The pressures and stresses first responders often find themselves under, and the effects it can have on their mental wellbeing, can be overlooked in the aftermath of emergency situations. Towards the end of his career with the Peel Regional Police, an organization that supports both Brampton and Mississauga, Ontario, thirty-year veteran Dave McLennan decided to do something to help first responders deal with these pressures.
“Looking back now, I know that these were people who were suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other issues that they didn’t get help for,” McLennan told the CBC. “Back in the day, it was a ‘suck it up’ mentality. You dealt with things and you didn’t express how you were feeling. You just kept on going.” With increased recognition of the challenges of mental illness, McLennan worked to found Boots on the Ground, a recently launched free peer-to-peer support network for first responders, in one-on-one phone sessions, available 24 hours a day.
While organizations are improving their peer support, McLennan feels there’s a need for Boots on the Ground, which is unaffiliated with any first responder employer or union. “There are organizations out there that have very good peer support programs, I’m not knocking what’s out there. But there’s a certain percentage of the population where they won’t go to an employee-based assistance program for fears of stigma,” says McLennan.
Boots on the Ground is currently staffed by about 70 volunteers, including a clinical psychologist specializing in helping first responders. Currently supporting the Greater Toronto Area, the organization hopes to expand to other parts of the province.
Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/boots-on-the-ground-ptsd-first-responders-1.4927274
