Self-assessment tool for first responders
A 2017 study surveyed 6,000 first responders and found that 45% screened positive for occupational stress injury. This rate is four times higher than the general population.
The Canadian Institute for Public Safety Resesarch and Treatment has recently developed a self-assessment test for first responders like EMS, police, fire fighters and dispatchers.
Thanks for providing these screening tools.
One of my interests is in providing early interventions to those at risk when signs of burnout or OSI show up during screening.
Together with a yoga teacher, we've been developing and offering treatment groups that draw on trauma-informed care, trauma-informed yoga and sensorimotor psychotherapy - teaching experientially how we can track our nervous systems, pick up early signs of dysregulation in the body and utilize somatic, bottom-up resourcing and skills to release trauma and stress imprints and to lower risk of progression to more serious illness, addiction, isolation or needless suffering.
As a former ER physician, these are tools that I wished were offered to me.
Based on my experience so far, I believe that these kind of groups could have a significant impact on reducing risk and increasing (dare I use this abused and over-utilized term) resilience.
For now we've been offering this locally, only at a single clinic. I'm thinking it might be something to make more available for First Responders. What do you think? It seems important to be able to offer substantial interventions (and realistic and tangible hope) to those starting to become overwhelmed by their challenging and life-altering work.
[@mention:364558025057132348] Seems interesting! Perhaps you could get in touch with first responders to see if this is something they would be open to.
Thanks Simon. I've been thinking about this, on and off. My local Starbucks is near a paramedic station, so there are often First Responders around when I am enjoying my morning coffee and preparing for groups or talks. I've worked with First Responders one on one (and realized that many wait a long time to seek treatment, or don't have faith in the programs available to them) and that's led me to believe there's a role for prevention and early intervention. It's a vast undertaking to implement change in a unique and proud culture, so that leaves me hesitant at this point. But we'll see, this is all still gestating.
Health Literacy is so important regarding the issues surrounding mental health and addictions. Perhaps an avenue is the training these wonderful people that help to protect us receive? I know there has been a snails pace movement towards this but more should be done. Continuing to breaking the stigma and bringing awareness to resources would be the most important strategies going forward. You are very right to say that it is a unique culture and unfortunately it can be a toxic environment (inability to disclose, its just the way it is mindset) . The government needs to do more to support them (in classrooms as they learn, the first 5 years out as they transition to a difficult career, awareness to the public of the difficult job they do and ongoing support such as mentors). There needs to be a culture shift. The system is dysfunctional. It leaves individuals to suffer alone and isolated, this funnels down to families (children and partners) who then need to reach out for ways to cope, and the cycle continues...
I loved the screening tools and passed them along to a first responder that I know. Thank you for sharing!
I wonder if there are ways to bring the right people together to make this happen. As a former emergency physician working in both urban and community hospitals, I do get the impulse we have to do this on our own. The creation of a culture shift for our First Responders will only happen with a collective effort and adequate resources. For their sake (and ours as well, since they do serve, don't they?) I hope this happens soon.
In the meantime, psychiatry programs and medical school curricula could really do a better job of training all doctors to be more knowledgeable about the needs of First Responders and the military and to be more trauma aware and trauma-informed. A topic for another day ...
This program might help you understand how to make this happen! You unfortunately just missed the summer deadline, but there will be a winter program: https://www.mentalhealthcommis...rk-training-workshop
Thanks so much Simon,
It sounds like a great initiative. It isn't really appropriate to where I'm at now with things, but I know it will benefit others with promising ideas.
Harry
I feel public health (my area), school boards (also my area) would benefit from the training workshop you have shared Simon.
School Mental Health Ontario https://smh-assist.ca/ is the provincial body responsible for providing best practice/evidence based resources for school boards. I am going to pass this along to them and make a suggestion about promoting these workshops.
Wonderful opportunities through these forums to "get the juices flowing" and bring wonderful information to one place to come up with new strategies. We are not a province short of programs and resources...but we are short on how to implement them effectively! This training would be amazing at a high level to see what could be done.