Canada's First Treatment Centre for First Responders Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Injury

[mariomike]

March 03, 2022

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

Ontario Improving Access to Best-in-Class Mental Health Supports for First Responders​

New rehabilitation centre will provide specialized services in the Greater Toronto Area

Apparently, "the first of its kind in Canada/"

This centre is the first of its kind and will give our first responders the specialized, best-in-class treatment that they need and deserve.”

 

[Colin Parkinson]

My RCMP buddy just went on a 5 day course in Alberta for dealing with stress. I have to ask him how it went.

 

[mariomike]

They are pretty rare, apparently.

CTV reported, "There are two such centres in the U.S., but none in Canada."
Mental health centre to be built in Ontario for first responders

Police officers, firefighters and paramedics account for 38 per cent of all work-related mental stress injury claims in Ontario, according to WSIB data from 2016 to last year. Claims have been rising steadily, from 541 among first responders in 2016 to 1,149 claims in 2021, the board said.

 

[Jarnhamar]

The amount of trauma first responders are exposed to, daily in many cases, must be devastating.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The amount of trauma first responders are exposed to, daily in many cases, must be devastating.

All my friends who had to deal with hurt or deceased children carry it to this day, so glad I never had to.

 

[mariomike]

The amount of trauma first responders are exposed to, daily in many cases, must be devastating.

Which is why it is important applicants understand what they are getting into.

As our retired chief put it, "The onus is squarely on the colleges, so that not only are people going to be successful in the community college program, but within their first year of employment they're not going to fall into difficulties because of this whole issue of PTSD."

( Our Dept. only hired applicants who had successfully completed a two-year diploma program provided by a College of Applied Arts and Technology. )

 

[mariomike]

A little update from our Christmas pensioner luncheon, where a Chief always says a few words.

Legislation came in after we retired.

We were informed that paramedic injuries comprised 15% of all WSIB mental health stress claims in Ontario in 2021.

Even though they make up only 0.002% of workers covered by WSIB in Ontario.