The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is launching a common access point for students to receive assistance and guidance with their mental health and well-being.

NL Guidance Services is available to all students throughout the province. Recognizing the need to provide confidential, individual counselling services for students, a dedicated team of school counsellors have volunteered to be available to provide an innovative approach to guidance support.

The District wants all students to know that help is still close by and they are not alone.

As of today (Tuesday, April 7), students have two avenues to access NL Guidance Services;

• Call the toll-free hotline at 1-833-772-0007;
• Visit bit.ly/NLGuidance and complete the secure School Counsellor Referral form.

Please note, this service is not intended to replace ongoing counselling services with school-based counsellors or outside service agencies, but rather complement them in these unprecedented times. Students with academic and scholarship inquiries should direct their questions to their school administrators or in-school counsellor.

Students who call the toll-free NL Guidance Services line can expect to reach a trained NLESD school counsellor who will take their information and make arrangements for a member of the team to connect with them by phone during school hours. Counsellors will also have the ability to make referrals to community agencies as necessary and appropriate. At its onset, the program will make every effort to ensure a Student Services team member is in contact with students on the same business day that their requests are received.

Further information, including details on the District’s Learn at Home initiative and COVID-19 Information for School Communities resources, can be found at the District website.

The District's official release is available at the link below.