Welcome to the VPD Members Wellness Blog: a place to read about and find resources for first responders. This blog has been published internally for the last four years and we are now sharing it with our retired members, as much of the information is also relevant to you.
There is no doubt your life of service and the stress from some of the traumatic events you were involved in have impacted your mental health and wellness. Some of it may have impacted your family, as well.
We hope this bog will help you gain personal insight into your own mental and physical wellness and access resources to help you navigate the ups and downs of life.
Help eliminate the stigma around mental health by talking about the impact of first responder stress with someone you trust.
If you have any questions or suggested topics, please email Constable Michele McKnight at michele.mcknight@vpd.ca.
Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC) is a national mental health service provider utilizing clinical best practices and evidence-based care to create an environment of compassion, resiliency and hope for Canada’s Veterans, First Responders and their families.
Originally posted: August 6, 2024 If you have ever thought you might have experienced burnout (past or present), you must listen to this 60-minute podcast, or read the book. Brene Brown talks with Dr. Emily Nagoski and Dr. Amelia Nagoski (twins) about their book “Burnout.” Learn about what causes burnout, what it does to our […]
Originally posted: July 4, 2024 Siusan MacKenzie is the CEO of The Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) in the state of Victoria, Australia. The ESF has fundraised for and developed their own first responder resiliency program based on the Resiliency in Policing Program designed by Dr. Duncan Shields and Dr. David Kuhl. I had a chance […]
Originally posted: July 3, 2024 I had a first big step this week. I finally rode my “new-to-me” motorbike. I bought it almost a month ago and had a few opportunities to make time to ride it. But I didn’t. I’ll be honest, I’m intimidated by this machine. It’s bigger, more powerful, and prettier than […]
Original post: June 12, 2024 Did you know that the Centre of Clinical Excellence – Veterans and First Responders Health is a facility dedicated to the health and wellness of First Responder and Veterans? Their clinicians are trained about and understand first responder issues. They offer an integrated continuum of health services, like medical and […]