How to Get FULLY INVOLVED! Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Counsellor BY KEN DE JONG, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 445-A
KEN: What is your background in this field? CHRIS: I am a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. My area of practice includes adults and couples. I have been in practice for 22 years and have worked with Toronto Fire Services since 2003. KEN: Structurally, how is your role related to the Peer Support Group? CHRIS: I work with the Peer Support Team to provide training, consultation and assistance with referral to appropriate resources and community-based clinicians. The Peer Support Team has many dedicated members who are very passionate about assisting members of the service. The Peer Support Team members have a wealth of knowledge and experience in supporting the psychological wellness of TFS staff. Several members of the team have been providing peer support for more than 20 years. The team is fortunate to have members who are certified by the I.A.F.F. to provide training in behavioral health, and who are approved by the Department of National Defence to provide training in the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR).
INTRODUCTION
This series usually presents a Q&A article on a Toronto Fire related organization that offers a way to get more involved in the firefighting community. With the “Mental Wellness” theme, we have made a small departure from that approach and invited Chris Rodrigues, Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Counsellor to participate, in order to get more information on what he does and how it helps. I hope you enjoy the article and can benefit from its content.
KEN: What is your job at the Toronto Fire Services? CHRIS: My job with Toronto Fire Services has three aspects: (i) I provide consultation on policy development regarding mental health concerns; (ii) I provide consultation, training and education to the Fire Services Peer Support Team; and (iii) I provide short-term counselling to members of the Fire Service.
KEN: What would you say is special about how firefighters are exposed to, and deal with, mental health challenges? CHRIS: I would say that the incidents that firefighters are exposed to can be quite traumatic. Firefighters deal with very tragic circumstances. Some incidents are very gruesome. In Operations, firefighters go into dangerous and risky situations (collapsing structures, flashovers, chemical exposures) to suppress fires and rescue members of the public. In Fire Investigations, firefighters may be repeatedly exposed to traumatic images. These exposures can lead to a range of issues including depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and post-traumatic stress. One of the protective factors in the fire service is the fact that you are family. You have each other to turn to and to process things, especially over “kitchen table talk”. There is enormous mutual support and a reliance on each other that is a big part of promoting resilience. I believe the service as a whole is working towards reducing stigma and supporting people to seek out the supports they need through proactive strategies like the mandatory training in R2MR modules and the behavioural health initiatives. I know that the Peer Support Team has been working very hard and diligently to encourage members to access help early on, before they run into more significant problems.
Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 25
