The Student Well-Being Act, 2025
Preamble:
Whereas the mental health of youth in Ontario is a growing crisis with profound impacts on their
educational outcomes, future well-being, and health of our communities;
And Whereas data shows that schools are the frontline for identifying and supporting youth mental health
challenges, yet face systemic barriers, including a lack of clear professional standards and unmanageable caseloads, which prevent dedicated staff from delivering effective care;
And Whereas proactive, upstream, and preventative care provided within the school environment is a proven, evidence-based strategy to prevent crises, reduce long-term healthcare costs, and ensure more equitable outcomes for all students, regardless of background;
And Whereas amendments to the Education Act have established the promotion of student well-being as a core duty of every school board;
And Whereas meaningful oversight is impossible without transparent data, public accountability, and the formal empowerment of student voices;
Therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Provinceof Ontario, enacts as follows:
Bill Provisions:
1. Mandated Standards and Caseload Transparency
(a) Provincial Standards: The Ministry of Education, in consultation with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, shall establish and maintain provincial standards for the role of in-school mental health professionals. These standards will define the core duties and responsibilities related to direct student support.
(b) Workload Measurement and Reporting: Every publicly funded school board shall be required to annually track and report the aggregate time-allocation of its mental health professionals. This report shall, at a minimum, differentiate time spent on:
(i) Direct student counselling and mental health support
(ii) Preventative mental health and well-being programming
(iii) Administrative duties and other non-clinical responsibilities.
(c) Caseload Management Plans: Every school board shall develop, publish, and annually update a Caseload Management Plan. This plan must use the data from (b) to identify current caseload pressures and outline the board’s strategy for maximizing the time that mental health professionals spend providing direct support to students.
(d) Regulation-Making Authority: The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations:
(i) Further defining the categories of time-allocation required under subsection (b).
(ii) Prescribing the minimum required components and standards for the Caseload Management Plans required under subsection (c).
2. Empowerment of Student Voice and Application of Proven Models
(a) Recognition of Student Trustees: Every school board shall formally recognize the Student Trustee(s) as the designated representative voice of the student body for youth consultation on matters of student mental health and well-being.
(b) Formal Consultation Process: School boards are hereby directed to develop and implement a formal consultation process consistent with the principles of established practices, such as the Student Achievement and Well-Being Committee (SAWBC) framework by the Waterloo Region District School Board, to fulfill their obligations under section 29.6 of the Education Act.
(c) Minimum Requirements for Consultation: At a minimum, this consultation process must require that:
(i) The Student Trustee(s) are provided with all relevant non-confidential data, including the workload and caseload reports mandated in Provision 1, and the data mandated in Provision 3 of this Act.
(ii) A dedicated, public meeting held as a formal component of the consultation process as established under subsection (b), occurs no less than twice per school year for the express purpose of reviewing the board’s mental health strategies.
(iii) Recommendations formally tabled by the Student Trustee(s) following the consultation receive a formal response from the board, detailing the board’s decision and rationale, no later than the subsequent public board meeting.
3. Public Reporting and Data Transparency
(a) Annual Publication of Data: The Ministry of Education, after consultation with the Ministry of Health, shall be required to annually publish data on key youth mental health indicators within the school system.
(b) Report Content: This report, to be tabled in the Legislature, shall include, at a minimum, data on the professional-to-student ratios in each board and the workload allocation of those professionals as specified in Provision 1(b), student usage of in-school services, and a summary of issues identified by the Student Achievement and Well-being
Advisory Committees across the province.
Sincerely,
Civic Clarity Foundation
