The Victoria Police Department launched its new trauma resiliency training (TRT) in connection with the Wounded Warrior Run down Vancouver Island this week.
The training is designed to teach resiliency in the face of and following traumatic situations, through a group effort. It was developed by University of Victoria scholars Tim Black and Alex Sterling and shares the Wounded Warrior Canada brand.
“Trauma-exposed professionals, such as police officers, work under conditions where both physical and psychological injury are accepted and well-understood risks of the job,” Black said in a release. “TRT is designed to provide individuals in trauma-exposed organizations with knowledge, skills and tools to help mitigate the risk of on-the-job exposure to events leading to traumatization.”
The program helps make trauma-exposure management a new professional standard, said Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada.
“We continue to see that once members better understand trauma, they want increased education and tools to manage post-trauma responses,” he said. “We commend VicPD for bringing TRT into their organization and want to thank the members who will form the TRT peer team for going above and beyond their duties, in their desire to bring additional mental health support to their colleagues.”
The “train-the-trainer” program will see a handful of VicPD officers receive three days of instruction. Once trained, the cohort will lead the education of colleagues across the organization.
VicPD Chief Const. Del Manak said the effects of trauma are seen every day in staff, who respond to crises of all kinds. “Our officers selflessly and tirelessly focus on the safety and well-being of the community, and this training is an important opportunity for them to turn that focus on themselves to improve their own well-being and resiliency,” he said.
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