RIVER EAST TRANSCONA SCHOOL DIVISION AND THE LINK PARTNER TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS

WINNIPEG, MB — We are pleased to share that River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) has engaged in a partnership with The Link: Youth and Family Supports. Formerly known as Macdonald Youth Services, The Link is a First Nations, non-profit youth and family serving organization whose governance was repatriated to Brokenhead Ojibway Nation last year, and RETSD, the second largest division in Manitoba, with nearly 19,000 students, began this partnership at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.

The Link provides a continuum of mental health, crisis intervention, healing and family support services, grounded in culturally responsive, trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches. The Mobile Crisis Team (MCT), having undergone a community-driven program redesign, is building partnerships to embed supports within community. Recognizing RETSD’s shared commitment to student and family well-being, early intervention, and approaches to crisis response, both organizations have engaged in a first of its kind collaborative project to deliver in-school youth crisis supports through a dedicated divisional Mental Health Mobile Crisis School Liaison. This project will begin with direct support for all RETSD high schools (grades 9-12), and consultation and/or support for middle years schools (grades 6-8), as required. 

"Schools play a vital role in supporting student well-being. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that young people and their families have access to timely, compassionate support when they need it most." said RETSD’s Jón Olafson, Assistant Superintendent—Student Services. "By working together, we are strengthening the network of care around students and helping them navigate challenges with confidence and hope."

The Mental Health Mobile Crisis School Liaison will function as a dedicated bridge between schools, students, families, healthcare providers, crisis services, and community mental health systems. The core functions of the liaison position are: 1. crisis coordination, 2. continuity of care and follow-up, 3. family support and navigation, 4. school consultation and collaboration, and 5. prevention and early intervention.

“Young people do not experience their lives in separate systems, and our response to their mental wellness should reflect that,” said Victoria Fisher, Chief Executive Officer at The Link. “This is about building relationships, providing meaningful support, and operating as a community centered on the wellbeing of our children.”