Free Counselling for Teachers
REACH provides free counselling for teachers, delivered by counsellors who understand education. Flexible on-site, off-site and virtual sessions available in Kelowna, BC. We are seeking partners and donors to stand with us in this mission, beginning with a pilot in School District 23 (Central Okanagan) and expanding across Canada.
1. Identify the Problem
Canadian teachers are experiencing a mental health crisis at alarming rates. High stress, heavy workloads, and growing student needs have left educators burned out, exhausted, and in many cases considering leaving the profession.
Data from national and provincial surveys confirm this crisis is intensifying, particularly in B.C. and Alberta, where local schools are already feeling the strain of shortages and teacher attrition.
70%
Workload is
UNMANAGEABLE
57%
Symptoms of
BURNOUT
90%
Student Needs are
HIGHEST EVER
42%
Considered
LEAVING
50%
Mental Health is
DETERIORATING
THE GAP
While existing solutions like Employee Assistance Programs and extended health benefits provide some support, they are not meeting the urgent and ongoing needs of educators. Low utilization, capped coverage, and delays in accessing meaningful care leave a widening gap. Unless this gap is filled quickly with specialized, accessible, and sustained counselling, the teacher mental health crisis will only deepen
Employee Assistance Programs
(EAPs)
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are underused: only 10–16% of employees access them annually. Average counselling lasts 3–6 sessions, far below what teachers need.
Extended Health
Benefits Cap
Extended health benefits often cap coverage, forcing teachers to pay out-of-pocket once maximums are reached. 61.5% of Canadian employees have partial coverage
Takes Too Long
To Receive Care
Most counsellors do not understand the unique world of teaching, leaving teachers to “educate” their therapists before receiving help. Reports show this takes an average of 4-5 sessions.
2. Partner with Professionals
We have partnered with organizations to provide consistent, accessible, no-cap, no-cost confidential counselling and support services delivered by clinicians who understand the education sector.
In order to help remove cost and access barriers to receiving mental-health care, reduce burnout, strengthen retention, growth community engagement and influence policy for long-term sustainability
Goals for Central Okanagan
Over the next five years, REACH will scale its counselling initiative from a pilot in two schools to a district-wide program serving all 47 schools in SD23.
2,000
Actively support 2,000 Teachers & Staff
in SD23 in 5 years
47
Support all 47
schools in SD23
45%
Reach 45% SD23 staff adoption
within 5 years.
3. Launch the Solution
We launch in phases to grow responsibly and deliver immediate value. Year 1 pilots in two SD23 schools with a simple online-booking portal, on-site/virtual options, and lived-experience counsellors supporting 36 teachers and staff. We onboard principals, set referral pathways, and keep wait times low while validating workflows, privacy, and reporting.
By Year 3, we expand to 15 schools serving ~420 educators with extended hours around school schedules and a larger counsellor bench. By Year 5, the program reaches full district coverage of 2,000 teachers and staff across all 47 schools, maintaining no-cost access, the ability to choose a counsellor, and transparent outcomes reporting to ensure equitable, sustainable care.
Launch Timeline
2026
Support 36 teachers across 2 schools.
2027
Expand to 180 teachers in 5 schools.
2028
Scale to 420 teachers across 15 schools.
2029
Reach 1,200 teachers and staff across all 30 schools in SD23.
2030
Reach 2,000 teachers and staff across all 47 schools in SD23.
4. Feedback & Accountability
We run a continuous feedback-and-accountability cycle that starts with SD23 partnerships that include teacher-focused awareness campaigns, PD Day sessions, and school-specific outreach with principals. Then we remove barriers with simple online booking, extended school-hour availability, and on-site, off-site, or virtual sessions where teachers can choose a counsellor they trust.
We monitor consistency (encouraging 2–3 sessions per month), collect anonymous feedback, adapt services, and publish results, ensuring transparency, measurable impact, and sustained program quality.
REACH for Success
Marketing & Awareness
Solution Access & Flexibility
Monitor for Consistency
Audit & Accountability
2025/2026 Featured Initiative:
FREE COUNSELLING SERVICES FOR TEACHERS
Providing teachers free, lived-experience counselling delivered by counsellors who have also been teachers, reducing burnout and strengthening retention. (Starting in Kelowna, BC)
