CANMORE – Across the country a crisis in mental health has been growing as first responders and soldiers struggle with the pressures of a lifestyle unimaginable to most Canadians.
First responders are 28 times more likely than the average Canadian to consider suicide, and as recent research published in the journal Canadian Psychology indicates, are also less likely to seek and receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other related mental health issues.
But thanks to a local initiative by Canmore firefighters, creating safe spaces to have difficult conversations around mental health with first responders is getting easier.
“I really hope that people understand that we are battling a lot more than we let on,” said Chad Guenter, co-creator of the All In coin program.
A Canmore firefighter, Guenter created a coin for compassion and an accompanying program to help first responders begin conversations about receiving mental health support from their peers.
Just starting a conversation around the need for support can be difficult for first responders – even when they have someone to speak to whom they trust – all of which is made easier through the use of the All In coin.
The coins, which have bison on one side and the maple leaf on the other, have deep symbolic meaning that has resonated with the emergency response community.
The bison, he added, didn’t always look like the fittest or most conventional animal, but it was the one that thrived and that is a metaphor for first responders.
“We put on a lot on our back and try and run with it and sometimes we’re not always successful,” he said. “That animal fits really well with our design.”
Likewise, the maple leaf is a representation of a strong, tall and hardy tree.
Sliding the coin to a peer with the bison side up indicates the need to have a debrief conversation, while the maple leaf side shows that the coin holder is in need of greater support.
“Those conversations are really tough, so what helps is to have someone they really trust … we were hoping that a tool help alleviate heaviness that comes from trying to bring up these conversations,” said Guenter.
“If we can get that other party that we’re presenting this coin to, to start that conversation we think that is a massive, easier, big first step than just trying to come up with those words.”
Sheepdog Lodge CEO Dan Irvine said it is often difficult for first responders to connect with therapists and counselors because they must first describe what their job entails before receiving treatment for their mental health. The lodge offers respite to combat veterans and first responders with post traumatic stress disorder through mentorship and support in a rustic outdoor setting.
“The All In program provides a network of people that speak the same language,” said Irvine. “We don’t need to change the way we speak to express some of the issues we’re going through.”
The All In program, which received its non-profit status after being fast tracked, came about after Guenter, Gregg Schaalje and Ryan Fowler recognized the immediate need to help.
“We had just gone through a period of time where we had lost four first responders within a period of about
45 days, and two in Alberta within about 20 days,” said Schaalje.
“As mental health advocates, Chad came and said let’s rethink and revision the coin.”
Challenge coins, as they are often known, have becoming increasingly popular amongst emergency responders and military personnel to build comradery, and are frequently associated with beer or alcohol.
Both Schaalje and Guenter emphasized that this coin is very different, both in purpose and in the way it’s presented between holders.
In December, Guenter and Schaalje presented the first coins to Canmore Fire-Rescue in recognition of the support local firefighters have given to help make the All In program happen. Agencies and individuals have since adopted the All In coin across the nation from B.C. to Ontario.
Lake Louise Fire Rescue purchased coins for themselves, and for members of the Lake Louise RCMP detachment.
In Ontario, a coin was presented to a priest in recognition that often men of the cloth act as the first point of counseling for first responders with faith.
The All In program has also begun to reach outside the national borders of Canada.
All 250 members of Canada’s peacekeeping mission to Mali, Operation Presence, will be given coins by an Alberta Health Services paramedic who was deployed with 15 Field Ambulance earlier this month.
Irvine said the difference between the public’s perception of what peacekeeping entails and what actually occurs can be strikingly different. Peacekeepers serve in a combat zone, transporting casualties from a conflict that has been ongoing since 2012.
“The public seems to think that we are going over and handing out Band-Aids,” he said. “These guys need to know that their sacrifice is appreciated and we appreciate them.”
Sheepdog Lodge, with the help of Guenter is also developing one of, if not the first, civilian led re-integration programs for peacekeepers returning from Mali, Africa, with support being offered before deployment.
Rest, recuperation and reconnecting to family are the core components to that program.
“When they come home and go back to their civilian life, or get out of the military, they need to know that they aren’t alone,” said Irvine.
