Grant: Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grants - LOI

Public safety personnel (PSP), including police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, corrections personnel, and border security officers, are routinely exposed to critical incidents that may be potentially traumatic events and can have negative effects on their mental health and well-being. These negative effects can ripple into their family systems; . Currently, little known is known about the specific experiences of PSP families in Canada. Much can be drawn from the experiences of military and veteran families, for whom there is a well developed body of research on mental health impacts within family systems. An evidence-based program-Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS)-has been shown to be effective in supporting the health and resilience of military families who experience persistent stressors related to service. Our proposed study draw upoen this work and will deepen our understanding of the experiences of PSP families, with representation from key PSP sectors. Specifically, we will look to understand how mental health changes in PSP impact the family; how families support the mental health of PSP; and what PSP families do to maintain their own mental health within the specific Canadian context. We will then adapt FOCUS to reflect the unique needs and experiences of Canadian PSP families. Our established and multi-disciplinary research team consists of national and international researchers and experts to ensure that the complex and diverse lived experiences of Canadian PSP families are appropriately reflected in the adaptation of the FOCUS program. This research will be shared with the vast network of colleagues, organizations, and associations that our team brings to the table using various PSP, family, professional, and policy communication platforms.