A new CASA Mental Health Classroom is now open at St. John Paul II Outreach School in Red Deer, giving students direct access to mental health services within their school.
This brings the total number of CASA Classrooms operating in Red Deer to three, and seven in Central Alberta overall, meaning up to 168 children can receive therapy, medical care, and educational support in a school setting each year.
The program serves children and teens in Grades 4 to 12 who are facing mental health challenges, and CASA Mental Health Classrooms are a school-based model delivered in partnership with the Government of Alberta Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, the Ministry of Education, and Alberta K–12 school divisions.
“The Board is excited about the opportunities for students to receive academic programming while focusing on their mental health in the CASA Classroom,” said Chris Andrew, Board Chair, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.
CASA Classrooms Combine Therapy, Medical Care, and Education in One Location
CASA Classrooms address the need for services closer to families by combining mental health care with academic support.
Each classroom is designed to accommodate up to 12 students at a time, providing individual and group therapy, medical care, and school programming and the CASA Classrooms model creates a learning environment that looks like a regular classroom but with modifications to support mental health including smaller class sizes, sensory items, calming spaces, and private therapy areas.
Families also receive mental health education and guidance to help support their children at home, while schools receive tools to assist all students in thriving academically and emotionally.
“Patients receive individual and group therapy, medical care and school programming all right within the classroom. But programming doesn’t stop there. We also help families to better support their children at home by offering them mental health education and connections to community supports. We’re also ensuring schools receive the tools they need to support students to thrive, not only the students returning from CASA Classrooms, but all students who walk through their doors,” said Lori Roe, Clinical Director of CASA Mental Health Classrooms.
Families See Positive Change as Children Access Therapy Directly at School
CASA data shows that the program is having measurable results.
In the 2024–25 school year, 100 per cent of caregivers surveyed agreed the CASA Classrooms program improved their child’s mental health, and 90 per cent of students reported improvements in their own mental wellbeing.
Students showed progress in emotional regulation, scholastic and language skills, school attendance, and a reduction in self-injury for 74 per cent of participants.
“CASA Classrooms was like a reset. It gave us room to breathe and ultimately gave us our child back. Our daughter suffered greatly from anxiety, causing her to miss school and took a toll on her confidence. The CASA Classrooms staff helped her discover her real self again. Since CASA Classrooms, she has made honour roll, re-joined competitive cheerleading and has even been helping her friends advocate for their mental health. The learning curve was hard work, but it was worth it. I would encourage any family who struggled like ours did to seek help from CASA Mental Health if you have the opportunity,” said parent Brittany Sweeney.
Data Shows Students Improve Attendance, Reading, Writing, and Numeracy with Support
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to live their best life, and that includes access to mental health supports while in school. With classrooms experiencing greater complex needs, CASA Mental Health Classrooms are one of the solutions making a real difference,” said Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction.
Since January 2023, CASA data shows academic improvements as well.
Among students in Grades 4 to 9, 52 per cent achieved at least one full grade level improvement in numeracy, 39 per cent improved in reading, and 33 per cent improved in writing.
High school students in the program also made academic gains, with 41 per cent completing all courses in the five-month program and 33 per cent completing at least one course.
For families seeking support, referrals can be made through a child’s school.
For a full list of CASA Classroom locations across Alberta, visit casamentalhealth.org/classrooms.
**With information from CASA Mental Health
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@centralalbertaonline.com.
CentralAlbertaOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the CentralAlbertaOnline app.