Peel Regional Police

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) PREVENTION PLAN

Prepared by the Occupational Health & Safety Unit – Human Resources

For submission to the Ministry of Labour - April, 2017 Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...... 3 Introduction ...... 5 Legal Requirements ...... 6 Organizational PTSD Policies/Directives ...... 6 Hazard Reporting ...... 8 Incident Reporting ...... 8 Prevention & Intervention Programs ...... 9 • Critical Incident Stress Debrief Program ...... 9 • Peer Support Program ...... 10 • Chaplaincy Program ...... 10 • Early Intervention System Program ...... 10 • Employee & Family Assistance Program (E.F.A.P.) ...... 12 Mental Health Education and Training Programs ...... 13 • Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) ...... 13 • International Police Resiliency and Efficiency Program (IPREP) ...... 14 Planned Initiatives and Programs under Development ...... 18 • National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace ...... 18 • Policy Review and Development ...... 19 • Expansion of the Psychological “Safe-Guarding” Program ...... 20 • Expedited Referral Process for Psychological Health Issues ...... 21 • De-stigmatization of Mental Health - Communication Strategy ...... 21 • Road To Mental Readiness (R2MR) Follow Up Program ...... 22 • Certificate Program: Leading a Mentally Healthy Workplace ...... 22 Conclusion ...... 23

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Executive Summary

As the Province’s third largest municipal policing service, Peel Regional Police (P.R.P.) is comprised of over 2,900 sworn and civilian members, with policing jurisdiction responsibilities for the communities spanning the cities of Brampton and Mississauga as well as the Pearson International Airport.

As a Schedule II employer, the Service is acutely aware of both the economic consequences of lost productivity attributable to absence occasioned by first responders afflicted by mental illness, as well as the direct emotional consequences that exposure to psychological injury, including post-traumatic stress disorder, can have upon its members, their families, and their co-workers.

Recognizing the critical role that policies, preventive measures through education and training, intervention and support measures all play in establishing and maintaining a psychologically safe and healthy workplace, Peel Regional Police was an early leader in taking active steps to address the mental health needs of its members. From the establishment of the organization’s Peer Support Team over 20 years ago, to the establishing of a dedicated Organizational Wellness Bureau in 2007, to the adoption of the Service’s Integrated Health & Wellness Strategy in 2015, Peel Regional Police has implemented a series of initiatives and programs specific to the mental health needs of its workforce.

The PTSD Prevention Plan for Peel Regional Police sets out in detail the organizations’ current policies and programs related to mental health in the workplace. Further, it sets out those planned initiatives to be carried out over the course of the term of the Service’s recently approved 2017-2019 Strategic Plan. With the approval of the Strategic Plan, a framework has been established to guide the Service’s efforts to support the Plan’s strategic objective to “Promote the well-being and safety of all employees”. A key performance indicator that will be used to assess the organization’s success in attaining this objective and demonstrates the organization’s continuing commitment to psychological health and safety is through the “development and promotion of initiatives that support physiological and psychological health and wellness”.

Consistent with the objectives and measures established within the Strategic Plan, and recognizing the important role that policies, education, training, and early treatment all play in mitigating the risk and impact of PTSD on first responders, a series of both broad initiatives and focused programs are planned for roll-out over the course of the 3 year Strategic Plan. These initiatives and programs will supplement and reinforce existing efforts and programs at Peel Regional Police to ensure a psychologically healthy and safe workplace for its employees, and in so doing, reinforce the organization’s efforts to further reduce the likelihood of environmental and organizational stressors on employees resulting in psychological injury, including incidents of diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

The Service’s PTSD Prevention Plan outlines the following planned initiatives:

• Implementation of the National Standard for Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace; • Comprehensive review of its policies to incorporate specific reference to mental health, and development of a new Anti-Stigma policy supported by a revised communication strategy; • Amending the existing Occupational Health and Safety Policy to specifically address PTSD Prevention and/or psychological health and safety; • A review and evaluation of incident reporting processes and related procedures, and implementation of an out-sourced, expedited referral process to qualified practitioners in mental health assessment to ensure that members receive timely care, follow-up and support; • Expansion of the Psychological Safeguarding Program to provide for an additional 600 members to augment its existing PTSD prevention measures by providing for the regularly scheduled psychological assessment of those members deployed in psychologically ‘at risk’ positions; • Planned roll-out of the Queens’ University Certificate Program – Leading A Mentally Healthy Workplace to additional supervisory staff through a train-the-trainer model, as a follow-up to the delivered R2MR training; • Reviewing for prospective implementation supplementary programs to the Road To Mental Readiness (R2MR) currently under development by the Canadian Mental Health Commission in collaboration with the Department of National Defence.

