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Conference Program

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Reception at the Westin

Wednesday, November 20
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

8:30 AM - 8:35 AM

Welcome

Thursday, November 21
8:30 AM - 8:35 AM

J'lyn Nye    

8:35 AM - 8:40 AM

Opening remarks

Thursday, November 21
8:35 AM - 8:45 AM

 

Plenary Speakers

Alison Cocking Scott Maxwell

8:40 AM - 9:00 AM

Greetings from the Government of Alberta

Thursday, November 21
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Mike Ellis Dan Williams

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Mental Healthcare for PSP in Alberta and Beyond

Thursday, November 21
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Plenary Speakers

Dr. Nadia Aleem Dr. Lawrence Deck Dr. Megan McElheran

This plenary will explore the current landscape in community mental health care for PSP in Alberta and beyond. Furthermore, programming in other provinces will be highlighted including Workers Compensation, cultural competency and community of practice and the ECHO program.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Keynote Address

Thursday, November 21
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Richard Ireland
Mayor of Jasper
   

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Refreshment Break

Thursday, November 21
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Morning Workshop #1
Building Resiliency on the Frontline: Lessons Learned from the Before Operational Stress program

Thursday, November 21
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Dr. Megan McElheran R.Psych
Clinical Psychologist & CEO
Wayfound Mental Health Group
   

The Before Operational Stress (BOS) program was originally conceptualized to fill a gap in upstream programming for public safety personnel (PSP) and other trauma-exposed professionals.  Since 2018, the BOS program has been deployed to over 75,000 frontline workers in North America, with independent evaluation of the program conducted by the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT).  This workshop intends to educate on the lessons learned to date about how to enhance resiliency in PSP and trauma-exposed professionals based on what we have learned in deploying the BOS training.  The workshop will begin with an overview of the construct of resiliency, and how it is considered in the BOS program.  Issues related to organizational culture will be highlighted.  The workshop will then incorporate direct feedback received from participants of the program that will be connected to specific takeaways for individuals and organizations to consider as attempts to safeguard the mental wellness of frontline workers continues.

Morning Workshop #2
The Edmonton Police Service Critical Incident Reintegration Program – A Healthier Return to Work

Thursday, November 21
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Tim Moeller, Sargeant
Edmonton Police Service
Dave Klein, Constable
Edmonton Police Service

The Edmonton Police Service Reintegration Program is a streamlined, member-driven, peer-facilitated program for sworn or civilian members dealing with the stress of a critical incident or returning from a long-term absence. The Reintegration Program is individualized to meet each member’s unique needs and has two variations. The primary goal of the “short-term” program is to assist members in returning to work shortly after a critical incident while diminishing the potential for long-term psychological injury, while preparing them to return to work feeling comfortable and confident. The primary goal of the “long-term” program is to assist members who have been off work for an extended period of time and is designed to support these members in returning to the normalcy of work by providing supports and training that are outside the scope of what they have received from their health care provider, regardless of the reason for the absence. This session will discuss the structure of the program and lessons learned.

Morning Workshop #3
The Warrior Kids Program! Fostering Community and Nurturing Peer Connections to Cultivate Resilience in Young Individuals with First Responder and Veteran Parents affected by Operational Stress Injuries

Thursday, November 21
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Dr. Helena Hawryluk PhD. RSW
Warrior Kids Program Co-Creator & Director
Wounded Warriors Canada
Jerris Popik MSW, RSW
Warrior Kids Program Co-Creator & Director
Wounded Warriors Canada

This presentation will shed light on the National Warrior Kids Program at Wounded Warriors Canada. Dr. Helena Hawryluk and Ms. Jerris Popik initiated this unique program to not only support children affected by a parent living with an Operational Stress Injury (OSI), but also to change the way young individuals participate in mental health programs. They will illustrate how the program places young people at the forefront of discussions on how they can develop resilience while navigating the distinctive and complex world of first responder lifestyle. Providing young individuals with the opportunity to form connections with others who are going through similar experiences has been crucial in ensuring that trauma-exposed professionals and their families are thriving as a collective community, with their children by their side. Whether youth from across Canada are participating in the life-changing camp weekend or engaging in the virtual, secure environment of the six-week online program, Dr. Hawryluk and Mrs. Popik will outline how the program addresses the impact of a parent's OSI on their children's lives and ways to generate new knowledge on mental health and cultivate customized coping strategies. Prepare to have fun, as this presentation will emphasize the significance the use of play-based strategies to normalize mental health access for young people.

Morning Workshop #4
Substance Use and Mental Health in Public Safety Personnel

Thursday, November 21
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Dr. J. P. (John) Streukens, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Clinical Psychologist
Emergency Medical Services, Alberta Health Services
   

Public Safety Personnel are placed in unique work environments in comparison to the general population. As such, they also experience mental health issues in unique ways and with unique impacts. This talk will look at substance use and common co-occurrent mental health issues that can be present within Public Safety Personnel including information on identification, prevention, and treatment.

