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: January 31, 2024 Recently I received a shaming text, “Are you still alive?” from a close friend (outside of policing) whom I have known for 20 years, but have not socialized with for quite a while. That was all she sent. That got my back up against the wall, although I admit, I […]
Originally posted: January 2, 2024 Next month (February 1st), sworn members will FINALLY be able to use their Green Shield benefits to access Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) as mental health service providers. Plus, we now have $5000 per year to support us and our dependents. That’s a big win, thanks VPU. A good place to […]
Originally posted: December 27, 2023 Becky Swan was talking about Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in the office a few weeks ago. She commented that it was similar to the Window of Tolerance (WoT). It is? That got my attention. I am familiar with WoT because three years ago Becky and I took trauma resilience training […]
Originally posted: November 28, 2023 A VPD member sent this to me because they thought it was impactful. I had to watch it twice and it made me aware of my stigma and my unconscious biases. Check in on those around you.
Originally posted: November 9, 2023 “Growing in Hope” is one of the slogans used by the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program. Yes, you heard that right: a mental health program specifically designed to support farmers. I listened to the interview on the radio and I was intrigued, so I found the article in print: Virden woman […]