While there are many factors external to the workplace that can impact psychological health and safety, the organization’s focus remains one of addressing those psychological health and safety aspects within the control, responsibility, or influence of the Employer on its workplace that can have an impact within, or on, its workforce.

The organization acknowledges and understands that the existing programs and the planned initiatives set out in this PTSD Prevention Plan require active senior executive support and effective monitoring. Only through this support and monitoring can continuous improvement of the system and its programs be enabled, thereby facilitating the Plan’s goals to be realized.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Introduction

The Senior Leadership of Peel Regional Police is committed to protecting the psychological health and safety of all members. Its vision for a psychologically healthy and safe workplace is one that actively works to prevent harm to worker psychological health, including in negligent, reckless, or intentional ways, and promotes psychological well-being. The organization is committed to achieving this vision through a variety of measures which includes establishing and maintaining effective policies and procedures as well as implementing training and intervention programs to support a psychologically safe and healthy workplace. Peel Regional Police also recognizes the importance of reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of its policies and programs as part of a continual improvement process.

Consistent with this vision, and in support of its goal to achieve a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Prevention Plan is an essential component of the Service’s mental health strategy, and is specifically directed towards identifying future actions to mitigate the risk of PTSD occurrence, and to expedite early diagnosis, treatment, and prospective return to work.

Peel Regional Police recognizes that psychological health and safety is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis, and is part of the way working conditions and management practices are structured and the way decisions are made and communicated. While there are many factors external to the workplace that can impact psychological health and safety, the organization’s focus is on addressing those psychological health and safety aspects within the control, responsibility, or influence of the workplace that can have an impact within, or on, the workforce.

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Prevention Plan for Peel Regional Police has been developed to address the strategic pillars of a broader Psychological Health and Safety Management System (PHSMS), which includes the prevention of harm (the psychological safety of employees), promotion of health (maintaining and promoting psychological health), and resolution of incidents or concerns. The PTSD Plan is intended both to highlight current prevention, intervention and return to work programs and practices that promote psychological health and safety in the workplace, as well as to identify opportunities and future plans to enhance the scope and effectiveness of these programs and initiatives.

The document has been prepared by the Occupational Health & Safety Unit of Human Resources in collaboration with the Organizational Wellness Bureau, the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee comprised of both management and worker representatives, and the Peel Regional Police Association who is the certified bargaining agent for all worker members of the Employer.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Legal Requirements

Presumptive Legislation in Ontario creates the presumption that PTSD diagnosed in first responders is work-related. The presumption allows for faster access to WSIB benefits, resources and timely treatment once a first responder is diagnosed with PTSD by either a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

PTSD can develop when a member experiences, sees or learns about an event involving: serious injury, a line of duty death, suicide or severe injury suffered by a colleague, serious injury or death to a child, prolonged rescues that ultimately fail, mass casualty events, a victim who is known to the responder, sexual violence, or if the incident results from organizational stress.

“PTSD can develop after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic or terrifying event. PTSD is a lasting consequence of traumatic ordeals that cause intense fear, helplessness or horror, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, an accident, war, or natural disaster and more.”

- PTSD Association of Canada

At Peel Regional Police we understand and acknowledge that we have a legal requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers from harm. Employers and Supervisors are required to inform all workers about psychological hazards on the job and provide training to employees on how to prevent these hazards and protect themselves from harm.

Apart from its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, this Employer also understands and acknowledges its legal obligations under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board Act to promptly report incidents involving psychological injury to its workers. The Employer also acknowledges its legal obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code including its duty to accommodate workers who may become temporarily or permanently disabled as a result of psychological injury. Peel Regional Police is committed to assisting workers to return to active employment through the development of Early and Safe Return to Work (ESRTW) Programs that are responsive to psychological as well as physiological medical restrictions provided by a qualified medical practitioner.

Organizational PTSD Policies/Directives

The organization’s policies are developed and released in the form of General Procedure Directives. All Directives are maintained in a consolidated, on-line format accessible to all members of the organization. All employees are required to review, and to acknowledge receipt of, these Directives at the time of issuance, and upon any subsequent revision.

The organization maintains a Directives history for each employee that records their acknowledgement of receiving the Directive, and Supervisors are responsible for reviewing this history and ensuring, on an

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan annual basis, that the Directives history for all workers under their supervision is up to date. The following Directives provide procedural guidance and information on programs designed to help members manage operational stressors they experience. Some programs are crisis-focused, while others try to build resiliency before, during and after critical incidents:

• Directive I-A-239 (O), Protection and Storage of Medical Information sets out procedures to address the collection, use, and disclosure of information consistent with the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), ensuring the strict use of confidential personal information, including psychological assessments;

• Directive I-A-240 (O), Attendance Support Program, refers to a system that is designed to identify employees whose attendance exceeds quarterly or annual organizational attendance norms, and initiates processes to assist employees in improving their attendance that includes providing support and/or referral services for identified psychological health issues.

