News & Events
The Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) congratulates the four research teams who have been awarded Catalyst Grants by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)’s final funding opportunity under the Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries in Public Safety Personnel (PTSI in PSP) initiative.
The PTSI in PSP initiative was announced in Federal Budget 2018, with a commitment of $20 million over five years to support a new national research consortium between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT). The unprecedented National Research Consortium builds the evidence base related to PTSI among PSP, under the guidance of a Public Safety Steering Committee (PSSC). The funding for CIPSRT has been extended for an additional five years, through to 2028, which can help support ongoing Consortium efforts.
The funding was provided to help address the pressing needs of PSP organizations, and to help inform support service providers in their efforts to provide effective and evidence-based supports for PSP experiencing PTSI. The current final funding opportunity was opened to the broader research community and represented a re-launch of the Crisis Line and App-based Support for Public Safety from 2022. The research undertaken by the grant recipients will directly build on the work of the research and coordination hubs and will broaden the pool of potential research questions – and research groups – that can be resourced.
The total amount awarded for this funding opportunity was nearly $400,000. The maximum amount per grant is $100,000 per year for up to one (1) year. Of this $400,000:
- $ 200,000 is to fund applications relevant to the RESPond Hub for Suicide Prevention
- $ 200,000 is to fund applications relevant to the PeerOnCall Hub for App-based Support
“As the Consortium’s national hub for coordination and knowledge translation, CIPSRT congratulates these grant recipients and looks forward to working with them to mobilize research knowledge to address the urgent mental health needs of Canada’s public safety personnel,” said CIPSRT’s Executive Director Dr. Leslie Anne Keown.
The successful principal investigators, co-investigators, and projects as provided by the CIHR are:
- Margaret McKinnon and Kim Ritchie: Developing cultural competency training for app-based peer supporters caring for Canadian public safety personnel.
- Margaret McKinnon and Kim Ritchie: Developing cultural competency training for crisis line responders caring for Canadian public safety personnel.
- Christine Genest with co-investigators Cécile Bardon, Chantalle L. Clarkin, Heidi Cramm, Allison Crawford, Steve Geoffrion, Krystle Martin, and Rose Ricciardelli: Recommendations for culturally sensitive and intersectional practice in suicide prevention intervention for public safety personnel: A qualitative approach.
- Steve Geoffrion with co-investigators Geneviève St-Hilaire, Delphine Collin-Vézina, Christine Genest, Sandra Moll, and Rose Ricciardelli: PeerOnCall as a catalyst for a peer support program based on psychological first aid: A feasibility study among the Sûreté du Québec.
Responding to CIHR’s funding decision, CIPSRT’s Scientific Director Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton said, “The support from the federal government, CIHR, and key collaborators will allow an impressive network of diverse academics, public safety personnel, clinicians, and community leaders to do complementary work towards improving the mental health of all public safety personnel.”
