The Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA) launches free mental health training and PTSI resources for rural and remote Alberta firefighters.
EDMONTON, AB, April 25, 2022 /CNW/ - The Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA) has launched a free, comprehensive mental health services program to support Alberta rural and remote fire and rescue service personnel.
In Alberta, firefighters represent a large percentage of psych-related first responder WCB claims, with many attributed to post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI). With funding provided by the Government of Alberta's Supporting Psychological Health in First Responders (SPHIFR) Stream 1 (Services) grant program, AMHSA aims to provide evidence-based training and tools to support rural and remote firefighters living with or at risk of post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI).
Employment as a fire or rescue services first responder comes with a variety of risks, the most obvious being extreme temperatures, dangerous situations, chemical exposure, and physical hazards. Psychological hazards may be less obvious but are no less harmful. Compared to other provinces, Alberta firefighters have the highest rate of mental health time-loss claims, at 48 per 100,000. Between 2015 and 2019, there were nearly 700 WCB-Alberta claims for first responders related to PTSI, totaling $104 million worth of related treatment and compensation.
AMHSA has partnered with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and TELUS Health to provide rural and remote Alberta firefighters with an innovative combination of evidence-based mental health content, training, and resources related to prevention and recovery from PTSI. This includes MHCC's The Working Mind First Responder (TWMFR) virtual training program, Alberta-based support resources, post-course booster training, and self-management tools that can be confidentially accessed through the Espri by TELUS Health mobile app. In addition to program delivery, AMHSA has partnered with the University of Calgary to measure program impact and effectiveness.
The program is being offered at no charge to 375 firefighters and leaders who work in fire stations registered in rural and remote municipalities across Alberta. More information, including a link to sign up, is available at:
RuralFirstResponder.ca
"As a first responder, municipal mayor, and Alberta Municipalities Director on the AMHSA Board of Directors, I support AMHSA in its leadership role of providing mental health services to Alberta fire services first responders living with or at risk of post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI). I encourage other municipal leaders to support the participation of its rural first responders in these sessions. First responder mental health is important now more than ever."
Tyler Gandam, AMHSA Board Director
"I truly believe I've saved more lives in my five years as a trainer for TWMFR than in my 20 years as a firefighter."
Steve Jones, TWMFR Master Facilitator and Platoon Chief, Burlington (Ontario) Fire Department
"The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is excited to be a partner in this important project. The Working Mind First Responder (TWMFR) course will make a meaningful difference in the lives of firefighters who take the training. We know from experience the program promotes mental wellness, increases resilience, and reduces the stigma associated with mental illness."
"Thanks to the Espri by TELUS Health mobile app, hundreds of fire service members in rural and remote communities across the province, will have access our evidence-based TWMFR training with additional resources and boosters that members will have access to through their mobile devices – a first of its kind since we've deployed our program,"
Micheal Pietrus, Director, MHFA & Opening Minds
"At TELUS Health, we are helping to transform mental healthcare in Canada by working with organizations like AMHSA and the Mental Health Commission of Canada to deliver innovative programs, supported by technology. We are proud to support keeping Albertans safe by providing participating firefighters with the targeted resources they need, when and where they need them."
Daniel Martz, VP & President Virtual Care, TELUS Health
The Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA) is an educational nonprofit organization that promotes health and safety and injury/illness prevention in the workplace. Every town, village, municipal district, county, city, and specialized municipality in Alberta is a member of AMHSA – inclusive of all municipal first responders.
AMHSA.net
The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a catalyst for change. They are collaborating with hundreds of partners to change the attitudes of Canadians toward mental health problems and to improve services and support. Their goal is to help people who live with mental health problems and illnesses lead meaningful and productive lives. Together they create change. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is funded by Health Canada.
www.mentalhealthcommission.ca
TELUS Health is a leader in digital health technology, providing virtual care, virtual pharmacy, home health monitoring, electronic medical and health records, benefits and pharmacy management, and personal emergency response services. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers, and citizens, to progress its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives.
Through the TELUS Health Care Centres, teams of renowned and passionate healthcare professionals deliver best-in-class patient-centric care to thousands of Canadian employers, professionals, and families in more than 15 medical clinics located across the country.
For more information please visit: www.telushealth.com.
The University of Calgary offers students a high-quality educational experience that prepares them for success in life, as well as research that addresses society's most persistent challenges. The creation and transfer of knowledge contributes every day to our country's global competitive advantage and makes the world a better place.
www.ucalgary.ca
SOURCE Mental Health Commission of Canada
For media enquiries, please contact: Craig Hrynchuk, Executive Director Alberta Municipal Health & Safety Association (AMHSA), 587-432-5267, [email protected]; Jason Oliver, Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), 416-303-9436, [email protected]; Jill Yetman, TELUS Public Relations, [email protected]
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