Be There for Others Unit Plan

In this 6-lesson unit, students will learn to recognize signs of mental health struggle and how to be there for others.

Unit Introduction

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Key Concepts

Seeking Help

Accessing Resources

Stress Management

Signs of Struggle

Barriers

Active Listening

Boundaries

Supporting Yourself

Supporting Others

Interpersonal Skills

Healthy Relationships

Self-care

Grade 9-10

Healthy Living

6 Lessons

Activites

1–2 Weeks

Unit Plan

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Contents

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Overview

Updated

The Be There for Others Unit Plan is designed to help you bring Be There’s foundational mental health education into your classroom. The unit is based on a professionally-developed curriculum and focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support someone struggling with their mental health, while also looking out for their own mental health.

This unit will help your students understand:

Signs of mental health struggle
How to be there for others using Be There’s 5 Golden Rules
How to be there for yourself through self-care and self-awareness

The interactive learning opportunities provided in the unit plan are designed to facilitate meaningful group discussions, conversations, and student involvement. Recognizing that nobody knows your students like you do, we encourage you to freely pick and choose the activities you think will best suit your group.

This unit is designed to be completed in 6 class periods of 60–75 minutes in length. We recommend that you set aside an additional 2 hours for students to complete the optional summative assessment, the online Be There Certificate, at the end of the unit.

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Before You Teach: Considerations

Updated

Before using these resources with your students, it is important first to consider the following.

Talking about mental health can sometimes be difficult for young people — especially those who are struggling or have experienced a difficult situation. There are some considerations we recommend you work through to make sure your lessons support a safe and positive experience for everyone.

Please consider the following questions:

Have I considered the cultural, religious, and social backgrounds of my student population to shape a relevant and appropriate lesson?
Have I made arrangements to ensure support is available for any particularly vulnerable youth?
Are mental health supports available in the school should students need/want professional help during or after a classroom activity, lesson, or unit? If so, am I aware of how to connect students with these supports? If not, are there mental health supports outside of the school I can connect them with?
Am I able to notify families and other community members that a mental health unit is occurring and equip them with resources to talk about mental health at home?

If you answered no to any of these questions, this may be cause for concern. Please speak with your colleagues (e.g. Mental Health Lead, Adolescent Care Worker, curriculum lead, administrators, Student Success/Guidance Departments, school board support) to ensure both you and your students have the necessary support in place.

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Curriculum Connections

Updated

British Columbia

Grade: 9

Course: Physical and Health Education 9

Subject: Health and Physical Education

Big Ideas: Healthy choices influence our physical, emotional, and mental well-being; Healthy relationships can help us lead rewarding and fulfilling lives; Advocating for the health and well-being of others connects us to our community.

Learning Standards: Curricular Competency

Mental well-being:

Analyze strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others

Assess and evaluate strategies for managing problems related to mental well-being and substance use, for others

Social and community health:

Propose strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships

Learning Standards: Content

signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression

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Manitoba

Grade: Senior 2/10

Course: Physical Education/Health Education: Senior 2

Subject: Physical Education/Health Education

Broad Areas of Learning: Mental-Emotional Development; Decision Making for Health and Well-Being

Learning Outcomes

K.4.S2.B.2a: Evaluate the benefits of effective communication skills (e.g., listen actively, paraphrase, show appreciation, criticize ideas, not people...) for getting along with family, friends, and peers in school, community, and/or the workplace.

K.4.S2.B.2b: Identify potential adult roles and ways to prevent potential problems in developing meaningful relationships.

K.4.S2.C.1a: Describe the behaviours necessary for providing others with support and promoting emotional health and well-being.

K.4.S2.C.2: Describe situations that cause personal stress.

K.4.S2.C.3: Examine the physiological and psychological effects of stress related to health and well-being.

K.4.S2.C.4a: Examine the strategies and defence mechanisms that can be healthy or unhealthy ways of managing stress.

