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Boots on the Fire Grounds: CAFC Mental Health Resources

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CAFC’s putting boots on the fire grounds for mental health: sharing, spreading and scaling resources
 
For many years the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) has been advocating for mental health awareness and training resources. While we will continue our advocacy, our sense of urgency has turned CAFC’s attention towards delivering what we can. Our strategy is to work with willing partners and funders to provide access to existing programs.
 
New Funding

 

At Fire Rescue Canada 2022, CAFC was honoured to receive a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation and Bell Let's Talk, which will enable us to continue providing more free mental health awareness training.

 

 

Click on the video below to watch the announcement of the Motorola Solutions Foundations Grant.

 


Funders to date

 

We are pleased to have received support from:
  • Wounded Warriors Canada to run a pilot of the Before Operational Stress Program,
  • The Motorola Solutions Foundation to run Train the Trainer courses in the Resilient Minds™ program, 
  • The Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment for materials to support mental health awareness training, and
  • Bell Let's Talk to continue the provision of mental health awareness training. 
 

Mental Health Awareness Training

Since 2017, the Fire Chiefs have been on the record with the need for mental health awareness training for every firefighter. CAFC members choose which “brand” of awareness training is used if it has proven safe and effective for its intended purpose.  

As such, CAFC members have used the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Resilient Minds Program; the Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment version of R2MR, the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s, Working Mind Program.

CAFC member departments choose which program suits their needs. CAFC’s goal is to facilitate delivery, scale and spread, recognizing that these programs have associated costs. Since many operate on a train the trainer model, we can share trainers across the country, expediting the number of departments and firefighters that have access. Members can find our database allowing them to search for trainers below. 

Since 2021, thanks to generous funding, we have trained 70 individuals in Resilient Minds. These individuals are now qualified to offer the course and have reached over over 300 firefighters in Canada in communities across Canada. 

 

More free train the trainer courses will be offered throughout 2023 thanks to generous foundations and friends of the CAFC. Please stay tuned for announcements dates and registration. In the meantime, members can search the database here and learn what we've already done. 

 

Read a Globe and Mail story on how mental health awareness training is filling a gap.

  

 

Next Steps

CAFC will continue to seek access to resources to continue delivery on behalf of its membership.  

If you are an organization that would like to support our goal, please contact our Executive Director, Tina Saryeddine at tsaryeddine@cafc.ca.
 
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