Mounties March for OSI PTSD Memorial

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmlXapHEAnk&ab_channel=ExceptionalDroneServicesCanada

Constabe Michael Peters Final Call / Last Call, End of Watch (February 21, 2021) Winnipeg Police Winnipeg Police Service Constable Michael Peters Final Call and Tribute Video. End of Watch, February 21, 2021. The one you ask to stand apart,The one you fe...

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Systemic Racism in the RCMP – RCMP Veteran's Association / Association des Vétéran de la GRC BeRenovate | Best WordPress theme for renovate companies

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RCMP Veteran's Association / Association des Vétéran de la GRC

When it comes to expressing your personal feelings with today’s tragedy, it is no secret it is severely limited within the police culture. Being a working or retired member, your professional conduct norms dictate that you “must remain calm and in control”, constantly guarding their emotions, and the toll becomes even greater for doing so.

Because of the norm to refrain from displays of emotions, you may find few opportunities to deal directly with the pent-up feelings caused by tragic events; especially on days like this. Consequently, the aftermaths of these tragedies are rarely discussed in terms of the impact on the officers involved, and those of you who are already dealing with your own tragedies of the job. SO many of you are unable to reveal your feelings to fellow officers, much less discuss them in a social media group, for fear of being viewed as inadequate—as not having what it takes to be a solid, dependable police officer… that’s simply WRONG, however, VERY close to the truth we all live.

We’re a family. This has hit every police officer, their wives, their children and their friends, the way it always has, and unfortunately, it will continue to impact our lives each time the death of a member happens. All of it brings home the risk and vulnerability of all law enforcement officers and affects the officer’s peers, the entire department, the wider police community, and the all officer’s “family”. That means US.

The grief and loss that members feel at the death of someone they worked with and knew, the death of an ANY officer, resonates with all of us because of the powerful fear factor: “It could happen to any of us.” “It could happen at any time, of any day.”

There is this underlying belief that (and even amongst ourselves) society expects you to be BRAVE for us!! Mourning is permitted, even by stoic Mounties!

Even without a PTSD/OSI, this is psychologically destabilizing for ALL members! I know that we are in shock, in disbelief, I know that many of you feel immense sadness, anger and even guilt! We can express our heartfelt condolences, we can mourn the loss of a friend and co-worker, and we will, you do not need permission to FEEL, or cry! You do not need to feel embarrassed by your feelings, remember, you’re a HUMAN first, a police officer second. Don’t shy away from sharing reminiscences of your friend, I would love to remember those we’ve lost thru your love and stories shared.

We all have emotional triggers…how can we not??? We are all in this group because of trauma. This is a major trigger for anyone, and those suffering from PTSD/OSI. Please reach out! Know that we are HERE, you are NOT alone. You are NEVER alone. We’re family, and we’re in this together, we’ll
get thru this together.

Our DEEPEST heartfelt condolences to Cst Heidi Stevenson's Family and friends...

Mounties’ decision to return gun to PTSD victim haunts her brother In the spring of 2018, Kevin Carlé received a phone call from the Sooke RCMP that haunts him to this day. An officer was making inquiries into whether Carlé’s sister, former Nanaimo Mountie Krista . . .

She got her gun back, then she killed herself Cpl. Brent Robertson was at his desk in Langford on the morning of July 11, 2018, when he overheard people talking about the su***de of former RCMP officer Krista Carlé a few days earlier. . . .

Backlog of applications for veterans' benefits grows by the thousands | CBC News More Canadian veterans than ever are waiting to find out whether they qualify for disability benefits, despite repeated government promises and efforts to get the situation under control.

Living with PTSD: A Wife’s Side of the Story - Fire Engineering Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the first responder world is real, and the life stories should be told. Read more from Lori Moore.

An exclusive look at the RCMP’s alleged campaign to get rid of Mounties with disabilities "The hallmarks are the same in every case," says lawyer Sebastien Anderson, "the end result is the same: people being forced into this medical discharge."

