The Prairie South School Division is welcoming both parents and the general public to a virtual mental health information session on Tuesday. 

“Understanding Mental Health Stages and What These Words Mean” will be presented by Kirsten Lawson Knoop and Candace Spanjer, Advocacy and Behaviour Support Consultants with the school division. 

The presentation will talk about healthy stress, when should you seek help and break down some of the stigmas behind mental health. 

“I think there's a misunderstanding about what actually mental health is,” Lawson Knoop said. 

“Generally, it's a term with a negative association, but we encourage people to think about it just like they do their physical health. So, we all have physical health and we all have mental health.” 

Especially during the pandemic, mental health has come to the forefront as people are finding themselves more and more isolated. 

“A lot of our typical coping mechanisms, so the activities that were involved in and the hobbies that we like doing, seeing friends and family that's all been affected, which has really had a negative impact on our mental health,” Lawson Knoop said. 

While the information is being presented by the school division, it is open to the general public as well. 

“The topic of mental health is important for everyone, so whoever would like to join, we would like to have you,” Spanjer said. 

A link to the zoom meeting can be found on the Prairie South School Division’s web page.