WOUNDED WARRIORS CANADA LAUNCHES NEW RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL
PICKERING – Wounded Warriors Canada is proud to announce the launch of an innovative new Operational Stress Injury program for public safety officers, Before Operational Stress (BOS). BOS has been been carefully designed to provide Military, Police, Fire, Paramedic, Corrections officials and 911 Operators with theoretical, practical and experiential learning to enhance their resilience and mental health as they continue to operate within their public service positions. It is a unique program, facilitated by trauma therapists, that brings together cutting-edge clinical approaches with recognized scientific expertise to support psychological health and wellness of public service personnel over the course of their operational careers.
It is also with great excitement that we announce that the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) will evaluate the BOS program on an ongoing basis, grounding BOS in scientific inquiry from its inception.
Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada, commented, “Through our interactions with public safety personnel we have heard time and time again the need for additional support to assist in their efforts to create trauma-informed workplaces. The Wounded Warriors Canada Before Operational Stress program will equip our public safety professionals with important education and information to help protect themselves from the effects of operational stress. In the end, it doesn’t matter where, when or how operational stress injuries occur. What matters is that our public safety members know that we are in this together – working to ensure they receive the support they so rightly deserve.”
Dr. Megan McElheran, Chief National Clinician of WGM Psychology and BOS program author, commented, “As long as there have been human civilizations, there have been those called to stand and protect. We have developed BOS to support those called to public service work, in order to empower them to be the BOS of their mental health. We are thrilled to partner with Wounded Warriors Canada and offer this national program, with the goal of enhancing the resiliency of our public service personnel.”