Peterborough Police Partner With Wounded Warriors Canada to Provide Additional Mental Health Support to Officers and Their Families

In an effort to provide additional mental health services to first responders, the Peterborough Police Service and Wounded Warriors Canada have announced a partnership on Monday afternoon.

Wounded Warriors Canada is a nationally recognized organization and mental health service provider dedicated to serving ill and injured trauma exposed professionals and their families. The group is currently working with over 100 police services across the country. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The partnership will aid Peterborough Police Service members and their families. 

The Peterborough Police Service Peer Support Team has been actively seeking partnerships with external agencies to benefit all Service members. Wounded Warriors Canada has been chosen as its first priority partnership according to a press release.

“I was part of organizations both at York Regional Police and London Police Service where we partnered with Wounded Warriors so when this came to my attention here in Peterborough, it was a natural that I would support this here as well for the benefit of our members,” said Chief Stuart Betts of the Peterborough Police Service.

Peterborough Police officers often encounter traumatic experiences which is something the public may or may not be aware of, explained Betts.

“Most people are going to see one or two really terrible things that happen in their lives,” he said. “Our police officers can see one, two, three or five in a single 12-hour shift and there's an accumulative effect that goes along with that. Some of our folks are responding to things where people do the most horrible, imaginable things to other individuals out there.”

“That's what the police are affront to and exposed to,” said Scott Maxwell, Wounded Warriors executive director. “What they could see in a shift could be more trauma than an individual maybe hopefully in their lives. But the reality of that requires very tailored, culturally-specific, occupationally aware, training and counselling assistance to make sure that we are getting in front of this reality.”

Anyone from the Police Service can confidentially apply for Wounded Warriors’s services.

Some available programs include:

• Trauma Resiliency Program

• Spousal Resiliency Program

• Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday

• Couples Resiliency Program

• Warrior Kids Camp & Virtual Program

• Surviving Family Program

• PTSD Service Dogs

• Operations Stress Intervention Dog

“We specialize in residential facilitated group counselling programs for individual members, couples counselling, supports for spouses, surviving families (line of duty death and deaths by suicide) and support for kids aged 8-16 years old,” said Maxwell.

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Local Woman Participating in Wounded Warrior Run in British Columbia

Peterborough resident Rebecca Schillemat is participating in the Wounded Warrior One Day Run in Victoria, B.C. on Feb. 5.

photo courtesy of Rebecca Schillemat.

The one day, 58 kilometre run from Sooke to Sidney crosses the northern boarder of Victoria on Vancouver Island. This run is two weeks before the main running event, which is eight days and 600 kilometres from Port Hardy in the north to Victoria at the southern end of Vancouver Island.

The relay-style run is done with a team of military and first responders from Vancouver Island. In 2020, Schillemat participated in the 8-day charity running event to raise awareness of the mental health struggles of military spouses.

The Wounded Warriors Canada run began when Afghanistan veterans felt the need to talk about mental health and make a difference, and this year is the 10th anniversary of the British Columbia run.

Last year the run raised over $165,000 for programs and training to support the mental health of first responders, military and their families. The 2023 Run goal is $250,000.

To donate or learn more about the event, visit the Wounded Warriors website.

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Peterborough Woman Cycling From France To Belgium With Wounded Warriors Canada

Miranda Zeppieri, a Peterborough local, will be participating in the 100 Days to Victory Battlefield Bike Ride with Wounded Warriors, cycling from France to Belgium in June.

Photo courtesy of Miranda Zeppieri.

Wounded Warriors Canada provides a range of clinically facilitated mental health programs specifically developed to support the unique needs of Veterans, First Responders and their families. Zeppieri has been a supporting the cause since 2016.

Being a military partner, a step-mom to two military daughters, and having multiple extended family members in the military, Wounded Warriors is an organization close to Zeppieri’s heart.

“It’s one of those things I quickly became very passionate about,” she said. “I became passionate about cycling about eight years ago, then found out about the Wounded Warriors highway of Heroes ride and I became involved in that. It was amazing and I was able to give back to the military community. I’ve done that ride every year since 2016.”

Wounded Warriors has since retired the Highway of Heroes ride, now Zeppieri participates in their mental health ride which is 220 km long.

From June 13 - 17, Zeppieri, with a group of 100, will cycle from Arras, France to Mons, Belgium - the route the Canadian Corps trekked during the last 100 days of World War One. The Battlefield Ride will be Zeppieri’s longest ride yet, at over 400 km.

“My big ‘why’ as to why I’m riding is that this is my chance to give back and to make a difference within the military community,” said Zeppieri. “I’m doing it as a challenge to myself and I’m also advocating as an individual with two rare medical-complex disorders. I ride to show other people that you can do things even if you have challenges.”

Zeppieri has lived with epilepsy her whole life and also lives with PTSD and anxiety. She says that cycling acts as therapy for her.