• Directive I-A-207 (F), WSIB Reporting Procedures sets out procedures to ensure the timely reporting of workplace illnesses and injuries, and includes information on the reporting of psychological injures.

• Directive I-A-221(O), Accommodation of the Needs of Disabled Members establishes processes to ensure the early and safe return to work of members who are temporarily or permanently disabled from performing all of the regular duties of their normal assignments, and requires the consideration of physical and psychological restrictions to best facilitate a member’s return.

• Related Directives address issues that, left unaddressed, may contribute to organizational stressors that can negatively impact employees’ mental health. These include Directives I-A- 225(O), Accommodation of Religious Observances; I-A-227(O), Accommodation Due to Family Status; I-A-238(O), Accommodation of Pregnant Officers and Special Constables; and I-A- 224(O), Scent Sensitivity and Designation of Scent Free Zones.

• Directive I-A-212(F) Organizational Wellness, provides guidance to members in accessing internal and external psychological support services including access to the organization’s Peer Support Program, Critical Incident Response Teams, and Employee and Family Assistance Programs available through a third party service provider.

• Directive I-A-211(F), Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Program, informs members on how to access spiritual support and guidance through any of the five (5) volunteer Chaplains.

• Directive I-A-209(F), Early Intervention System, establishes a system for monitoring employees’ exposure to different types of incidents, including critical incidents that may contribute to

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

psychological injury in order that early intervention counseling, support, and treatment referral services can be suggested to the employee, mitigating the risk of PTSD injury.

• Directive I-A-205(F), Workplace Discrimination and Harassment sets out reporting procedures to ensure complaints respecting interactions between employees within the workplace are investigated promptly and resolved to reduce the psychological stressors related to such complaints.

Notwithstanding the foregoing policies, however, Peel Regional Police recognizes that further work is required in this area, both in terms of new policy development, and in terms of developing measures to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs.

Hazard Reporting

Critical incidents are identified through the review of all incidents on our internal report management system, referred to as Niche™. Daily searches of the system are conducted by the Coordinator - Peer Support using pre-determined search parameters chosen specifically to identify those occurrences that could result in workers being subjected to events that could be psychologically traumatic. Niche™ search terms identify for further review those incidents that involve serious injury or death, including suicide.

Secondary searches are also performed using incident/occurrence reports provided to the Duty Inspectors and reports on Major Occurrences to ensure that no potentially traumatic events are missed.

Front line uniform Supervisors are also encouraged to report events to the Coordinator - Peer Support, or to the Staff Sergeant – Organizational Wellness that may have negatively impacted their employees even if those events would not be considered high-risk.

Incident Reporting

Directive I-A-207(F), Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Reporting Procedures includes reporting PTSD and/or operational stress injuries. PTSD claims are reported in the same manner as any other WSIB claim, and involves the generation of a Supervisor’s Incident Report which is completed on the HR intranet, and forwarded to the Disability Management Unit, Human Resources.

While members are encouraged to report all occurrences that may constitute psychological injury, members may in some cases elect not to advise the employer of a PTSD diagnosis. A member may utilize sick leave for this reason and therefore, a Supervisor does not always have the information available to complete a Form 7 as indicated in the above Directive. If the Employee and Family

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Assistance (E.F.A.P.)/Addictions Coordinator is made aware of the diagnosis, they will advise the Human Resources Disability Management Unit. When a PTSD diagnosis is made, the Disability Management Unit will complete the Form 7 with the information provided to them. In these situations, the E.F.A.P. Coordinator will ask the member to request their psychologist/psychiatrist to complete a Form 8. A Form 6 will subsequently be completed by the member.

In other situations, a member may approach their psychologist/psychiatrist directly, and the practitioner will submit a Form 8 to WSIB who will notify Human Resources via a claim number. At such time, a Form 7 will be completed by the Disability Management Unit.

Prevention & Intervention Programs

Prevention begins with the identification and elimination of hazards. Where it is not possible to eliminate the hazard due to inherent risks of the work, Peel Regional Police administers and implements programs and processes to prevent and protect members from PTSD and/or operational stress injuries.

P.R.P. recognizes that proactive interventions, within the first few hours of the trauma are crucial for the prevention or reduction of post-traumatic stress in assisting members to regain emotional control and encourage the return to normal life. Current programs include:

• Critical Incident Stress Debrief Program

The Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is a specialized group of volunteer members drawn from the Peer Support Team that have received advanced training in Critical Incident Stress Management. The CIRT maintains a rotational call-out schedule and is available for consultation or call-out on a 24/7 basis.