***deprogramsDeficientReport

RCMP's su***de programs 'unwittingly deficient,' says report on Ottawa Mountie's death | CBC News An internal report that reviewed the death of an RCMP constable and its aftermath says the RCMP lacks awareness about Mountie su***des - and its ability to prevent them likely falls short as a result.

Cowardly Police Leaders Are Driven by Fear Cowardly police leaders are driven by fear. We know it’s true since we’ve seen it too often. Beyond normal politics

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After a decade of grappling with sexual harassment and bullying, is the RCMP ready to turn the page? “You need a leadership team at the very top who are wholeheartedly committed to making this happen and coming at the situation eyes wide open."

Breaking point: Addressing operational stress and PTSD among police “Maybe it’s a bad homicide or I know the ones that really affect (members) is the vehicle crashes.”

Not only are Vets, "asking more than he can give"... apparently SO are Mounties....

"Twas the night before Christmas
when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there...."

My Christmas wish

For many of us, this is an exciting time of year that brings happiness and closeness. Yet, for loved ones who have PTSD, this festive season and the stresses and strains that accompany it can be a recipe for PTSD triggers and can aggravate feelings such as fear, anxiety and depression. I am acutely familiar and aware of his triggers. When we ‘care’ for someone we love, who is suffering with OSI it’s a fine balancing act.

Those who suffer from PTSD for the most part, IMHO, suffer from loneliness and isolation. Their feelings of loneliness are exasperated by the media coverage of togetherness and family time, people being happy, sharing presents. There’s a societal expectation that everyone will, by definition, be happy at this time of year. It’s almost unyielding to people being sad or suffering from depression and loneliness.
It’s heart-wrenching for me knowing that society stigmatizes the source of the biggest loss of living a Healthy life, that being our mental wellbeing. We need to destigmatize and have an open society where people can freely talk, free of judgement, free from the stigma that the majority suffer further from.
Just because it affects the brain, that doesn’t make it any less real than any other diseases. In fact, many illnesses come hand in hand with mental health issues, this aspect I know up close and personal.

As we are about to embark on a new decade, my one Christmas ‘wish’ is for people who suffer with PTSD/OSI, they should be able to just go and talk to someone about it, at any time. There should be no worry of stigma or judgment.
It is TIME for change. In 2020, my passion will be to-do everything within my power (AKA as tenacity, pit bull driven) to get OSI higher on the priority list within the ranks of the RCMP, there needs to be a greater understanding of the fact that it is such a huge source of disability in our relationships, in our work, and more importantly to ourselves.

Please recognize your own personal triggers in the coming days. TAKE time for YOU, take CARE of YOU. Those who know and love you will understand… and remember, YOU ARE NEVER ALONE!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Don’t let another year pass without addressing officer stress and trauma

