Cost of Mental Health Services in Alberta Schools

Abstract: Within the school system, children with mental illness receive a variety of services that arise because of their conditions, and that require resources that exceed those provided to other students. Some of these services fall into the category of "specialized mental health" services, while others are additional services provided by teachers as part of their routine activities. In addition to services provided to students with identified mental illnesses, schools also provide some services aimed at supporting mental health and preventing mental illness to students identified as being at risk for mental illness and some preventive services to all students. In this paper, we estimate the total cost of mental health services that are provided by schools in a single year (2007/8) in Alberta. In total, we estimate that these services amount to about $900 million, of which 13 per cent are classified as "specialized mental health services" and the remainder as additional services provided by teachers as part of their typical teaching activities.