Town of Oakville
Pictured in the photo are Oakville Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault holding the Wounded Warriors Canada flag with Oakville Professional Fire Fighters Association President James MacMurray, Oakville Fire Deputy Chief Daniel Boyer, Oakville Professional Fire Fighters Association Vice President Phil Cartwright, Oakville Fire Peer Support Team lead Michael Mechan, Fire Chief Training Officer Shawn Matheson, Assistant Chief Training Officer Paul Hollingshead, and Training Officers Jason Martindale and Jimmie Lee.
Oakville Fire Department is continuing to enhance the mental health services and supports available for Oakville firefighters and their families through a new partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada.
Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health service provider specializing in the delivery of clinically facilitated group trauma programs supporting individuals, couples, spouses, surviving spouses and children affected by operational stress injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their Trauma Informed Workplace Training programs help educate organizations to make trauma exposure management the new professional standard by teaching, training and supporting members through the difficult scenarios they encounter every day.
“Given the complexities of operational stress injuries, we know that no single organization can provide the 100% solution when it comes to the mental health and wellness needs of its members and their families,” says Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada. “Partnerships are vital. Together, we are working to break down barriers to accessing culturally appropriate mental health care while reducing stigma for those who serve. We’re grateful for their willingness to collaborate, and we look forward to working with the Oakville Fire team in the months and years to come.”
“Our greatest resource is our personnel, and we need to ensure that we support mental health resiliency,“ adds Paul Boissonneault, Fire Chief of the Oakville Fire Department.
“Our greatest resource is our personnel, and we need to ensure that we support mental health resiliency,“ adds Paul Boissonneault, Fire Chief of the Oakville Fire Department. “The partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada provides additional supports to our internal corporate employee assistance programs and initiatives and complements the great work being done through our Oakville Fire Peer Support Team. Collectively we are actively working to remove the stigma towards mental health and provide our team with the tools to address the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.”
