Approach to mental health has evolved, Timmins police say
The Timmins Police Service says as conversations around mental health evolve, so has its approach to supporting its officers, who often deal with high levels of stress, including encountering traumatic scenes.
And where police culture often called for “sucking it up,” the approach now “is let it out.”
“Today, that’s what we’re trying to do, is encourage people to do something about their mental well-being,” said Brenda Beaven from Timmins police.
“That means that, if they’re struggling, asking for help, or if they are doing well, how are they doing well? What are the things they are doing well? And encouraging each other to continue doing well.”
“We can’t let this job wreck our employees,” said police spokesperson Marc Depatie.
“We have to do what we can to make them aware that there are resources that can prevent them from falling into, perhaps, PTSD situations or becoming a substance-abused person.”
As a former officer himself, Depatie said he’s noticed officers are more encouraged to ask for help.
If it’s a particularly traumatic case, officials said a peer support group will help the officer talk through what happened, discuss coping skills and steps for further support.
Also critical, Depatie and Beaven said, is making sure fellow officers feel comfortable talking to each other about their struggles and be kind to one another.
“These burdens that tend to eat away at you, they’re made on public display,” Depatie said.
“So that your colleagues can appreciate, ‘he had a tough day and this is how he’s dealing with it. Maybe I can lend a hand.’”
“It’s about allowing space for those conversations to come about,” Beaven added.
“And the more people do talk about it, the more comfortable people become with it.”
This is all in hopes of avoiding younger officers losing their passion for policing — and seasoned officers becoming jaded.
Instead, the goal is to offer them support system so that they can do their best work and return home in a better state of mind.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.