The CIRT team has been developed to provide proactive education to members as well as reactive interventions. Through the critical incident stress debriefing process, the team provides members with tools to alleviate potential stress related reactions. The objective of any services provided by the CIRT is to mitigate the impact of critical incidents on personnel and to accelerate recovery from these events. It is not the function of the team to provide ongoing professional counseling, but rather to provide immediate crisis intervention.

As mentioned above, the Coordinator - Peer Support within the Organizational Wellness Bureau conducts a query via the Niche™ database to determine which occurrences if any, would be beneficial to debrief. Incidents include, but are not limited to, suicides, fatal motor vehicle collisions (MVC’s), industrial accidents and homicides.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

While Organizational Wellness is proactive in searching for calls and liaising with shifts to arrange debriefs, members and their direct supervisors are encouraged to reach out if they believe a debrief may be beneficial.

• Peer Support Program

The Peer Support Team (PST), overseen by the Officer-in-Charge, Organizational Wellness, is a confidential support service that is available to all Sworn, Civilian and Auxiliary members of Peel Regional Police as well as their families. Comprised of specially trained sworn and civilian members who volunteer their time in this role and are available to assist members on a 24/7 basis, the membership of the Peer Support Team was expanded in 2016 to include 89 serving members.

The purpose of the Peer Support Team is to offer the members of P.R.P. experiencing personal/professional challenges or stress their understanding, support and referrals to professional resources. All members of the PST are committed to maintaining strict confidentiality, and to supporting all co-workers with compassion and respect.

• Chaplaincy Program

The Chaplaincy Program is an important part of the Employer’s ongoing commitment to provide each member with the support and resources they need to succeed and live a happy and balanced life. Chaplains can provide spiritual counseling, support and solace to members and their families who are experiencing personal or professional challenges. Policing is a unique profession that routinely exposes its members to circumstances and events that can be quite tragic. Our employees now have the opportunity to seek out spiritual or faith-based support and guidance to assist them through these challenging events.

• Early Intervention System Program

Early Intervention Services, a unit of Organizational Wellness, is committed to promoting employee success through non-disciplinary methods. The focus and objective of the Early Intervention System is to proactively identify atypical patterns in performance and intervene at an early stage in order to address and/or correct the behavior. The Early Intervention System is a software based application that is used to identify atypical patterns of employee performance that may benefit from intervention or assistance.

The System relies on the identification of employees whose exposure to various types of incidents exceeds pre-determined incident thresholds. The various thresholds are established by a Standing Committee, based on research and statistical data. Incident types include Civil Litigations, Discretionary Arrests, Grievances, Human Rights complaints and/or Internal Affairs involvement,

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Personnel Conduct Reviews, Public Complaints, Use of Force incidents, and voluntary overtime Central Paid Duty hours.

Once a threshold has been reached, an “alert” is triggered that notifies the EIS System Administrator that further action is required. The alert is then reviewed by the Staff Sergeant – Organizational Wellness to validate the prospective concern and, where appropriate and through consultation with the employee and their Unit Commander/Director, a course of action is determined that is best suited to the employee’s needs. The nature of the intervention may include counseling, training and/or referral based on the particular needs of the employee.

For the process to be effective, it is vital that the system remains transparent. The employee’s Supervisor will share the trending information with the employee who can then respond during the Offer of Assistance process when an action plan is discussed. As the process is non-disciplinary, no documentation relating to the outcome of the Offer of Assistance is retained in the employee's personnel file.

Options available to address circumstances that have caused an Offer of Assistance to be generated may include:

• Coaching or Mentoring • Supplemental Training • Counseling • Recognition • Referral to the Peer Support Group • Referral to Employee and Family Assistance Program (E.F.A.P.)/Addictions Coordinator • Recommendation of Reassignment • Letter of Expectation

A referral may be generated via three different methods:

• The software system application receives a nightly data interface from the Niche system and the Service’s Time and Attendance system, which may generate a threshold alert; • A Divisional Commander may refer an employee whom they believe may benefit from the assistance of Early Intervention Services; or, • Any employee may refer any employee whom they believe would benefit from an Offer of Assistance.

If an employee’s involvement has been the result of either surpassing a threshold or a chain of command referral, they will be notified by Early Intervention Services or a Supervisor within their chain of command.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

If the employee’s involvement has been the result of a co-worker referral, they will be contacted directly by Early Intervention Services.

• Employee & Family Assistance Program (E.F.A.P.)

Employee and Family Assistance Services are provided through a third party service provider, Morneau Shepell. These services are included as part of the overall health care benefits available to employees and their immediate families. These services include counseling, work life services relating to legal, financial, family, nutritional and naturopathic support. These services are in addition the psychological services that are subject to reimbursement under the Employer’s plan with Sun Life Assurance Co.

The E.F.A.P. program helps employees achieve their best health and professional performance by providing the tools, resources and support they need to take a more proactive approach to managing their health risks and other workplace issues.

