EPS partners with Wounded Warriors Canada to offer mental health supports for officers and their families
Posted October 24, 2023 6:37 pm.
Last Updated October 25, 2023 9:00 am.
After a traumatic year in Edmonton following the deaths of constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, the Edmonton Police Service has partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada to offer more mental health support to EPS members and their families.
“Today marks a very pivotal moment in the ongoing commitment to the Edmonton Police Service, the well-being of police officers and their families,” said Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee.
The partnership is meant to add an additional layer of support for families. Mental health services will go to all active and retired EPS members.
McFee says he’s grateful for the partnership and says it’s important no one faces trauma alone.
“It’s not when you’re just a member, it’s when you’re retired, it’s your family members, we’re all affected by this,” said McFee.
The executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada, Scott Maxwell, was also on hand and says it’s important to help members at the earliest possible time. He adds in the past, retired members on average wouldn’t seek help until 8-10 years after traumatic events.
“It’s more a milestone for public safety in Canada. This is really what I call these days: milestones for the whole public safety sector of the country,” said Maxwell.
With 11 police deaths in Canada this year, Maxwell says early intervention is key, including in situations like what unfolded Monday overnight in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where five people were found dead including three children and the suspect in an intimate partner shooting.
That police force has already reached out for support to help their members through the traumatic scene they were called to.
“It highlights the enormity of how traumatic these incidents are for the community, for the families affected, and for the first responders responding to these incidents that are happening with all too much frequency in every province in the country,” said Maxwell.
Maxwell says it’s significant that the service and members and the families are feeling comfortable enough to pick up the phone and reach out to their organization for support.
