Expert Advisory Committee

As substance use among youth becomes increasingly complex and its impacts more deeply felt in school communities across Canada, Wellstream, the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA), and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) came together to take action. This collaboration was formed in partnership with, and under the management of, CSA Group.

The result is a pan-Canadian Standard: School-Based Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Intervention – A Multi-Tiered and Developmental Approach for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools. This Standard offers a comprehensive framework to help schools prevent, identify, and respond to substance use in ways that are evidence-informed, age-appropriate, and grounded in equity.

Central to the development of this Standard was a multidisciplinary committee of subject matter experts. This diverse group brought together professionals from education, public health, mental health, and substance use fields, along with youth, to ensure the Standard reflects current scientific evidence and the realities and needs of Canadian school communities.