Counseling services offered by Morneau Shepell are ideal for life transitional situations, such as births, deaths, and divorce, to name a few, as these types of situations are ideal for short-term, goal oriented outcomes.

The service provider’s Counsellor Network includes 3,000 counsellors with Masters-level training and 5-10 years of EFAP specific experience.

The E.F.A.P./Addictions Coordinator within P.R.P. is an extremely unique position as it offers a variety of support and resources to all levels of staff. This position requires a high level of skill and knowledge in dealing with crisis and challenging situations. The E.F.A.P./Addictions Coordinator maintains integrity and trust with members in order that people are comfortable coming forward for support and resources. The nature of the job requires dealing with highly confidential information pertaining to members and their families. The Coordinator supports members by providing assistance with accessing the services of the E.F.A.P. provider, or assisting in coordinating referrals and access to other third party service providers with specialized expertise in the treatment of addiction and substance abuse issues. The Coordinator provides referrals to psychological support providers in the community for members and their families seeking assistance. In-depth discussions are also provided to members and their families who require support but are uncertain of the resources available to them.

The E.F.A.P./Addictions Coordinator is also responsible for coordinating and maintaining liaisons with various treatment facilities providing addiction services for members, and supporting members in treatment and in returning to work, in consultation with the Disability Management Unit. The position also collaborates with the Disability Management Unit by contacting members who are off

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

work on sick leave to readily offer support and resources to support them during their absence and return to work.

The E.F.A.P./Addictions Coordinator establishes and maintains accurate and confidential records of members in treatment, including admission date and completion dates at specific facilities. Confidential referral and patient information forms are completed and forwarded to various treatment facilities. The E.F.A.P./Addictions Coordinator also liaises with treatment facilities and health practitioners to assist with optimal care and support for members and their families. Continued support is maintained once members are released and return to work to ensure they are managing in their recovery and have appropriate coping strategies in place. Follow up post treatment is conducted to establish quality assurance information related to the facility and practitioners, and complaints related to E.F.A.P. services are tracked and recorded with outcome and related quality assurance results.

Mental Health Education and Training Programs

• Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR)

Adapted for the policing sector from the Department of National Defence’s Road to Mental Readiness program in consultation with the Canadian Mental Health Commission, this program has been designated as mandatory training to employees at all levels of the organization to identify and better understand mental health issues in co-workers and themselves. Directed towards reducing stigma in the workplace associated with mental health issues, the program is designed to teach coping mechanisms, acceptance and support of co-workers as well as strengthening personal resilience.

Course Objectives include:

• Defining the key concepts involved with mental health; • Understanding the stigma of mental illness; • Analyzing the barriers to care that prevent employees from seeking help; • Examining the importance of training the brain in preparation for life; • Identifying and understanding some of the unhealthy coping strategies; • Explaining the role of treatment and the therapy process; and, • Applying the knowledge gained through practical scenarios.

Through a train-the-trainer delivery model, the R2MR Program provides a comprehensive plan incorporating stigma reduction, resilience training and post-traumatic services and supports. Since its approval for implementation, training was completed in late 2016 with nearly 2,700 sworn and civilian members having been trained in the program.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

• International Police Resiliency and Efficiency Program (IPREP)

The International Police Resiliency and Efficiency Program (IPREP) is a new initiative, an evidence- based police training program used to increase resiliency and performance under duress. This training is delivered to new Recruit Constable classes. The course can also be used to identify which new officers may be at risk for Operational Stress Injuries (OSI), allowing for prevention and early intervention. IPREP instruction includes awareness of factors that can impact performance, such as bias, prior experience, fatigue and emotional distress or arousal, with a goal of helping the officers understand how to mitigate and control the impact of these factors on their emotional responses.

• Mental Health Awareness Training (CIT)

This training is offered to all Police Recruit Constables within one year of attending having completed Basic Constable Training at the Ontario Police College (OPC). This is a four day course offered through P.R.P.’s Mental Health Coordinator in the Family Violence Unit. The course incorporates speakers on Crisis Negotiation, De-escalation Techniques, Mental Health Disorders, Canadian Mental Health Association, COAST unit, Suicide Talk and opportunities for role playing facilitated by professional actors from Sheridan College, and later critiqued on how the interactions were handled. There is planned restructuring with regards to this course for the future as the Learning and Development Bureau will be assuming responsibility for the program.

• Healthy Lifestyle Program

This six week course in Mindfulness and Meditation facilitates the building of increased resilience in participants to reduce the risk of injury, and promote recovery from psychological stressors. Now in its third year, the program is made available several times throughout the year at various locations.

• Target Life Incentive Program

Launched in 2016, this is an initiative based on progression through five phases that promote practices that are part of a healthy lifestyle. During phases four and five of the program, resilience training for mental health is highlighted and the participant must incorporate a minimum of one type of resilience-based training to complement the physical and health practices already attained.

