(Supplied: The City of Red Deer)

By Troy Gillard

MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

Red Deer Emergency Services partners with Wounded Warriors Canada

May 1, 2019 | 7:00 AM

Red Deer Emergency Services is partnering with Wounded Warriors Canada to bring new and broader mental health support services to Red Deer’s first responders who provide emergency fire and paramedic services.

“Our staff are subject to unique stresses at work on a daily basis, and their mental health and well-being are a top priority for us,” said Ken McMullen, Chief/Manager, Red Deer Emergency Services.

“We are committed to ensuring our staff have the tools they need to build resilience and enhance their mental health as they serve our community. This new partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada will allow us to provide our staff with connections to additional programs that will help them deal with the day-to-day stresses of the job.”

Officials say the partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada will offer Red Deer Emergency Services staff greater access to programs. Group therapy, animal assisted therapy and respite care programs will provide support for post-trauma issues, while an enhanced Before Operational Stress (BOS) program will help staff protect themselves from operational stresses of their daily responsibilities on the job.

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“We are extremely proud to partner with Red Deer Emergency Services,” said Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada. “When a First Responder is struggling, it doesn’t matter where, when or how their injury occurred. What matters is that members and their families know that we are in this together – working to ensure they receive the mental health support they so rightly deserve.”

Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health charity whose mission is to honour and support Canada’s ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans, First Responders and their families. Through its mental health programs, the organization has created an innovative approach to mental health that uses clinical best practices and evidence informed care to create an environment of compassion, resiliency and hope for individual members and families affected by Operational Stress Injuries. Additional information about the programs they offer is available at www.woundedwarriors.ca.

(City of Red Deer)