VICTORIA – A new partnership between Saanich police and Wounded Warriors Canada will bring stronger and more accessible mental health supports to police officers in the region.
The Saanich Police Department (SPD) will be working with Wound Warriors Canada (WWC) – a national charity that offers mental health support for veterans, first responders and their families – to allow the two organizations to share resources and refer officers to programs offered by WWC.
Earlier this year, Saanich police also became the province's first police department to offer Trauma Resiliency Training (TRT) to its members. TRT is described as trauma education that was created by two University of Victoria faculty members, Dr. Tim Black and Alex Sterling, to help first responders manage traumatic experiences.
"The Saanich Police Department is deeply committed to the health and wellness of our staff and providing them with the training and resources they require to respond to psychologically demanding calls for service in the community,” said Saanich Police Chief Const. Scott Green.
"Through these types of strategic partnerships, we can better prepare our members to remain resilient in the face of adversity, ensure the safety of the public, and maintain our commitment to the highest standards of police service for our community."
The TRT program first launched in the fall of 2019 and is available for Saanich police, the Central Saanich Fire Department and civilian staff.