In addition to being able to give back to the military community, Zeppieri is also looking forward to seeing the name of her Great-Uncle, who fought in France during WWI, on the wall at Vimy Ridge and paying her respects.

Lauralee Mills and Miranda Zeppieri. Photo courtesy of Miranda Zeppieri.

Each participant in the 100 Days to Victory Battlefielrd Bike Ride must raise $4,000 in order to participate for a total fundraising goal of $400,000 between all participants.

While honouring Canadian soldiers’ service and sacrifice during WWI, the money raised will help support the mental health programs offered by Wounded Warriors Canada.

Zeppieri will be riding with her friend Lauralee Mills and they are fundraising both individually and as Team Zip and Mills.

To donate to Zeppieri’s ride, click here.

To donate to Team Zip and Mills, click here.

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$20,000 Raised From Ruck and Dive Event To Support Work-Related PTSD

After a month-long Ruck and Dive event, the fundraiser will give $20,000 towards Wounded Warriors Canada for two service dogs for anyone experiencing PTSD from work-related trauma this Saturday.

Members of the event skydived from 14,000 feet in the air. Photo Courtesy of Shawn Brennan.

The cheque presentation will occur in a ceremony at Peterborough Cenotaph in front of City Hall with first responders, armed forces and other dignitaries present for the event.

The money was raised through the “30-Day Ruck and Dive Challenge for PTSD 2021” from July 16 to Aug. 14. Participants wore a rucksack weighing 50-pounds and hiking 33 kilometres from Base Borden to the Skydive Centre. They ended the event with a skydive from 14,000 feet.

Ruck and Dive event organizer Shawn Brennan (right) and several others walked 33 kilometres from Base Borden in Angus, Ont. Photo Courtesy of Shawn Brennan.

Shawn Brennan, event organizer saw the impacts of work-induced trauma through his father who served with Peterborough Fire for 32 years. He has also seen friends with similar work conditions suffer from PTSD. He said that they are still human and need help for their hardships like anyone else.

“They are mothers, brothers, fathers and sisters,” he said. “Our mission is to beat the drum and be the mosquito in the tent. At the end of the day, and letting them know there is a voice and additional support.”

Photo Courtesy of Shawn Brennan.

Brennan says that the mental health of workers like firefighters, police officers and armed forces often go back to work as broken men and women without being able to relax and decompress.

“We get exposed to very toxic environments,” he explained. “We are far from decompressing, how many victims have been on Ontario Disability, how much you are compartmentalizing until it starts leaking real bad.”

Brennan pictured with his wife as part of the Wounded Warriors Project. Photo Courtesy of Shawn Brennan.

Roughly $4,000 of raffle items were purchased as giveaways for donors and participants purchased by Brennan. Prizes such as electronics, gift certificates and prepaid credit cards were up for grabs to provide additional incentives for people to participate.

“When individuals are willing to put themselves in that environment to the benefit to us, or it’s dealing with responder issues,” said Brennan. “For people that put their selves on the line, I think we should give back.”

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Peterborough Paramedics Sign Partnership Agreement With Wounded Warriors Canada

Peterborough County-City Paramedics (PCCP) has announced the signing of a new partnership agreement with Wounded Warriors Canada (WWC), the well-known national mental health charity that provides vital mental health programs to support Veterans, First Responders and their families.

Under the agreement, Peterborough County-City Paramedics will share resources and identify or refer their members in need of mental health support to the programs offered by Wounded Warriors Canada.

Photo from Peterborough Paramedics announcement courtesy Wounded Warriors Canada

“Our top priority is the psychological and physical health and safety of our staff,” says PCCP Chief Randy Mellow. “This new partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada will allow us to expand upon on the support network we already have in place to ensure that our paramedics and their families are fully supported at their time of greatest need.”

First Responders are highly trained and skilled professionals who, due to the nature of their work, often face challenging situations that test their physical or mental health and safety. Wounded Warriors Canada’s innovative approach to mental health combines clinical best practices and evidence-informed care to create an environment of compassion, hope and resiliency for participants.

Scott Maxwell from Wounded Warriors and PCCP Chief Randy Mellow signing partnership agreement (Photo courtesy Wounded Warriors Canada)

“This partnership recognizes that no single organization can do it all when it comes to mental health support,” says Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada.

“When a First Responder is struggling, what matters is that the member and their family knows that we are in this together—working to ensure they receive the help they so rightly deserve,” Maxwell adds. “We look forward to working with Peterborough County-City Paramedics in the months and years ahead.”

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Great Video Promoting Non-Profit Organization Wounded Warriors Canada

Here's a video for Wounded Warriors Canada, a not-for-profit that supports war veterans through many different programs and events. Mental illness (like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is difficult to treat when you don't know you are suffering, or are afraid to talk about it. This video hopes to help change the attitude toward mental illness within the military and among Canadians.

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