Latest news with #DiversifiedRehabilitationGroup
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Canadian group ‘sounding the alarm' on first responders struggling to receive psychological care
The CEO of Diversified Rehabilitation Group discusses how they are sounding the alarm on inadequate care for first responders with psychological injuries. The CEO of Diversified Rehabilitation Group discusses how they are sounding the alarm on inadequate care for first responders with psychological injuries. A B.C.-based group wants first responders struggling to receive care for their psychological injuries to know they are not alone and there are resources available to help them. Diversified Rehabilitation Group's chief mental health officer and CEO kickstarted their month-long 'Sounding the Alarm' campaign by writing an opinion piece titled, 'We are failing our first responders when they are in need.' Sounding The Alarm An image for the Sounding The Alarm campaign for first responders. Derek Sienko said the campaign's goal is to bring awareness to both first responders and the public. 'We are not doing enough for our first responders. And to normalize mental health and letting them know that help is there and what they are experiencing is absolutely normal and that they are worthy of receiving that help,' he said during an interview with CTV Morning Live Atlantic. Sienko said what makes first responders' trauma unique is the amount of it they experience while on the job. 'In a couple months, for example, of being on the job, they experience so much trauma… and on top of that, their risk for psychological injury or occupational injuries goes up. And we need to recognize that, given the circumstances and uniqueness of their job, we need to do a better job when it comes to designing and offering their treatment,' he said. Sienko added there are many reasons first responders are often reluctant to seek help, with the most common being organizational stigma. 'Frequently first responders feel that if they let the organization know that they are not feeling well they might be either suspended from the job or they're going to be perceived as broken,' he said. 'And there's also individual stigma – when they think they should be strong enough and they should be able to handle all the stress that comes up on them and frequently they think that they don't deserve to get help.' Sienko said first responders' treatment needs to be tailored to their individual needs. 'Just yesterday I received a call from first responder saying, 'I want to get help, but I have nothing in common with addiction and they are sending me to a program that has people with addiction and I'm going to be mixed with the general population.' And for them to be amongst civilians, for example a police officer, and they are sitting next to a citizen, but for example you give them a speeding ticket, you're not going to be able to open up,' he said. Sienko said people need to be more aware of what first responders go through. 'It's unique because in most cases they are the ones who are running to the building that's on fire while you're running away,' he said. First responders looking for resources can visit 'You are not alone, help is there, what you are experiencing is absolutely normal. You're not broken, you're injured… we want to be there for you,' said Sienko, who also had a message for the public. 'When you encounter first responders, they are human beings who are there for us and we need to be there for them, so thank them for the job and let them know that help is there.'
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Concern About Mental Health of First Responders
Vancouver Watch CTV Morning Live learns about concerns surrounding the mental health of first responders with Derek Sienko of Diversified Rehabilitation Group.
Global News
03-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Campaign to raise awareness for first responder mental health across Canada
They run toward what the rest of us run from — gunfire, flames, and unspeakable tragedy. For Canada's first responders, witnessing the unthinkable is part of the job. But what's often unseen is what they carry with them long after the sirens fade. 'They ask, 'Are you OK?'' says retired RCMP officer Jonathan Williams. 'And I always said, 'Of course I'm good.' Because whatever I just came from… was worse.' Williams served 14 years in the RCMP. He describes his time on the force as meaningful — but behind the uniform was a growing weight he could no longer ignore. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'For me, it was years and years of seeing so much,' he says. 'It's not normal, but you get used to it. And then it just started eroding me.' Story continues below advertisement What followed was a battle with depression and PTSD — invisible injuries that eventually led him to seek help. 'The recovery program was everything,' Williams explains. 'It allowed me to get to a safe place — not just physically, but mentally.' That program is run by Diversified Rehabilitation Group, a Kelowna-based organization offering specialized support for trauma-exposed first responders. This month, they're spearheading an online awareness campaign called Sounding the Alarm to shed light on what many suffer in silence. 'We're reaching out through social media during our 31-day campaign,' says Derek Sienko, chief mental health officer with Diversified. 'When they come to us, they're emotionally beat up. And they're not used to sharing — because they've been trained not to.' But silence can be deadly. 'When trauma goes untreated,' Sienko says, 'the consequences can be devastating. We lose them — in many different ways. Suicide is one of them. And I don't think there's even one question in my mind… all of that is preventable. 'If we can save a life, we must.' More information on the campaign can be found online.