• Mentally Healthy Workplace Leadership Certificate Program

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

• Ontario Police College/Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN) Training

Currently the Ontario Police College is teaching a half day course to Recruit Constables on The Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR).

The Fitness Unit at the Ontario Police College offers weekly yoga sessions to assist in combating stress and help build resiliency. The integration of relaxation strategies has also been incorporated into recruit training courses.

In addition to the education and training programs provided directly to its employees by the Peel Regional Police, education and training courses are offered through partnership with the Regional Municipality of Peel to all Peel Regional Police employees:

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop that prepares caregivers to provide suicide life-assisting, first-aid intervention. Small group discussions and skills practice are based on adult learning principles. ASIST teaches Pathways for Assisting Life (PAL), a practical guide to doing suicide interventions.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be better able to:

• identify people who have thoughts of suicide; • understand how beliefs and attitudes can affect suicide interventions; • understand a person at risk’s story about suicide as well as recognize turning points that connect the person to life; • conduct a safety assessment and develop a plan that will keep the person at risk “safe-for-now”; • confirm the person at risk’s faith in the safe plan and their intent to follow it through.

• Suicide Alertness for Everyone – safeTALK

Suicide Alertness for Everyone – safeTALK is a three hour training program that prepares helpers to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first-aid resources. Most people with thoughts of suicide, either directly or indirectly, invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to identify and work with these opportunities to help protect life.

By the end of the training, participants will be better able to:

• move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide; • identify people who have thoughts of suicide;

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

• apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with thoughts of suicide to a suicide first-aid intervention caregiver.

• BELL “Let’s Talk”

A program to encourage participation in the tweet, text and talk about mental health issues at home or in the workplace. Employees are encouraged to reach out to family, friends, and co-workers as the best way to start breaking down the barriers associated with mental illness. Confidential self- reporting is promoted, tabulated and results are broadcast to encourage others to participate.

The Peel Regional Police continues to provide a number of voluntary seminars and presentations in order to heighten awareness of mental health issues:

• Internal Health and Wellness Seminars

The Employer offers a Family Night for every intake class of new Recruit Constables. These evening sessions are offered for new officers and their families. Information, resources and support with regards to mental health, well-being, stress and services are offered to members, their spouses and dependants in order to ensure that family members are aware of the changes that policing can cause in their loved-ones. By recognizing these changes, family members are then able to support the officer’s mental well-being and direct them to resources as required.

The Speaker Series on Mental Health includes facilitating guest lecturers and promoting attendance at outside conferences as well as workshops on the subject of resiliency for first responders and good mental health. Examples include “Focus on Suicide Prevention”, “Ultimate 911 Training”, “Mental Readiness Strategies for Psychological health and Safety in a Police Organization”, “PTSD for First Responders”, and attendance at the Tema Conter Conferences on “Critical Stress for Emergency Responders”.

Seminars are offered by our E.F.A.P. provider on a regular basis to help members cope with life changes. Topics such as grieving, child-rearing, and preparing for retirement are some of the topics offered to support members with challenges in their personal lives.

“Lunch & Learn” seminars are routinely provided to employees to assist in the development of effective coping strategies to reduce stress, and include the following topics:

• Understanding Loss & Moving Beyond Grief • Stress Relaxation Techniques • Happiness - Journey or Destination? • Preparing for the Stress of Retirement

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

• Dealing with Seasonal Stress • Coping with Teenagers • Boosting your Positive Outlook

Wellness presentations are held throughout the year for Bureaux that request an information session. Similar presentations are also offered to new civilian hires, Recruit Constable classes, new Auxiliary members, recently promoted, pre and post Ontario Police College classes, and Field Training Officer courses.

In 2016, these Special Event Presentations included the following: • A mini-series on Addictions where two employees spoke about their journey with addiction and how it affected them both personally and professionally;

• A movie, titled “Officer Involved Shooting” was presented by the Organizational Wellness Bureau. The movie is a thoughtful, feature length documentary that examines officers who have been involved in deadly force incidents during their tours of duty. Through first-person interviews and testimony, both police officers and leading experts share their experience and knowledge to show some of the factors that can go into how we view officer-involved shooting and the dramatic impact that they can have on men and women who serve in law enforcement;

• A one day lecture and workshop was presented by Dr. Kevin Gilmartin, organized through the Organizational Wellness Bureau for Peel Regional Police members and their spouses. Dr. Gilmartin is a celebrated author and internationally recognized speaker specializing in the Psychology of Policing. As a former Tucson, Arizona Police Officer, Dr. Gilmartin has developed strategies to cope with the pressures and negative impacts of Policing in today’s world. His book, Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families, (E-S Press (January 2002)) is given to all new Recruit Constables to help them cope with the psychological changes that policing initiates.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Planned Initiatives and Programs Under Development

On February 28th, 2017 the Regional Municipality of Peel Police Services Board approved the organization’s new 2017-2019 Strategic Plan. With the approval of the Plan, a framework has been established to guide the Service’s efforts to support the Plan’s strategic objective to “Promote the well- being and safety of all employees”. A key performance indicator that will be used to assess the organization’s success in attaining this objective demonstrates the organization’s continuing commitment to psychological health and safety through the “development and promotion of initiatives that support physiological and psychological health and wellness”.

