Wounded Warriors to offer NWT’s first responders more help

Warning: This article contains references to the topic of suicide.

“When our logo goes up, it’s unbelievable what kind of barriers come down.”

Wounded Warriors Canada’s Scott Maxwell says a new agreement with the NWT Fire Chiefs Association will make it easier for the territory’s first responders to access care for their mental health.

On Thursday, the association said the deal would offer “a resource that addresses the comprehensive mental health and well-being of our first responders for PTSD, depression and suicidal ideation, as well as general resources for prevention, recovery and advice.”

“We need someone to talk to,” added the association, which represents 33 communities and 25 fire departments.

“We are stepping up as a group to say we take the mental health of our responders seriously and have a partnership with an organization that will assist us with being healthier and better versions of ourselves.”

Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health service provider.

Maxwell said the group had its origins in efforts to provide comfort items to injured troops in Afghanistan almost 20 years ago.

The group began developing its own mental health programs in 2015, then began offering its services to first responders beyond the military and veterans. Maxwell said tens of thousands of first responders per year have completed programs like Bos, its “before operational stress” training to help workers’ mental health.

According to Maxwell, the spark for the NWT partnership came when he spoke with fire chiefs’ association president Nelson Johnson – Yellowknife’s fire chief – while presenting at a conference on the topic of suicide among firefighters.

“This work is going to affect everybody that does it, unquestionably, in some way, shape or form,” Maxwell said.

“But it doesn’t need to take them down. It doesn’t need to get them into a state where they can’t do the job or can’t live healthy roles in the community.”

‘Better support’

While first responders in the NWT already have access to some programming, Johnson said the Wounded Warriors agreement would offer programs that are straightforward to access.

“The information was always out there, but now we have a partner where we can actually access the training and everybody will get the same training,” Johnson told Cabin Radio.

“It just gives better support to our entire community. Everybody’s on the same page and everybody’s on the same understanding.”

The deal does not come with funding. Individual organizations like fire departments and communities will need to pay for the services they use through it, Johnson said.

However, he added the need for a set of programs like those provided by Wounded Warriors had become obvious.

“There’s not a lot of support from the territory for mental health for first responders,” he said.

“First responders always say the people that are available don’t understand what we do, so having access to clinicians that understand exactly what we do – and are trained to do this – will be the important part.

“Over the last five years, there’s been a real push toward getting something organized for every department.”

Johnson said community senior administrators and fire chiefs throughout the territory have been briefed on the Wounded Warriors partnership and can help employees access it.

For any resident who needs help, the NWT Help Line offers free and confidential support to people in the territory. Other crisis lines and services are available.