With consistently high post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) rates among first responders, employers in public safety organizations are increasingly developing programs in place to support the management and treatment of injuries and help service members recover and return to work. These can include peer support, critical incident stress management, resilience, family support and general health and wellness programs.
However, according to a new Institute for Work & Health (IWH) study, many first responder organizations continue to grapple with challenges implementing PTSI work disability management programs.
In response, the team led by Dr. Dwayne Van Eerd, IWH scientist, compiled a short guidance document titled “Implementation strategies for post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) programs in first responder workplaces.” The resource was co-developed with stakeholders who have experience implementing PTSI programs in Alberta first responder organization. It contains key implementation steps to consider when putting these programs in place.
Why does proper implementation matter?
As an earlier study by the IWH research team has found, most workplace PTSI programs and policies were not fully implemented. Rather, organizational resources tended to focus more on the development of programs; those that were developed tended to be delivered in an informal fashion.
Without proper implementation, PTSI workplace programs may stay on the shelf, be abandoned early in the process, or be available only to some first responder members, says Van Eerd. That can lead to a sense of uncertainty across the organizations about whether programs actually exist, and what processes or steps are required to access them.
Expanding on those findings, this study digs into the experiences and challenges that first responder organizations face with program implementation—and how to overcome them. A recurring theme was that organizations needed practical guidance to implement PTSI programs.
The resource is designed to provide that practical guidance to first responder organizations that are looking to deliver programs to support their workers and to reduce work disability related to PTSI. It provides considerations along the various stages of planning, delivering and maintaining such a program.
It is crucial to assess whether programs align with the needs of both first responder members and organizations,
say Van Eerd. First responder organizations also need to have enough resources to support the program, including staffing, training and evaluation activities.
This resource aims to help first responder organizations think through these factors,
he notes. He adds that organizations beyond the public safety sector may also find it useful.
Download the resource for free here: https://www.iwh.on.ca/tools-and-guides/implementation-strategies-for-post-traumatic-stress-injury-ptsi-programs-in-first-responder-workplaces