Host Tom Stamatakis is passionate about Mental Health Wellness in Policing, and he was super thankful to interview Dr. Tim Black, Counselling Psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Victoria.   Some of Dr. Black’s focus is on First Responder Trauma and he recently provided instruction to several VCPU members in Trauma and Resiliency Training (TRT).  Dr. Black’s program is a partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada. https://woundedwarriors.ca/our-programs/trauma-resiliency-training-trt/

Tim wants First Responders to understand what Trauma is, what PTSD is, how you get diagnosed and lastly how your employer/workplace treats people suffering from Trauma.  His goal of educating employers and staff to better know what to look for and how to respond to maximize the treatment response.  Stigmatization is always a huge barrier and the teaching model of Peer to Peer has proven effective to getting employees to take steps to get better rather than hiding their trauma. 

What is Trauma? Exposed to an event where there is actual or threatened death, actual or threatened serious violence or actual or threatened sexual violence.  “So much of policing is daily exposure to traumatic events” – Dr. Tim Black.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-black-32208310/

https://www.facebook.com/WoundedWarriorsCanada

Sound editing done by Todd Mason.

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