Public safety personnel and post-traumatic stress injuries
CO-DEVELOPED BY:
FUNDING GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY:
Public safety personnel (PSP) work to ensure the safety and security of Canadians on a daily basis. Due to the nature of their work, they are exposed to potentially traumatic events regularly. This can impact their mental health and well-being and increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Through generous funding from the Medavie Health Foundation, the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families and Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) have partnered to co-design videos and fact sheets relevant to PSP, current and former military members and their Families. These resources aim to increase awareness about PTSIs, reduce stigma, and support the well-being and help-seeking behaviours of PSP and their Families. The development of these resources was guided by an advisory committee.
Public safety personnel
The definition of PSP is evolving. All first responders can also be referred to as PSP; it is a broad term meant to include all personnel who ensure the safety and security of Canadians.
PSP include but are not limited to: border services officers, public safety communicators, correctional workers, firefighters (career and volunteer), Indigenous emergency managers, operational intelligence personnel, paramedics, police (municipal, provincial, federal), and search and rescue personnel.
– Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment, 2022
Testimonial videos
These videos highlight experiences of PTSIs among PSP and their Families.
Accessibility features: Closed captioning is available for these videos. To enable this feature, select CC in the bottom-right of the video player.
Playlist
Educational videos
These short animated videos explore topics related to PTSI and recovery, including what are PTSIs, coping strategies, peer support, and the impacts on Families. We have also developed corresponding written resources for each of the animated videos, offering additional information.
Accessibility features: Closed captioning is available for these videos. To enable this feature, select CC in the bottom-right of the video player.
Written resources
Want to learn more about PTSIs? Check out our written resources on PSP and PTSIs:
What are post-traumatic stress injuries?
Coping with post-traumatic stress injuries
Peer support and post-traumatic stress injuries
For Families: Supporting yourself when your loved one is struggling with a post-traumatic stress injury
External resources
Here is a helpful list of resources for PSP and their Families:
- Canadian Institute for Public Safety Personnel Treatment and Research: CIPSRT serves as a Knowledge Exchange Hub, sharing the best contemporary research evidence supporting an overall mission to help current and former PSP, their leaders and their Families to maintain and improve their mental health and well-being.
- Badge of Life Canada: Badge of Life Canada empowers Canadian PSP and their Families in dealing with operational stress injuries (OSI) (including post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation), toward achieving healthy living and post-traumatic growth. Its website helps connect PSP with therapists, crisis resources, self-care coping tools and links to podcasts and education for Family members.
- BC First Responders Mental Health: Provides information on mental health for first responders in British Columbia, including self-assessment, self-care and training.
- First Responders First – PTSD Toolkit: Offers resources and services for the first responder community. The toolkit provides resources on self-assessment and steps to create an action plan for PTSD, including prevention, intervention and recovery, and return to work.
- Tema Foundation: The Tema Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on mental health and wellness for frontline workers, first responders, health care professionals, PSP, and the important people in their lives.
- Badge of Life Canada: Badge of Life Canada empowers Canadian PSP and their Families in dealing with OSI (including post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation), toward achieving healthy living and post-traumatic growth. Its website helps connect PSP with therapists, crisis resources, self-care coping tools and links to podcasts and education for family members.
- PSPNET: PSPNET is a clinical research unit that delivers and conducts research on Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) for PSP. As part of its research, PSPNET offers free ICBT for PSP in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. PSPNet also provides a self-guided PSP well-being course that is available for PSP across Canada.
- PSP Mental Health: Includes a database of all mental health support programs and services available to PSP across Canada, including peer support.
- Wounded Warriors Canada: A national mental health service provider that provides a range of clinically facilitated programs specifically developed to support the unique needs of Veterans, first responders and their Families.
- Badge of Life Canada: Badge of Life Canada empowers PSP and their Families in dealing with OSI (including post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation), toward achieving healthy living and post-traumatic growth. Its website includes information on PTSI for Families, as well as links to other resources for Family members.
- BC First Responders Mental Health — Supporting mental health in first responders: A guide for families: Provides information to help Families of first responders understand what mental health is, how to identify the early signs and symptoms of those who are struggling with their mental health, and how to access resources to support their loved ones.
- Canadian Critical Incident Stress Foundation – Family support: Includes tips and resources to help PSP Family members support their loved ones in their PTSI journey.
- PSP Mental Health: A database of mental health support programs and services available to PSP across Canada, including those that offer support for PSP Family members.
- PSPNET Families Wellbeing Hub: Includes mental health promotion resources and supports for PSP Family Members.
- Wounded Warriors Canada
- Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday (COPE): Couples-based trauma program for Veterans and first responders affected by operational stress injury (OSI).
- Spousal Resiliency Program: This program brings together spouses for four days to receive clinically facilitated group-based trauma support that draws on leading trauma research.
- Online modules
- The Mind’s the Matter — Understanding a family member’s operational stress injury: From Military Family Services and the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, this online tool provides OSI education for Family members and friends of people living with OSI as well as self-care tools to support them in their caregiver role.
- Operational stress injury resource for caregivers: From Military Family Services and the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, this online tool provides OSI education for Family members and friends of people living with OSI as well as self-care tools to support them in their caregiver role.
- PSP Mental Health: A database of mental health support programs and services available to PSP across Canada, including peer support.
Advisory committee
This project was guided by an advisory committee comprised of current and former PSP from various professions, as well as Family members and mental health professionals who support PSP. Resources were co-created with the advisory committee, which provided feedback and guidance on content and creative direction.
We are grateful to the members of the committee for sharing their time, expertise and experiences with us, and for their service and dedication to protecting the health and safety of Canadians.
- Michelle Beaubien, instructional designer, E-Comm 9-1-1
- Lindsay Kellosalmi
- Ian J. MacLeod
- Jag Soin, Sergeant, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Danna Twerdoski, 9-1-1 dispatcher
- Giselle Valaire, parole officer
Note: The names listed include only the individuals who have provided explicit consent to be included on the website. The list is not comprehensive or inclusive of all members.
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