By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Source: Thunder Bay Source
Some “unique complexities” make emergency responders’ work in rural areas uniquely stressful, says Sharon Bak.
Her consultancy, Bak Emergency Management, is contracted with Rainy River District Paramedic Services to help implement a mental-health peer support program for paramedics.
“When we look at a service like Rainy River paramedics, with a very large area, response times can be up to 40 minutes depending on where the ambulances are going,” she said in an interview.
For example, she said from her Thunder Bay office, there can be added stress when “going to a critical call, knowing it’s going to take more time than the 20 minutes or less that it would be in a city.”
Bak said she has noticed “the level of community and camaraderie is really huge among district paramedics.
“And so when something happens to one, or there’s a call that was difficult, it really does affect all of them, you know. They feel like their brother or sister is hurting, and it adds to that stress.”
Bak draws from her expertise as a registered social services worker and her experience as a former medical first responder with a rural fire department to help the four members of Rainy River paramedics’ peer support team.
The Rainy River District Services Board said in a recent release that Bak’s partnership with the paramedic service “gives staff a private and confidential place to turn for support, follow-up care and guidance. The clinician and the peer support team work separately from management, which helps staff feel comfortable reaching out.”
Comprising Rob Altbauer, Donna O’Sullivan, Katrina Michaels and Shae Felix, the peer support team is active across a district that includes Fort Frances, Atikokan, Rainy River and smaller communities in about 15,000 square kilometres.
Each team member has completed or is working through training in peer support, psychological first aid, supportive communication and referral practices. Paramedics also have access to an app for confidential help.
“Our goal is simple: to support our people with meaningful, evidence-based resources that help them stay healthy,” said Joshua Colling, chief of district paramedic services.
Peer support has “been around for a long time,” said Bak. “But it’s really emerged a lot more in the last probably I’d say 10 to 15 years or so, as a way to help with that day-to-day kind of wellness check.
“Paramedics can support one another — the coffee after the call, I call it.
“I’m in a unique position because I’ve been a first responder and I’m a registered social service worker.
“I am trained in trauma. I’m trained in debriefing. So … I kind of have that peer-to-peer connection with them.”
