First responders finding help for mental injuries
The numbers tell the story: While first responders make up less than one per cent of B.C.’s workforce, according to 2016 census data, they accounted for 10 per cent of accepted mental-disorder claims at WorkSafeBC in 2016 and 2017.
Those who work on the front lines of public safety experience potentially traumatic events that are unique to their occupations. Research has long shown that these workers are at higher risk of mental health injuries and that the stigma surrounding mental health in their workplaces can be a serious obstacle to getting help.
That’s why, in 2015, the multi-agency B.C. First Responders’ Mental Health Committee was formed, and its mission was quickly defined: to actively promote positive mental health and provide the leadership and recommended practices that first responders, their communities and their leaders need. Chaired by WorkSafeBC, its members were recruited from fire, law enforcement, ambulance services, and dispatch — representing workers and employers from paid, volunteer, rural, urban and First Nations Emergency Services.
The committee kicked off its inaugural B.C. First Responders’ Mental Health Conference on Thursday, welcoming 350 participants from around B.C. to have a two-day conversation about the mental-health challenges first responders face and how to make meaningful organizational changes.
Over the course of two days, 34 speakers and panelists will share their knowledge and experiences on topics ranging from peer support to return-to-work strategies to the latest research in the field.
Among the featured speakers is retired fire chief Bobby Halton, who will address the stigma first responders face in a traditionally stoic work culture. Halton’s goal is to dismantle that stigma through leadership that encourages the expression of vulnerability from the top down.
Stephanie Conn, a psychologist and former police officer, specializing in first-responder stress and trauma, will talk about concrete, practical ways to help build resilience. She will discuss the factors that influence a person’s ability to recover from exposure to trauma and offer tips on how to strengthen the cognitive, social, physical and spiritual factors they can influence.
Conn’s participation also highlights the importance of matching first responders with occupationally aware mental-health professionals. It’s critical to educate therapists to better understand occupational-stress injuries, the working environment and the unique ways mental-health challenges may manifest themselves.
The conference is the natural culmination of the committee’s work to date, following two initiatives with similar goals in mind: the “Share It. Don’t Wear It” awareness campaign — which features the words of first responders describing the mental challenges they face and encourages speaking up — and the launch of a website.
The campaign came out of a fourmonth research initiative that surveyed first responders to better understand their attitudes toward mental health and the behaviours that encourage people to seek or offer help — or that deter them. Respondents spoke powerfully about the need for a cultural change — a shift that must happen at the leadership level. They asked for a single source of information and resources, so a website was created: bcfirstrespondersmentalhealth.com.
The site serves two groups: those who are looking for help, and those who are looking to help. First responders will find resources for self-assessment, self-care, training, downloadable posters and crisis contact numbers. Organizational leaders, colleagues and family and friends will find tool kits that include lists of signs and symptoms to look for, support guides and recommended practices that can help transform workplace culture.
Ultimately, we hope the website is more than a repository, that it will spark larger conversations about mental health and become a dynamic hub for the first-responder community. Conference learnings will be posted there in the coming months, and the committee will continually update its content and evaluate its effectiveness. We invite you to join the conversation.