• National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Peel Regional Police recognizes the importance of developing an effective Psychological Health and Safety Management System (PHSMS); a system that formally assesses how policies, processes and interactions in the workplace might impact the psychological health and safety of employees. To implement this management system, the Service understands it must view psychological safety as an integral part of its operations, including but not limited to, the hiring, training, promoting and redeployment of its members. Psychological Health and Safety Management Systems must be directed towards the prevention of mental health injury for the entire workforce, in the same way that occupational health and safety systems are preventative for physical injuries and occupational illnesses.

Over the course of the 2017-2019 Strategic Plan, the Peel Regional Police is committed to implementing the Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) National Standard on “Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace”. Commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and developed in consultation with the Canadian Mental Health Association and other stakeholder organizations from across the country including Excellence Canada, the National Standard has been approved by the Standards Council of Canada, and specifies requirements for a documented and systematic approach to develop and sustain a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

The Standard is aligned with other recognized management system standards incorporating the following five key elements:

• policy, commitment, and engagement; • planning; • implementation; • evaluation and corrective action; and • management review and continual improvement.

The Standard will provide a framework for Peel Regional Police to create and continually improve towards a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, and this framework will guide the Service’s implementation of a documented and systematic approach to establishing a psychological health and safety management system.

To guide the implementation of the Standard, Peel Regional Police has formally established a Steering Committee. Chaired by the Director of Human Resources under the sponsorship of the Staff Superintendent – Corporate Operations, the Excellence Council is comprised of both civilian and sworn members at all levels from across the organization, and steps have already commenced to ensure the input of all members of the Service in moving the project forward.

Working within the framework of the National Standard, the Service’s PTSD Prevention Plan includes the implementation of a number of more focused prevention, intervention, and support initiatives.

• Policy Review and Development

• Amending the existing Occupational Health and Safety Policy to specifically address PTSD Prevention and/or psychological health and safety. This policy can be customized to outline P.R.P.’s commitment and/or specific goals as they relate to PTSD Prevention and/or psychological health and safety, which will be reviewed with the Joint Health and Safety Committee;

• Reviewing all existing Directives to ensure they appropriately address psychological health and safety implications, identifying and addressing procedural or systemic deficiencies, and developing appropriate evaluative measures to assess program effectiveness;

• Development of an Anti-Stigma Policy, either as a stand-alone Directive, or integrated into Directive I-A-205 (F), Workplace Discrimination and Harassment, and Directive I-A-214 (F), Workplace Violence. These Directives could be revised to include P.R.P.’s commitment to reducing stigma towards mental health, as well as identifying a complaint process for those who believe they may have been stigmatized for their operational stress injuries.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

• A review and evaluation of incident reporting processes and related procedures, to ensure that members receive timely care, follow-up and support. The development of the previously noted Anti-Stigma Policy would also serve to overcome the reluctance some members may have in reporting claims involving psychological injury, thereby mitigating the risk associated with undiagnosed PTSD going undetected and untreated.

• Expansion of the Psychological “Safe-Guarding” Program

In accordance with Guideline LE-036 under the Ontario Adequacy Standard 3/99, pursuant to the provisions of the Police Services Act, Peel Regional Police has implemented a psychological safe guarding program for officers assigned to the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit to ensure the provision of support to members whose routine exposure to psychological stressors associated with their assigned duties poses an increased risk to their mental health.

The Psychological Safeguarding Program was created because it was identified that the nature of certain investigations or other routinely assigned duties may result in members being at a higher risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress and prospective PTSD because of their repeated exposure to such investigations and/or duties. The Program requires that members assigned to the ICE Unit undertake an in-depth interview with a clinical psychologist on a regularly scheduled basis throughout the course of their assignment.