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch

Thursday, November 21
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM

Supporting the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel: Contemporary research updates and next steps

Thursday, November 21
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM

Plenary Speaker

Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton Ph.D., R.D. Psych
University of Regina
   

First responders and other public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services agents, communications personnel (e.g., call center operators/dispatchers, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police) frequently face diverse stressors that substantially distinguish them from the general population and military. The stressors have been associated with numerous complex mental health challenges. The unique needs of PSP, their leaders, and their families require tailored, evidence-based solutions to support their mental health. The available evidence for such solutions has been relatively scant until recently. Several targeted federal and provincial investments have helped to catalyze national efforts through several large-scale applied research initiatives including the RCMP Study (www.rcmpstudy.ca), PSPNET for PSP and their families (www.pspnet.ca), and the Before Operational Stress program (www.wayfound.ca/mental-health-training). The presentation will start with a brief background describing recent and current challenges, followed by contemporary research updates that can help inform the efforts of diverse stakeholders with respect to assessments, treatments, training, and mitigation strategies. The presentation will discuss important opportunities for next steps and provide exciting announcements about up-and-coming initiatives. The presentation will conclude with a question and answer period, as well as offering opportunities for future connections and pending events.

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Keynote Address

Thursday, November 21
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Lieutenant-General (ret) The Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire
O.C., C.M.M., G.O.Q., M.S.C., C.D., L.O.M. (U.S.), B.ésS., LL.D. (Hon.), D.Sc.Mil (Hon.), D.U.
   

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Refreshment Break

Thursday, November 21
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Afternoon Workshop #1
Because They Deserve It: Addressing the Need for Evidence-informed Psychoeducation and Support for First Responder Families

Thursday, November 21
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Dr. Kelly Schwartz PhD
RPsych, Associate Professor, Registered Psychologist
University of Calgary
   

First responders (FR) provide essential safety, rescue, and mobile health services to our communities. Consequently, this critical work places them at increased risk for operational stress (OS), posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI), and trauma-and-stress related disorders (Carleton et al., 2018). More troubling, the consequences of OS extend beyond the individual FR; most notably, children and spouses may be negatively affected by the OS and/or PTSI’s of the FR, while also being expected to act as their FR’s primary support. Given that spouses often carry the brunt of the responsibility for supporting the FR member and the family (Casas & Benuto, 2021), the extant literature notes that spouses also experience problems with their own mental health (e.g., Landers et al., 2020) and are deserving of services for their own needs (Galovski & Lyons, 2004).

In response to the demonstrated need, the Family First Responder project is 4-year study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to design, deliver, and evaluate the effectives of a psychoeducation and support program – called Re: Building Families (RBF) – to spouses/partners of police, fire, and paramedic members. This session will provide highlights of the RBF program and the results of pilot testing in four Canadian provinces using both a facilitated, virtual and a self-directed format. Results will be presented on the measured change in mental health, relationships, and resilience using pre, post, and three-month follow-up data from both spouses/partners and FR’s. Discussion will focus on the ethical and professional necessity of making evidence-informed psychoeducation and support programs available and accessible to FR families.

Afternoon Workshop #2
Self-Care Essentials for Health Care Professionals Supporting Trauma-Exposed Professionals (TExP)

Thursday, November 21
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Dr. Tim Black PhD, R. Psych.
National Clinical Director
Wounded Warriors Canada
   

In this session, we will look into the critical importance of self-care for health care providers who work closely with trauma-exposed first responders. Explore practical strategies to foster personal well-being, maintain resilience, and strike a healthy balance while supporting those on the front lines. Gain valuable insights and essential self-care practices to navigate the unique challenges of supporting our valued first responders while prioritizing your own well-being.

Afternoon Workshop #3
Correctional culture in Canada: Exploring consistencies and complexities across 14 correctional service systems

Thursday, November 21
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, PhD
Professor and Research Chair: Safety, Security, and Wellness
Memorial University of Newfoundland
   

Reflecting on findings from two major research projects – the Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well-being Study (MHWS) and the Canadian Correctional Workers’ Well-being, Organizations, Roles, and Knowledge Study (CCWORK) – I explore the state of safety, security, and wellness in correctional culture and climate in Canada with recognition of how all that constitutes trauma informs both culture and climate. I address how linchpin factors (e.g., outcomes from short staffing, retention and recruitment challenges, resources, investigations, gossip) found across federal, provincial, and/or territorial correctional organizations shape health and cultural outcomes for people working in correctional services. The MHWS – one dataset – includes a survey of anyone working in any role in each provincial and territorial correctional service, thus 13 surveys that shared questions. I then reflect on a second dataset, CCWORK, where we study correctional officers longitudinally, tracking their experiences with changing health as informed by the work, policies, and their environment. From these two datasets, I talk about correctional worker mental health, well-being, and organizational considerations that are shared to some degree across all correctional services in Canada. These two projects, I argue, can build on international understandings of correctional culture and climate by applying a trauma informed lens while also considering the symbiotic relationship between prison culture, climate, wellness, and mental health disorder prevalence among staff. I end by proposing areas of focus for correctional organizations (e.g., supportive environments, less gossip, more teamwork/teamliness) to cultivate a positive correctional culture and climate and potentially reduce compromised health and other related issues.

Afternoon Workshop #4
The Wellness Journey of a Calgary Police Member

Thursday, November 21
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

       

The Calgary Police Service offers a range of psychological health and safety supports. This workshop will bring focus to how the spectrum fits together — from Early Intervention, Peer Support, Peer Support Nursing, Psychological Services (in house and or external), Reintegration and Return to Work, combined with career long maintenance and regular health checks.

4:15 PM - 4:50 PM

Forging the Way Ahead

Thursday, November 21
4:15 PM - 4:50 PM

Curtis Hoople
President
Edmonton Police Service
Codey McIntyre
President
Alberta Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association
Michael Parker
President
HSAA

4:50 PM - 5:00 PM

Closing Remarks

Thursday, November 21
4:50 PM - 5:00 PM