THUNDER BAY -- Police work can sometimes lead to struggles with post-traumatic stress.
So in an effort to help officers cope with daily stresses they often face, the Thunder Bay Police Service has created a Critical Incident and Peer Support Program.
The program is still in its early stages and Const. Jeremy Pearson has been appointed as its Coordinator.
Const. Pearson says the next steps for the program implementation will be to establish a peer support team of 10-to-12 people.
Pearson says peer support within the organization is nothing new, as it's been happening informally for many years now.
Pearson adds that after the membership selects a team, an outside agency will train them in debriefing procedures, diffusing emotionally loaded situations, and dealing with critical incident stress.
Accompanying that will be education for all their members in self-assessing and recognizing daily stresses and behaviours.
Pearson hopes to have the team picked and trained by the fall.
(TBT News)
