U of R launches free online therapy for emergency workers

Frontline emergency workers rush toward traumatic and dangerous situations all the time, but those who hesitate while dealing with their own mental health can now get professional help with a few clicks.

The University of Regina is launching a free online therapy program dedicated to public safety workers across the province including police officers, paramedics, firefighters, corrections workers, public safety communications officials and border service officers.

Working as a paramedic in Regina for 20 years, Darren Tanzell sees the importance of this new program called PSPNet.

“When you need help, you kind of need it now, and what I like about this is it’s available 24/7,” he said after the launch Wednesday at the University of Regina.

“If I or a co-worker is dealing with an occupational stress injury or post-traumatic stress injury and we need to talk to somebody, we can get online and do that where that’s not always the case and you don’t always feel like you can do that.”

Working shift work can be a barrier to setting up face-to-face appointments with therapists but he says embarrassment stops many people from reaching out to get the help they need.

He hopes the online option will help break down those barriers while improving access for rural paramedics and first responders as well.

Regina Police Service Sgt. Casey Ward was involved in the development of the online therapy program through his work with the Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) at the U of R. There, he represents the Canadian Police Association.

Ward said police forces across the province are working to reduce the stigma around getting help for mental health issues, but there are still many barriers to getting help.

“What we want is, if our members are having some problems, to be able to reach out and get that help instead of sitting in silence trying to deal with it on their own,” Ward said. “We really hope this program helps reduce that stigma and gets people in the door with easy access so they can get help.”

The Saskatoon police recently hired a psychologist and the Regina Police Service is getting funding to hire one in the future, but Ward said emergency workers in smaller centres don’t have those kinds of options to access help.

He said sometimes there aren’t any psychologists available in those areas who are trained to deal with the trauma and stress police and emergency workers face on a daily basis.

“We fight with our officers just to book an appointment in Regina, but now we’re talking about having to drive 3 1/2 hours to get someone that’s properly trained to help deal with what they’re dealing with,” Ward said.

As a veteran of the RPS who has spent 16 years on the SWAT team, Ward knows firsthand how witnessing traumatic events can build up and weigh on mental health.

He spoke with the researchers and lead psychologists for the program to make sure they understood what police and public safety workers really deal with on a daily basis.

The specialized program will offer online lessons over eight weeks about simple and effective techniques for managing anxiety, depression and PTSD. The course also offers access to a therapist support by text message and phone.

It is supported through a $10-million federal investment by Public Safety Canada. Anyone in Saskatchewan who qualifies as a public service worker can register online at PSPNET.ca immediately. The goal is to expand the program to Quebec soon and eventually to all of Canada.