S.4.S2.A.3: Apply communication skills and strategies in case scenarios for getting along with others in a variety of contexts

S.4.S2.A.5: Apply stress-management strategies and communication skills for stress reduction for self and/or others in case scenarios related to stressful situations

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New Brunswick

Grade: 9

Course: Personal Wellness 9

Subject: Wellness and Physical Education

Strand: Mental Fitness

Big Idea: Positive Mental Health

Achievement Indicators:

Assess how listening and empathy support the positive mental health of peers

List resources for mental illness and suicide prevention

Big Idea: Positive Mental Fitness Strategies

Achievement Indicators:

Develop strategies that reduce stigma regarding mental illness

Reflect on and share strategies for suicide prevention

Identify strategies to build own positive mental health

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Nova Scotia

Grade: 9

Course: Healthy Living 9

Subject: Physical and Health Education

‍Specific Curriculum Outcomes

Healthy Self

9.1 analyze their health needs in times of change and apply strategies that enhance their capacity to manage change in their lives

9.2 recognize the warning signs of depressive disorders and the importance of seeking help for these disorders

Healthy Relationships

9.11 examine the cause and effect of unhealthy relationships and practise communication and assertiveness skills to confront unhealthy relationships

9.15 examine the negative impact of stereotyping and stigma upon help-seeking behaviour

Healthy Community

9.20 identify school and community-based resources and health services available to assist themselves or a friend if help or information in the area of sexual health, mental health, alcohol, and other substance use or gambling is needed, and practise how to make initial contact with such a service/resource

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Ontario

Grade: 9

Course: PPL10

Subject: Health and Physical Education

Strand: Healthy Living (Personal Safety and Injury Prevention: Making Connections for Healthy Living); Living Skills (Interpersonal and Personal Skills; Critical and Creative Thinking)*

_{*Student learning related to the Living Skills expectations takes place in the context of learning related to the Active Living, Movement Competence, and Healthy Living strands, and should be assessed and evaluated within these contexts.}

Overall Expectations:

Living Skills

1. demonstrate personal and interpersonal skills and the use of critical and creative thinking processes as they acquire knowledge and skills in connection with the expectations in the Active Living, Movement Competence, and Healthy Living strands for this grade.

‍Making Healthy Choices

C2. demonstrate the ability to apply health knowledge and living skills to make reasoned decisions and take appropriate actions relating to their personal health and well-being.

Healthy Living

C3. demonstrate the ability to make connections that relate to health and well-being – how their choices and behaviours affect both themselves and others, and how factors in the world around them affect their own and others’ health and well-being.

Specific Expectations:

Personal Skills

PS 1.1 use self-awareness and self-monitoring skills to help them understand their strengths and needs, recognize sources of stress, take responsibility for their actions, and monitor their own progress as they participate in physical activities, develop movement competence, and acquire knowledge and skills related to healthy living (e.g. Healthy Living: describe the importance of understanding their personal strengths and values and using this understanding to guide them in making thoughtful decisions about their health)

PS 1.2 use adaptive, management, and coping skills to help them respond to the various challenges they encounter as they participate in physical activities, develop movement competence, and acquire knowledge and skills related to healthy living (e.g. Healthy Living: identify supports that are available to help individuals cope with the psychological, social, and physical challenges and related stresses that may come with questioning their gender identity, their sexual orientation, or the way they express their gender by how they choose to act, dress, behave, and interact with others)

Interpersonal Skills

IS 1.3 communicate effectively, using verbal or non-verbal means, as appropriate, and interpret information accurately as they participate in physical activities, develop movement competence, and acquire knowledge and skills related to healthy living (e.g. Healthy Living: demonstrate, through role play, the ability to reach out with compassion to a friend who seems to be struggling emotionally or the ability to use assertiveness skills to respond to situations or comments that might trigger conflict)

Making Healthy Choices

C2.2 demonstrate an understanding of the skills and strategies needed to build healthy social relationships (e.g., peer, school, family, work) and intimate relationships [PS, IS]

Healthy Living

C3.2 identify warning signs and symptoms that could be related to mental health concerns (e.g., inability to cope with stress; feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, or worthlessness; negative thoughts about oneself, others, and the future; thoughts of suicide), and describe a variety of strategies for coping with or responding to mental health concerns affecting oneself or others (e.g., stress and mood management techniques, identifying ways to seek help for oneself or a friend/ classmate, supporting others who are struggling with their emotional well-being) [PS, IS]*

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Yukon

Grade: 9

Course: Physical and Health Education 9

Subject: Health and Physical Education

Learning Standards: Curricular Competency

Mental well-being:

Analyze strategies for promoting mental well-being, for self and others

Assess and evaluate strategies for managing problems related to mental well-being and substance use, for others

Social and community health:

Propose strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships

Learning Standards: Content

signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression

*Yukon schools follow the British Columbia (B.C.) curriculum, with adaptations to include Yukon content and Yukon First Nations’ ways of knowing and doing. (https://yukon.ca/en/school-curriculum)

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Lessons in this Unit

Updated

Lesson 1

Golden Rule #1: Say What You See
- How to break the ice and start the conversation
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify warning signs and symptoms that someone may be struggling with their mental health; distinguish between a mental health struggle and a mental health crisis; demonstrate the ability to reach out with compassion to someone who seems to be struggling with their mental health; recognize signs of a mental health crisis; take appropriate action if someone is in a mental health crisis

