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.
Originally posted: June 6, 2024 I have three high school girlfriends with whom I am still very connected. One summer, when we were getting ready to spend some time together, I brought with me four drink cozies that I had picked out for each of us. I asked them each to guess which one was […]
Originally posted: May 30, 2024 Change is hard, but it’s also good. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and hopefully into that optimal performance zone. It definitely brings opportunities to learn and grow. We had more changes in the Employee Wellness Unit, recently. If you haven’t seen Becky Swan’s smiling face around the […]
Originally posted: May 14, 2024 “I was having trouble sleeping and becoming more cynical about the justice system, policing, the public, and I knew that wasn’t me, the person I wanted to be or who I believe I am.” Take four minutes to read the Australian Police article “Preventing compassion fatigue is crucial to emergency […]
Originally posted: May 7, 2024 The skin is the largest organ in the human body. Studies show that even mild stress can compromise the health of your skin, both causing and exacerbating a variety of conditions. This chemical response might even make your skin not only more reactive, but it can also make skin issues […]
Originally posted: April 30, 2024 After nearly five years supervising the EWU, Dave has moved to 2120 Cambie to supervise the special municipal constables in the Community Safety Unit (even side). What a great fit that will be! Dave accomplished a lot in 4-and-3/4 years in the EWU: 2019 became first full-time Employee Wellness Unit […]