Course IntroductionYoung people today are experiencing complex pressures, and research indicates that youth mental health and well-being is at risk around the world. In Canada, an estimated 1.2 million youth require mental health support, yet 57% do not get the help they need. Suicide remains the number one health-related cause of death among young people, and awareness of supports such as Canada's 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline remains low. The YWAP course responds to the challenges, pressures, and demands young people face by placing mental health literacy, planning tools, coping skills, and clear information about available supports directly into the hands of young people and the adults who work with them.Rather than waiting for a crisis, YWAP takes a proactive, universal approach. The Youth Wellness Action Plan assumes that all young people are at risk of a mental health crisis at some point in their lives, and it prepares them, and the adults around them, well before that point. A Youth Wellness Action Plan (YWAP) is a personalized, living tool for wellness that empowers individuals to act when they are struggling with their mental health, and it is meant to be regularly reviewed and updated, not produced once and forgotten.At the heart of the course is the ASAP Model, which organizes a Youth Wellness Action Plan around four connected areas: Awareness, Support, Action, and Prevention. Participants use this framework throughout the course to help students recognize their needs, identify their supports, build practical coping strategies, and plan ahead for challenges before they become overwhelming.Course HighlightsDeveloped and delivered by Sheryl Boswell, an educator who has taught elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and adult education students in Canada and Africa, and who has delivered workshops across Canada and internationally on universal student support strategies and wellness action plans.Grounded in the ASAP Model (Awareness, Support, Action, and Prevention), a practical framework for building a Youth Wellness Action Plan.Built on international best practices in mental health and wellness, including the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP, developed in 1997 in the United States), Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) used in United Kingdom workplaces, and Universal Safety Planning for Suicide Prevention (CODE RED, United States).Includes a practical, strength-based activities booklet with a printable license for unlimited copies and easy-to-use checklists, which can be kept in a safe place, shared with trusted adults, and updated as students learn what helps them maintain their well-being.Spans 10 modules covering language and terminology, diversity and lived experience, self-, brain-, and stress-awareness, support systems, coping and action skills, and prevention strategies.Includes a dedicated module of lived-experience video testimonials, in which youth speak directly about their own mental health and wellness journeys.Each module closes with a quiz activity so participants can review the key ideas and identify what they want to carry forward.Built around strength-focused, evidence-based, and trauma-informed practices that create a foundation for supportive classroom environments where every student can thrive.Supports a Wellness Action Plan that strengthens problem-solving skills, supports academic success, promotes healthy lifestyle habits, enhances self-confidence and self-awareness, encourages early intervention, builds resilience, improves emotional regulation, supports positive decision-making, reduces stress and anxiety, increases help-seeking confidence, builds strong support networks, develops healthy coping strategies, and improves communication skills.Who This Course Is ForThis course is designed for educators, school staff, mental health professionals, parents, caregivers, and others supporting young people. It is a transformative course designed for education and mental health professionals seeking practical, school-wide strategies for student well-being.The YWAP can be presented to students effectively by teachers, community or youth workers, or mental health professionals, making it accessible for widespread implementation in various settings. No specialized training in mental health is required, allowing more individuals to benefit from wellness action planning and enabling schools and communities to equip more young people with the tools they need to support themselves and others.
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