With jingle bells, twinkly lights and ho-ho-ho everywhere, pictures of the holidays make us think we should wake up every day feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. But this may not be how your holiday feels at all.
Instead of excitement, the holidays may bring you down. When you walk into a store in October and see Christmas decorations, you may feel dread. The commercials begin, and your stress level may start to rise. And instead of bringing joy, Christmas music may bring you to tears.
Expectations are placed so high to feel happiness and joy, and an open heart for friends and strangers alike, that we set ourselves up for disappointment. Real life is still happening, and our daily struggles don’t disappear just because it’s the holiday season. This is especially true for law enforcement, as you experience more “real life” than most people. If you are struggling with life in October, chances are good that those struggles continue in December.
For officers, the holidays bring additional emotions. Will you even get to be with your family on Christmas Day, or will you be working? If you do get to be at home, you’ll probably also be thinking about your work family who are on patrol and not with their loved ones. You may also be missing a fallen officer, or thinking sadly about his or her family celebrating Christmas on their own this year.
With all of this, and with all that you see every day, how can you feel joy and peace?
We encourage you to do just a few simple things:
1. STOP COMPARING.
If you find yourself comparing your holiday with others, stop and focus on what matters to you, and then let that be enough. Be content with where you are, who you are and what you have. If you are financially stressed, don’t worsen the situation by giving gifts to try to match the actions of others. Instead, give of yourself and work with what you have, but don’t deplete yourself in the process or let comparisons make you feel unworthy.
2. SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
All the hype around the holidays makes us feel like we should ramp up our energy, our home décor, our financial ability, our time with friends and family, and even our level of happiness. Instead set your expectations in line with the reality of your own little piece of the world. If you aren’t a cook, don’t expect to present your family with a golden holiday turkey and all the fixings. Set realistic expectations about how your own holiday will, and should, look, for your own life.
3. LET GO OF REGRET.
Maybe this wasn’t your best year. If there’s something in your life you wish was different, and you still have the ability to change it, start working on doing that. But if you can’t change something, try letting go of the feeling of regret that’s eating away at you. If you need to apologize to someone, do it, genuinely and sincerely. If you need to forgive someone, do it, for your own sense of peace. And then move on. Let go of the regrets so you can start the New Year free of stress and anxiety.
4. ACCEPT YOUR STRUGGLES.
Life is hard sometimes, and nobody is getting through it as easily as they may make it seem. Things may be hard for you for many reasons – it is okay to admit that things aren’t great. Accept that all of us struggle at different points in life with different things. Don’t let the season make you focus on the struggles – remember that this season and its challenges will pass.
5. SET NEW YEAR GOALS.
Instead of pressure-filled resolutions, set some goals. But don’t set your expectations so high you’ll never be able to follow through. Name a few simple things you’d like to be different in your life – and then outline a plan to achieve that change.
The holidays can be tough for law enforcement families, leading to stress and even depression. This year do what works for you. If you’re feeling down, depressed, or alone, call 800-268-7708; you’ll find a caring voice at the other end of the line to help you make it through the hard stuff.
The holiday season, just like your life, is what you make it. It’s not what others tell you it should be, and it’s not what your holiday looks like compared to others. Celebrate the holiday for the reasons you choose, in the way that fits you and your life, and make the very best of it that you can with whatever you have to work with.

Source: Amy Morgan

Struggling this Holiday Season

I’m not writing this to everyone.
I’m writing this to you—the person whose heart is heavy today, the one for whom this day is not merry and bright, the one who doesn’t feel at all like singing.
I’m writing this to you who face subtraction today; who feel the combined attrition of the all losses you’ve accrued this year; the people who’ve died, the ones who left voluntarily, those you’ve had to push away to protect yourself.
I’m writing to you who’ve seen the end of something you loved; the dream that dissolved despite how much you gave up to make it real; all the things that you wish to be true right now and should be true—but are not.
I’m writing to those who’ve watched their best attempts to save their marriages not be enough, who are finding themselves no longer half of the whole they once felt securely part of; those who have a different set of chairs around the table—far too many of them empty.
I’m writing to you who are grieving; those sitting vigil in hospital rooms praying for good news; those who just got test results back and have heard the worst; those who are spending this day planning a memorial service instead of a holiday celebration.
I’m writing to you whose personal demons have gotten the best of you; who’ve been visited at the very worst time by depression and addiction and self-hatred—those whose greatest threat to joy right now is an inside job.
I’m writing this to those who are alone today: geographically separated from the people they love, emotionally distanced from those they desire proximity to, pushed by circumstance to the solitary places.
I’m writing this to those who’ve been left broken by this year; by its cruelty and bitterness and violence—those of you who harbor more anger, carry more grief, and bear more fear because of what you’ve seen and what you know and how you feel about this place you call home.
Ultimately, I’m writing to you, who for a million different reasons find peace difficult to come by in a time when it’s supposed to be plentiful.
I don’t have any magic words to fix what is broken around you or to repair what is broken within you.
I can’t simply place a cursor on the sadness you feel and backspace until it’s deleted, replacing it with words like comfort or peace or contentment.
I can’t say anything in this small space that will mend what is severed, resurrect what has died, or heal what is ill.
I just wanted these words to hopefully remind you of two things:
The first, is that you are not alone; that even though you’re uniquely suffering in the specific sadness you’re inhabiting right now—you are not suffering by yourself. The world is filled with people who are not exactly, but still deeply burdened, grieving, angry, hopeless, exhausted.Even if you never see their faces or know their names, rest in the truth that millions of wounded people stand in solidarity with you in this day—and that they get it. I get it.
The second thing I wanted to remind you of, is that though this is your painful story right now, it is not the end of your story.
The way you feel today will not always be the way you feel. As difficult as it is to imagine in these painful moments—there will be holidays when lightness returns to you; days when you are cultivating new dreams again, when you once more feel secured in a place where you belong, when you again find yourself embraced by people who see and treasure the goodness in you, days when you are easily pushing back your demons.
There will be holidays when celebration is your default setting.
But right now, don’t feel any guilt for the sadness within you.
Don’t beat yourself up for not wanting to sing right now.
Don’t feel pressured to have the s**t together that simply isn’t together and won’t be for a while.
Just receive this Christmas as it is, receive it as you are—with all the struggle and uncertainty and grieving it brings.
I’m not writing this to everyone, but if I’ve written this for you, be greatly encouraged.
You are loved. You are NEVER ALONE.

