News & Events
Starting the conversation – Discussing suicide in relation to first responders and other public safety personnel
Thursday, September 26, 2024
1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT (Ottawa)
First responders and other public safety personnel (PSP) face several unique occupational risk factors that have the potential to impact their mental health and wellbeing, including frequent exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) encountered on the job. A growing body of research highlights the ways that frequent exposure to trauma can negatively impact PSP mental health and contribute to the development of operational, or posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). Associations between mental health disorders and increased risk for death by suicide are reason for concern given elevated rates of mental health disorders among PSP populations. In addition, the pressure to project a strong persona can be strong in PSP occupations, and stigma around mental health issues can run high.
For these reasons and more CIPSRT is bringing together a panel of leaders with clinical, research and public safety expertise for an online conversation about mental health, in support of Suicide Awareness Month (September), and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). Join us for a discussion on the impacts of trauma and of stigma on mental health, and how we might move toward suicide prevention strategies that recognize the unique needs of public safety personnel.
With panelists:
Dr. Allison Crawford
University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Chief Medical Officer, 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Dr. Christine Genest
University of Montréal, Faculty of Nusing
Principle Investigator, ‘Recommendations for culturally sensitive and intersectional practice in suicide prevention
intervention for public safety personnel’
Laura Kloosterman
Executive Director, Badge of Life Canada
Ontario Police Service (ret’d)
Moderated by:
Dr. Jonathan Douglas
Clinical Psychologist
Advisor, Badge of Life Canada
This event will be presented in English with the option of simultaneous captions or audio translation in French.
If you wish to make use of this translation service during the webinar: after joining the meeting, please open a browser window (on your desktop, phone, or other device) and use the following link:
https://attend.wordly.ai/join/TPNA-1813
This will enable you to log in to Wordly, our simultaneous translation platform. Be sure to select ‘French’ in the top right corner and keep this window open throughout the meeting.