With its beginnings in 2016, the St. Thomas Police Service has been working towards healthy mental well being for all members of the force. A program initially developed by the Department of National Defence called Road to Mental Readiness, was introduced to employees to teach them how to manage stress and their reaction to it.
The implementation of the program follows increasing incidents of officer suicide across the country. By 2017, all officers were trained in Mental First Aid and in 2018 the support expanded to the families of the First Responders, in a special Peer to Peer support night event.
Police Chief Chris Herridge says “We will continue to endorse initiatives put forward by our Peer to Peer Support Team and I encourage all staff to do the same”.
The Police Service is continuing to keep mental health and well being top of mind for all staff members in an effort to reduce the stigma attached to mental health issues and work hard to not only normalize treatment but more importantly support early intervention and prevention.
