Halifax, NS – September 30, 2025
Strongest Families Institute (SFI) is proud to announce new partnership with GreenShield, Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, to launch Classroom Calm & Care: Mental Health Literacy for Indigenous Youth.
This important initiative will deliver culturally relevant, classroom-based mental health literacy to Indigenous students in various locations across Northern Canada.
The Classroom Calm & Care program is an enhanced version of SFI’s 4-week program that equips children and youth with knowledge about mental health as well as valuable coping skills to promote good mental wellness and well-being. Enhancements include ensuring cultural content tailoring through co-design with local Indigenous community leaders, teachers, and youth. Students will learn information about good mental health, emotional awareness, stress and anxiety management using valuable coping skills. The program integrates Indigenous local community perspectives to ensure cultural appropriateness.
The program will start in the fall with partnerships with Dr. Veronica McKinney, Director, Northern Medical Services and various Northern Saskatchewan schools with the goal of further expansion.
“The mental health crisis in Indigenous communities is urgent, with youth experiencing disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide,” said Dr. Veronica McKinney, Director of Northern Medical Services. “Strongest Families’ programs are freely available in Northern Saskatchewan, and now with this funding support, we can expand SFI’s program, in the classroom, an important step in mental health prevention, equipping our young people with helpful coping skills.”
“With GreenShield’s support, we can bring early intervention directly into classrooms, reducing stigma and equipping the next generation with skills that promote resilience,” said Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie, President & CEO of Strongest Families Institute. This support is timely, given the rising rates of mental health issues in our Indigenous young people, coupled with the impacts of the wildfires. Now more than ever, we need to take action to equip our young people with coping skills to promote good mental health. This helps us reach student where they are, in culturally meaningful ways.”
“As a purpose-driven non-profit, GreenShield is proud to partner with Strongest Families Institute to bring culturally safe mental health support directly into classrooms,” says Mandy Mail, Executive Vice President, GreenShield Cares. “By meeting Indigenous youth where the need is greatest, we’re removing barriers, building resilience, and helping the next generation thrive. ”
This investment underscores GreenShield’s commitment to advancing mental health equity by expanding opportunities and supports for Indigenous communities.
About Strongest Families Institute
Strongest Families Institute (SFI) is a registered Canadian charity providing award-winning, evidence-based, bilingual mental health programs to children, youth, adults, and families across Canada. Using virtual care, trained coaches, and innovative technology, SFI has supported more than 75,000 clients since 2011, achieving over 85% program success and 98% satisfaction rates.
About GreenShield
As Canada’s only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We’re dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential.
We are revolutionizing the health care and insurance experience by bringing coverage and care together in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider (“payvider”) model, we offer insurance, administer benefits and pay claims as a ‘payer’ while offering health care services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a ‘provider’.
As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we’ve positively impacted the health and well-being of over one million Canadians since 2020.
What’s driving us now is the commitment to measurably impact an additional three million Canadians by 2030 – across mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management – through scalable initiatives that deliver meaningful change in pursuit of our mission of Better Health for All.
GreenShield is proud to be recognized multiple times as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures, certified annually as a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and honoured with repeat placement on Fortune’s prestigious Change the World list – a testament to our sustained commitment to purpose-driven innovation and impact.
Media Contact:
Dayna Park
Communications Consultant
Strongest Families Institute
daynaepark@gmail.com | 902-266-3930