Today OPPA President John Cerasuolo was joined by OPPA Directors Rob Jamieson and Mike Adair, the Toronto Police Association, the Police Association of Ontario, Police Associations and Police Services from across Ontario, and Public Safety Personnel in Aurora for the Ontario Government launch of the Ontario Immediate Family Wellness Program (OIFWP).
This Ontario Government is investing $3.18 million into mental health services tailored specifically for the families of Public Safety Personnel in Ontario who have lost a loved one in the line of duty or to a suicide.
This program is modelled on the OPPA’s existing Encompas Mental Health Wellness Program (which will not change), and is specific to the extended families and loved ones of line of duty deaths and suicides who may not be covered by traditional dependent benefits.
The program serves as a lifeline, offering comprehensive support including counseling, therapy, and mental health treatment. The program will also provide compassionate assistance for up to two years following a tragedy, ensuring timely access to crucial services at no cost. Eligible family members, including partners, parents, siblings, children, or identified significant individuals, will have access to crisis support, counseling, and therapy via phone or online.
This three-step care model encompasses crisis and care planning available 24/7, comprehensive services facilitating rapid access to counseling, and proactive care tailored to individual needs and locations.
For further details visit the Ontario Government press release for the launch below.
The OPP have launched an OPP Family Wellness Resource Guide.
Encompas Mental Health Wellness Program
Wednesday, December 6th – 10:00am ET – 11:00am ET
About the Speaker:
Elizabeth is a First Responder spouse of both a Canadian Armed Forces reservist and Police Sergeant. Her husband of 20 years, Andrew Gough CD is a Military Police/Close Protection Operator and medically retired Police Sergeant with London Police Service. Together they founded V-EH! Veterans and Everyday Heroes in 2019 – a federal not-for-profit organization. They have spoken on a number of platforms, sharing their journey through an OSI to offer their reflections on Post Traumatic Growth. In Elizabeth’s professional life, she is an Early Years Advisor with the Ministry of Education/Ontario Public Service and is also a dedicated community volunteer and leader on several initiatives to champion sport, children, and women’s causes. Elizabeth and Andrew have two teenage children and reside in St. Thomas Ontario.
About the Session:
Join us on Wednesday, December 6th, from 10:00am ET – 11:00am ET to have a conversation with Elizabeth Gough, a first responder spouse, as she provides an intimate and honest account of her experience living with and loving a first responder with an Operational Stress Injury. She will share reflections on her family’s trauma journey – where their story with an OSI began and their collective experience with it. Elizabeth will take us on a journey through the difficult identification of the injury, her loving assertation that her spouse seek help, life and culture as a military and police family, parenting in a home of trauma, pathways of healing, and unexpected possibilities. Elizabeth may be joined by her eighteen-year-old daughter Ava who will share her reflection on growing up with a Dad with an OSI. This session will delve into the impacts of PTSD, not just on the serving member but also on the spouse and family.
Visit www.encompascare.ca to learn more.
Note: To ensure your anonymity, your registration information will ONLY be available to the hosts from Dalton Associates. Registrants will NOT have the option of turning on their camera or microphone at any time. Questions will be managed through the text Q&A which are sent only to the hosts – Dalton Associates. They will either answer those questions verbally without referencing the name of the participant who asked the question, or privately through the text function.
All sessions will be delivered through the PHIPA compliant version of Zoom Webinar.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact encompas@daltonassociates.ca