are concerned. As many times as they need to hear it.
Our Jack Chapter is promoting this document throughout the school year, so students will always know where to find it!
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Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811
We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and as settlers, we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.
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