The Peel Regional Police plans to expand the current Program to include both civilian members and officers assigned to other areas of the organization, where the regular duties of their assignments may place them at similarly higher risk of psychological injury through routine exposure to psychological stressors. The following Bureaus/Units and/or positions have been designated by the Chief of Police as “at risk”, and will be subject to mandatory monitoring and assessment in accordance with the Program:

Technological Crimes Unit Special Victims Unit Major Collision Bureau Organizational Wellness Homicide Bureau Peer Support/CIRT Communications Bureau Emergency Support Services Forensic Identification Services Street Crime Unit Major Drugs & Vice Unit Prisoner Escort Officers Undercover Operations

Assessments for members assigned to designated “at risk” positions shall be conducted in three (3) phases:

1. Pre-entry phase, where the member is assessed for suitability prior to their assignment to the position;

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

2. In Program phase, where the member is assessed for suitability to continue in their current assignment. Regular assessments during the in-program phase will be conducted annually during the tenure of the member’s assignment to a designated “at risk” position; and,

3. Post-exit phase, where the member is assessed between three (3) and six (6) months following their transfer from a designated position.

Upon full implementation, over 600 employees will be enrolled in the Program and routinely assessed by a psychologist as a preventive measure to mitigate the risk of psychological injury.

• Expedited Referral Process for Psychological Health Issues

In the course of a Health & Wellness Program audit conducted for Peel Regional Police by Morneau Shepell, the consultants determined there to be limited to no specialized resources and tools to support claims management and complex mental health conditions, such as medical consultants, independent medical evaluators, functional capacity evaluators, or resiliency coaching specific to Return To Work. A recommendation was advanced that Peel Regional Police should consider a referral process to specialized mental health care, and should also look to proactively integrate specialized mental health counseling as part of the disability management process to assist employees to resolve the psychological barriers to return to work.

As part of the PTSD Prevention Plan, Peel Regional Police plans to explore implementation of a formal, expedited referral process, on an out-sourced basis, to identify and support employees who are at-risk or who have been diagnosed with a mental health issue. The referral process will be considered for all entry points an employee may use to access mental health support, including the E.F.A.P., their Supervisor, Human Resources (i.e., Occupational Health & Safety Unit, Organizational Wellness Bureau, or Disability Management Unit), and the disability management program.

• De-stigmatization of Mental Health - Communication Strategy

In follow up to the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) training, and to further encourage the de- stigmatization of mental health issues in the workplace, four (4) ‘reminder’ posters have been developed and approved for distribution. Utilizing a common look and theme, the posters typify a member in various situations where they are in need of assistance, and serve to reiterate and highlight the main teaching points from the R2MR training (i.e., ‘Everyone has a role to play’, ‘Provide Support’, ‘Don’t be afraid to ask for help’ and ‘Challenge the Stigma’). Distribution of the first poster commenced in mid-September, 2016 in high traffic areas across the Organization, as well as on P.R.P. TV. On a quarterly basis, the posters are being changed by members of Organizational Wellness until such time as all posters have been utilized.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

With the development and release of a new Anti-Stigma Policy, P.R.P. will review and revise its current communication strategy, with information and education clearly linked to priority health issues, including a strategy to encourage the de-stigmatization of mental health issues in the workplace.

• Road To Mental Readiness (R2MR) Follow Up Program

Since its approval for implementation, training has been carried out over the course of 2015 and early 2016, with some 2,700 sworn and civilian members having been trained in the R2MR program that was provided by the Canadian Mental Health Commission. A plan is currently in place with Learning and Development to ensure that when employees return from any authorized leave that prevented them from receiving the training initially, they will be trained on R2MR.

The Director of the Canadian Mental Health Commission in charge of the R2MR Program has indicated there are follow up programs that are currently being developed to augment the existing R2MR material. Peel Regional Police, through its Organizational Wellness Bureau, will be reviewing these supplementary programs once they become available as to their suitability for further roll-out across the organization.

• Certificate Program: Leading a Mentally Healthy Workplace

Introduced on pilot project basis in collaboration with Queen’s University and Morneau Shepell, this progressive new program teaches practical, empathetic and solution-focused leadership skills for managing performance and promoting good mental health. The focus of the program is on improving communication skillsets for employees at the supervisory level, with the aim of enabling supervisors to better facilitate the management of employees with mental health issues, their eventual return to the workplace, and reduction of the associated stigma.

The initial pilot project was limited to six (6) participants drawn from a cross-section of members across the organization in managerial and supervisory roles. Post course evaluations of the program by the participants were favourable. Peel Regional Police will plan to consider this program for roll- out to additional supervisory staff through a train-the-trainer model, as a follow-up to the delivered R2MR training.

Peel Regional Police PTSD Prevention Plan

Conclusion

While there are many factors external to the workplace that can impact psychological health and safety, the organization’s focus remains one of addressing those psychological health and safety aspects within the control, responsibility, or influence of the workplace that can have an impact within, or on, the workforce.

Peel Regional Police recognizes that in order to meet the needs of its members and prevent psychological injury, including PTSD, an overall framework to guide the implementation of policies and programs that align to support a psychologically healthy and safe workplace is essential. The Employer also recognizes that evaluation and the development of appropriate performance measures is a critical component of an effective psychological health and safety management system.

April, 2017.