Essex Windsor EMS Receives $20,000 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Grant
Essex Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) receives a
$20,000 Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund grant
to enhance the EMS Peer Support Program
Essex, ON – Essex Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is pleased to announce that they are the proud recipients of a $20,000 Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund grant. The funds will be used in support of paramedic and first-responder mental wellness, by helping to enhance the Essex-Windsor EMS Paramedic Peer Support Program that was launched in 2014.
Ensuring mental wellness for paramedics and first-responders is a key priority for Essex Windsor EMS, and the grant allows for greater enhancements to this front-line and peer-directed program, that encourages helping one another through challenging situations and traumatic patient calls. Peer Support Program volunteers have all undergone rigorous training in order to further develop their skills to assist and guide colleagues through a variety of difficult scenarios.
“Since its inception, the Peer Support Program has been extremely well received. It is invaluable for our staff to know that their colleagues, who have likely undergone similar, relatable circumstances, are available for them – to talk to, to listen to, to lean on”, said Bruce Krauter, Chief, Essex-Windsor EMS. “Thanks to the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund, we can continue to further support this program and our paramedics who may be in need of mental health services”.
The Peer Support Program works in conjunction with the County of Essex’s Employee Assistance Program as well as other Essex-Windsor EMS health and wellness initiatives. With the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund grant, Essex-Windsor EMS will further enhance the Peer Support Program by monitoring and continuously improving the practice, collecting and reporting outcome measures and by solidifying the program’s processes and procedures, in order to help introduce the program to other emergency services.
“Bell Let’s Talk is very pleased to support paramedics and first-responders with the Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services through the Paramedic Peer Support Program,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “More than 70 projects like this one by Essex-Windsor EMS have received grants from the 2016 Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund to help provide frontline mental health services to Canadians living with mental illness all around the country”.
Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 25
On January 25, for every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell Canada customers, every tweet and Instagram post using #BellLetsTalk, every view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, and every use of the Bell Let’s Talk Snapchat geofilter, Bell will donate five cents to support Canadian mental health programs.
Bell’s donations are made at no extra charge to Bell Let’s Talk Day participants, though normal long distance or text charges if any, apply.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.