Source: JOHN PAVLOVITZ

"We have mandated every divisional occupational health office to look into all cases of su***de, to make sure that we have done everything that we could,” said Gilles Moreau, the RCMP’s assistant commissioner and main advocate for mental health issues.

The initiative is partly a response to frequent requests for statistics regarding su***des, Moreau explained. “With everything that is being written about post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues within the RCMP, but also within the Canadian Forces, within Canadian society as well, we felt it important to look at the rates of su***des within the organization.”

Great-West Life’s data provided the quantity of the su***des but not the causes. While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was believed to be a frequent cause, other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were likely contributors as well, according to Moreau.

Because depression and anxiety aren't a result of OSI? Ok, so you've LOOKED at the rates, according to what is deemed PTSD related su***de, or depression and anxiety.. WHAT is the Force doing about it?

WHY is this the story? Why not simply TELL the TRUTH???

Members of the RCMP are dying in record numbers...we're supposed to be thankful that you think it's important enough to "look into it" HUGE FAIL!

RCMP executive | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

"There has to be a leader within the upper management of the RCMP who will stand up. Rock the status quo. Make our members the First Priority"

"Agreed, however I believe her name is Brenda Lucki, last time I checked, isn't that her job?"

14. Employees of the Federal Government

When an employee of a federal department, agency or Crown corporation dies in the line of duty...

"or by reason of the position he or she occupies within that federal department"

agency or Crown corporation, the Minister responsible for that organization may decide to Half-mast the Flag. Half-masting in such circumstances can only be carried out on those buildings and establishments affiliated to the organization. The Minister may decide on the geographical extent of the Half-masting and its duration. The decision must be shared immediately with the Manager responsible for the administration of the Rules within the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Director General responsible for the implementation of the Rules within the Department of Canadian Heritage will in turn inform the Privy Council Office

Unless of course you are a RCMP member who dies by su***de...then you're lucky if you get so much as a mention in the news, along with a press statement from the Commissioner of the RCMP, written by some minion as her boots are being polished.

Breaking the stigma around mental health is part of what we're striving for.

Our men and women suffer in silence and they're the best in covering up until it's too late. Reach out, it's okay.

Mounties March for OSI PTSD Memorial updated their website address.

Zero psychologists are working at N.S. clinic for RCMP, military members with PTSD | CBC News As high-profile Mounties talk about their PTSD in an urgent cry for increased mental-health services, a specialized clinic that treats Armed Forces and RCMP members with PTSD in Dartmouth, N.S., is operating without any psychologists.

Statement from the RCMP:

'We have to do better'

“We will make it mandatory that every su***de that we have in the organization, a postmortem is done ... and that we review the cases to see if there is anything we can learn from that, and put in place anything we can do differently to assist our members."

What have you learned?

Mounties March for OSI PTSD Memorial updated their business hours.