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Lesson 2

Golden Rule #2: Show You Care
- How to build trust and support someone
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate care for someone struggling with their mental health; create a safe environment for mental health conversations; identify practical everyday ways to support someone struggling with their mental health

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Lesson 3

Golden Rule #3: Hear Them Out
- Learn to be a good listener and balance the conversation
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use active listening skills when supporting someone struggling with their emotional well-being; communicate effectively, using verbal or non-verbal means, as appropriate, when supporting someone with their mental health

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Lesson 4

Golden Rule #4: Know Your Role
- Learn to set boundaries to protect your relationship and your mental health
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recognize what their role is when supporting someone; understand the concept and importance of boundaries; set healthy boundaries to protect their relationship and mental health

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Lesson 5

Golden Rule #5: Connect to Help
- Learn to access professional and community resources and what to expect from them
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to understand the process of engaging with support; access community and professional mental health resources; recognize common barriers to seeking and accessing mental health supports

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Lesson 6

Be There for Yourself
- Learn to recognize your limits and take care of yourself
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to recognize signs of stress in themselves; take steps to care for their own mental health; recognize when to seek support for their mental health; understand the importance of support systems

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Golden Rule #1: Say What You See

Students will learn the difference between a mental health struggle and crisis, how to start a conversation with someone who is struggling with their mental health, and what to do if someone is in crisis.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Golden Rule #2: Show You Care

Students will learn how to build trust and find practical ways to help someone through their day to day life.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Golden Rule #3: Hear Them Out

Students will learn what it means to be a good listener and how to balance the conversation.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Golden Rule #4: Know Your Role

Students will learn what their role is - and is not - when supporting someone and how to set boundaries to protect their relationships and their own mental health.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Golden Rule #5: Connect to Help

In this lesson, your students will learn to access professional and community resources and what to expect from them.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Be There for Yourself

Students will learn to recognize their limits and how to take care of their own mental health.

60–75 min

Activities

Be There for Others Unit Plan

Assessments

Updated

This unit includes opportunities for Assessment as Learning and Assessment for Learning as well as a summative assessment (Assessment of Learning). In each lesson, you will find tools to help you obtain assessment information and support learning strategies such as discussions, self-assessments, self-reflections, tasks done in groups, and handouts that can be included in a student portfolio.

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**Assessments for and as Learning**

Discussion Questions
Activities (with accompanying handouts)
Student Reflections
Self-Assessments

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Assessment of Learning

Be There Certificate ⤓

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Student Task: Be There Certificate‍

The Be There Certificate is a fun and interactive online course to learn how to safely support someone who is struggling with their mental health. This activity will serve as both a review of the content in this unit as well as an assessment of your students’ learning.

The certificate takes about two hours in total, but your students can take a break as needed and pick up where they left off when they are ready. They will get badges along the way, and when they are done they will get a certificate of completion.

The interactive activities built into the course assess students’ knowledge of the content and allow students to apply their knowledge in a variety of scenarios. Your students can download a PDF of their certificate after completing all six modules of the free Be There Certificate course and submit this to you as evidence of completion.

About

The Be There Certificate is offered by Jack.org, a Canadian youth mental health charity, in partnership with Born This Way Foundation.

The Be There Certificate is a free, digital, self-paced learning experience designed to increase mental health literacy and provide youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to safely support anyone who may be struggling with their mental health. It will provide a deep understanding of Be There’s 5 Golden Rules — a simple but actionable framework teaching people how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health, their role in supporting that person, and how to connect them to the help they need.

The Be There Certificate is available in English, French and Spanish, offering universal best practices while diving deeper into the intersections of culture, identity, and social determinants of mental wellness. You and your students can complete the Be There Certificate in one or more languages, but you cannot switch between languages midway through.

The Be There Certificate is based on the content on BeThere.org, a resource created by Jack.org in response to a needs assessment of over 1,200 youth. We compiled the top 73 most common questions we heard from young people and scoured dozens of websites, blogs, articles and other resources to find the answers. It wasn’t easy; existing resources are fragmented, hard to find and full of impersonal clinical jargon. But the answers are out there (we didn’t make this stuff up!) we just had to find it and translate it into accessible language. References can be found here.

