The government of Ontario, Canada, has announced an investment in mental health and rehabilitation services for first responders suffering from work-related stress or trauma, including post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI).
The initiative will involve developing a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Centre of Excellence for First Responders at Runnymede Healthcare Centre.
The funding follows a previous investment of C$10.7m ($7.45m) made by the government to facilitate early capital planning for the two new facilities at Runnymede Healthcare Centre.
These facilities will be built in the Greater Toronto Area to offer programmes focusing on PTSI rehabilitation, including rehabilitation and residential treatment, mental health assessments, virtual care, round-the-clock crisis support, and peer and navigation assistance.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said: “We owe a huge debt to our first responders, who make incredible sacrifices every day to keep families and communities across Ontario safe.
“By investing in mental health and rehabilitation treatment for first responders provided by the dedicated team at Runnymede Healthcare Centre, we’re helping give back to our brave women and men so they can access the critical supports they need.”
The Toronto facility will focus on delivering rehabilitative services such as assessment, outpatient therapy and aftercare, while the facility in Caledon will provide 40 residential beds to connect patients with the most suitable treatment services.
The Ontario government is currently working with Runnymede Healthcare Centre to finalise the project's planning and design phase.
The project's construction timeline will be established once the future planning is complete and the project is tendered and awarded.
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones said: “By investing in Runnymede Healthcare Centre’s PTSI Centre of Excellence project, our government is building on our work through the Roadmap to Wellness to improve access to mental health services, ensuring our first responders can connect to targeted, comprehensive supports where and when they are needed most.”
