Watch above: Police officers know how to handle the calls they are sent to but what about the after effects? Meaghan Craig looks at what is in place to deal with stress and how a Calgary program may enhance it.
SASKATOON – Police officers are trained extensively in defensive tactics, firearms, safety and protection and communication .
The Saskatoon Police Service also recognizes how important it is for its members to recognize symptoms of stress and to seek help when needed, which is why it’s looking to adopt a program used by the Canadian Armed Forces.
“People have a cup and when that cup tips over you don’t know, everyone has a different sized cup and you can take so much – your body, your mind, your home life, your work life can only take so much and we want to help vent that and help you have some control back to help deal with those situations,” said Saskatoon police Sgt. Susan Deibert.
According to Deibert officers will see, touch, smell or hear things they can’t prepare for while on the job. To help these officers cope the force has a program called Critical Incident Stress Management or CISM, a structured response used after officers experience a traumatic event.
In the last seven years, more than a hundred officers have accessed the CISM program.
“It hopes to create a safe environment in which to talk about it and learn about some of the effects of stress. We want to offset that progression to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by venting as it were and addressing those stressful issues, those traumas as we experience them as they come along.”
While the force can go months without a significant incident, there are several types of highly stressful, highly emotional incidents where the program is required. Incidents that can be particularly troublesome for officers involve children or are motor vehicle collisions.
“These incidents we read about, we hear from other co-workers but you never know how you’re going to respond until it happens to you.”
Over the last year, the Calgary Police Service has adopted a new mental health program known as the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR), a program developed by the Department of National Defence.
It is the first Canadian police service to adopt it and 300 members have taken part in it since last December.
Up until this point, R2MR training has been used by Canadian Armed Forces personnel to prepare mentally for challenges they may encounter. Helping soldiers recover quickly, resist and possibly thrive according to Canadian Armed Forces in the face of direct/indirect traumatic events.
“What Calgary did is they took it and tweaked it for what they needed, again for a lawful enforcement application in a municipal setting and they’ve had great success with it and we’re definitely looking into it.”
Saskatoon police will review the program designed to improve short term performance and long-term mental health outcomes and if approved say it will work in conjunction with the program already in place.
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