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Appendix

Updated

You can find all the materials for the Be There for Others Unit Plan below:

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Materials for Lesson 1 of 6

Golden Rule #1: Say What You See

Golden Rule #1: Say What You See Lesson Plan ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers
Chart paper and markers (Optional for Step 3, Activity 1)

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Materials for Lesson 2 of 6

Golden Rule #2: Show You Care

Golden Rule #2: Show You Care Lesson Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Golden Rule #2: Show You Care Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Golden Rule #2 | Mohammad - Show You Care Video ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Shawn & Shaiya - Show You Care Video ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Wali & Fariha - Show You Care Video ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Be There : Text Training #LevelUp Video ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Nightingale & Henry - Show You Care Video ⤓

Handouts

Golden Rule #2 | Handout 1: Note Taking ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Handout 2: Wali and Fariha Discussion Questions ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Handout 3: Review and #LevelUp ⤓

Golden Rule #2 | Handout 4: Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Materials for Lesson 3 of 6

Golden Rule #3: Hear Them Out

Golden Rule #3: Hear Them Out Lesson Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Golden Rule #3: Hear Them Out Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Golden Rule #3 | Ashley - Hear Them Out Video ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Jessie & Manvir - Say What You See Video ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Mel & Matt - Hear Them Out Video ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Be There : Listening Legend #LevelUp Video ⤓

Handouts

Golden Rule #3 | Handout 1: Note Taking ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Handout 2: A Closer Look ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Handout 3: Reflection ⤓

Golden Rule #3 | Handout 4: Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Minds On: Active Listening Activity Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Minds On: Active Listening Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Golden Rule #3 | Unsolicited Advice (Again) Youtube Short ⤓

Handouts

Minds On: Active Listening Extension Activity ⤓

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Materials for Lesson 4 of 6

Golden Rule #4: Know Your Role

Golden Rule #4: Know Your Role Lesson Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Golden Rule #4: Know Your Role Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Golden Rule #4 | Shayan - Know Your Role Video ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Kirbie & Estyr - Know Your Role Video ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Bri & Neta - Know Your Role Video ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Erica & Liv - Know Your Role Video ⤓

Handouts

Golden Rule #4 | Handout 1: Note Taking ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Handout 2: Review and A Closer Look ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Handout 3: Reflection ⤓

Golden Rule #4 | Handout 4: Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Materials for Lesson 5 of 6

Golden Rule #5: Connect to Help

Golden Rule #5: Connect to Help Lesson Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Golden Rule #5: Connect to Help Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Golden Rule #5 | Max - Connect to Help Video ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Tunchai & Lindsay - Connect To Help Video ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Maryam & Aswani - Connect to Help Video ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Kirbie & Estyr - Connect To Help Video ⤓

Handouts

Golden Rule #5 | Handout 1: Note Taking ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Handout 2: Where to Go, What to Say ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Handout 3: A Closer Look at Barriers ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Transcripts ⤓

Golden Rule #5 | Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Materials for Lesson 6 of 6

Be There For Yourself

Be There For Yourself Lesson Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Be There For Yourself Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Be There For Yourself | Lee - Be There for Yourself Video ⤓

Be There For Yourself | Pyramid of Self Care Youtube Short ⤓

Handouts

Be There For Yourself | Handout 1: Note Taking ⤓

Be There For Yourself | Handout 2: Pyramid of Self Care ⤓

Be There For Yourself | Handout 3: Be There Pocket Guide (Mini 8 Page Zine) ⤓

Be There For Yourself | Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Be There For Yourself | Minds On: Pyramid of Self-Care Activity Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Minds On: Pyramid of Self-Care Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Self-Care Pyramid Youtube Short ⤓

Handouts

Minds On: Pyramid of Self Care Handout ⤓

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Materials for Additional Activities

Minds On: Checking In

Minds On: Checking In Activity Plan ⤓

Slide Deck

Minds On: Checking In Slide Deck ⤓

Videos

Checking In Youtube Short ⤓

Websites

Be There Website ⤓

Additional Materials

Teacher computer, projector, and speakers

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Be There for Others Unit Plan

Additional Resources

Updated

Questions about Be There? These will help:

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Be There Golden Rules Poster PDF ⤓

Be There Summary ⤓

Building Be There ⤓

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Give Feedback

Seeking Help

Accessing Resources

Stress Management

Signs of Struggle

Barriers

Active Listening

Boundaries

Supporting Yourself

Supporting Others

Interpersonal Skills

Healthy Relationships

Self-care

Beyond the classroom

Looking for more ways to support mental health in your area?

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Jack.org is a Canadian charity that works alongside youth to build the mental health future we need.

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This is not a site for personal disclosure of mental health distress, suicidal thoughts or behaviours. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call a helpline, 9-1-1 or emergency services, or go to your nearest emergency department.

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