NEWS RELEASE
ALGOMA DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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The Algoma District School Board (ADSB) introduced Daryl Fillmore and Will Nelles at the Board meeting on Tuesday, September 29 and provided an overview of their respective positions.
Darryl Fillmore is Algoma District School Board’s new Mental Health Lead.
He is an MSW social worker registered with the College of Social Workers and the Ontario Association of Social Workers.
He brings over 20 years of experience in the mental health field to the position, the past 15 as Manager Intensive Treatment Services at Algoma Family Services.
Darryl also co-chairs the Advisory Committee to the Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
Darryl is one of 75 provincial Mental Health Leads working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education on the “Open Minds, Healthy Minds Ontario Health and Addictions Strategy.”
This strategy endeavours to:
- Add support to mental health and addictions within the board;
- Strengthen services for children and youth;
- Build awareness and capacity within the education system to support students and families;
- Focus on leadership and educator capacity-building.
Darryl will continue the work of recently retired Dona Menard-Calder as liaison for provincial mental health initiatives, collaborating and planning with community partners and other Mental Health Leads to share and provide input into the development and implementation of provincial resources.
On a more local level, Darryl will help coordinate the delivery of mental health awareness and literacy programming as well as clinical consultations and support for a range of board staff and stakeholders.
Will Nelles is the new Safe Schools and Community Partnership Support Lead for ADSB.
The first three years of Will’s career were spent as a Grade 7/8 teacher in Central Algoma.
He then spent two and a half years teaching in a Care and Treatment program at Arthur Henderson PS in Bruce Mines.
In December of 2008 Will began working at the Education Centre as a Special Assignment Behaviour teacher.
He continued in this role until 2013 when his role changed to a Special Education Assignment Teacher.
Since 2008 Will has worked closely with our schools and community partners supporting students in need.
Will feels that working closely with Rico Iacoe (former Student Support Lead for the board) for the past 7 years has helped prepare him for his new role.
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