Thank you very much. I'm absolutely delighted to be here today to talk about operational stress injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
I'm Louise Bradley of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and I'm joined by Phil Upshall from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. Together, our organizations are poised to act quickly in a critical area, thanks to internal knowledge, and strong and existing stakeholder partnerships in Canada and worldwide.
Canadian first responders and public safety officers bear the weight of tremendously responsible jobs. These unsung heroes are quick to act in times of crisis, courageously putting their personal safety at risk in an effort to help others. In a relatively short time, the true toll exacted by this work has become the focus of an impassioned national dialogue. The safety risk faced by first responders goes well beyond their physical well-being. That's why it's heartening to see the federal government showing leadership and taking an active role in confronting the reality of occupational stress injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder.
It's important to note that the mental health concerns of public safety officers are not limited to PTSD. They include a range of problems, from depression and somatic and psychosomatic complaints to chronic fatigue and difficulties with alcohol and other substances. We know the suicide rate is approximately 30% higher than comparison groups, while marital problems are twice as prevalent.
Thankfully, the collaborative work spearheaded by organizations like the commission is lending a voice to this quiet crisis. Our efforts are centred on empowering first responders by exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and leading cutting-edge research.
Among our seminal work is the adaption of the road to mental readiness program, referred to as R2MR, which is a program that was originally developed by the Department of National Defence and designed to foster stigma reduction and mental health promotion in the Canadian Forces. The Mental Health Commission has taken this excellent blueprint and modified it to reflect the needs of police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders. Participants are familiarized with a mental health continuum model and provided with a simple, colour-coded self-assessment tool with clear indicators of good, declining, and poor mental health. R2MR also focuses on teaching a set of cognitive behavioural techniques that help manage stress and build resiliency.
Currently, more than 500 police, firefighter, and paramedic organizations across the country are partnering with the Mental Health Commission to deliver this training. Within the federal government, our partners include the RCMP, which has agreed to deliver training to its 30,000 employees. The recognized need for R2MR is overwhelming. Meeting the demand is among our significant challenges.
It's certainly an area where the allocation of more resources would have a significant impact. To date, the Mental Health Commission has also conducted two train-the-trainer courses with Correctional Services Canada—one in English, one in French. They are rolling out R2MR to corrections personnel as we speak. We're also doing work at the provincial level, both in corrections and with other first responder groups.
I'd like to touch just briefly on our efforts to support the training of Ontario's 30,000 regular and volunteer firefighters, which began in February of this year. We are particularly honoured that the R2MR has received the endorsement of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
Our work with first responders also extends to the provision of mental health first aid. Offered in over 20 countries around the world, mental health first aid consistently offers key results for those who participate in the course, namely an increased awareness of the science and symptoms of mental health problems and decreasing stigmatizing attitudes. The importance of this training also extends to the promotion of good mental health and prevention of mental illness among first responders themselves. In 2013, more than 40 fire departments, 30 paramedic organizations, and 80 police organizations, as well as the Department of National Defence, delivered mental health first aid training.
We're also working to adapt mental health first aid for use by veterans and their families.
As president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, I feel very fortunate to be at the helm of this organization at a time when so many positive initiatives are being undertaken. However, I'm even more hopeful about the positive outcomes that may result as mental health becomes an integral part of workplace safety training, for which the commission has given a great deal of time, effort, and research.
Now, more than ever, we're in a position to equip our first responders with life-saving tools and training. As far as I can see, it is a societal obligation. Ultimately, to neglect the mental health of our first responders is to put the welfare of our communities at risk, and that's a risk we cannot take.
I'd now like to turn the rest of the remarks over to Phil Upshall, who's going to tell you about a proposal that will help ensure first responders seek help, and that it's met with informed and supported care.
Thank you.