Alberta Critical Incident Advisory Council
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Mission Statement
Mission: Championing the transformative power of peer support for Public Safety personnel, ICISF-Canada (a.k.a. ACIAC) is a national hub that provides access to research, training and evidence-informed peer-led interventions and programs focused on resilience, resistance and recovery. Vision: Safeguarding our Lifelines… providing the right support at the right time by the right person. Values: ICISF-Canada is a politically neutral, volunteer-led organization, fueled by courageous, committed and passionate individuals guided by: Science-based research & results Ethical & proven practices Collaboration & teamwork Inclusivity Mutuality Strong partnerships A standard of excellence & high integrity Background: The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc., (ICISF), is an international organization for certifying frontline workers in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) peer support developed for public safety personnel and healthcare teams. The Alberta Critical Incident Advisory Council (ACIAC) was recognized with the 2019 ICISF Co-Founders Award for Excellence in Crisis Intervention for their work in training over 1100 peers and the establishment of a robust Provincial network, the Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network (ACIPN), in serving these communities of practice. ACIAC and ICISF formed a formal partnership. As of March 2020, the Alberta Critical Incident Advisory Council (ACIAC) became the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation – Canada, Inc. (ICISF-Canada), expanding its scope to a national purview with the mandate to assist in establishing other regional networks and to collaborate with existing Provincial peer networks. Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network (ACIPN) is a peer-led, peer-driven support network of public safety personnel for public safety personnel, whose volunteers are trained in best practices and deliver support in accordance with ICISF standards. Any individual, crew or department can access the ACIPN for peer support 24/7/365. ACIPN will continue to be the entity that delivers peer support to public safety personnel in Alberta. The psychological effects on these responders can have a large impact on their mental health. This peer support network is a best practice approach to supporting public safety personnel build psychological resistance and resilience to what they are exposed to in their work. Peers are the most effective front-line provider to meet the unique needs of this important and valuable resource. Your contribution will ensure that our volunteer peers get the training and support they need to ensure their fellow public service personnel remain healthy and able to respond to our Canadian communities' needs. 100% of funds raised go towards program delivery. The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation – Canada, Inc. is a board of volunteers and there is no operational overhead, only program delivery, support and ongoing training.
About This Cause
ICISF-Canada has been pleased to be the sole Canadian partner of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation since 2020. The mandate of ICISF-Canada is to foster the development, research, advancements, and sustainability of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Peer Support Programs for public safety personnel by incorporating the various unique cultural, social, and environmental aspects that exist across Canada. ICISF-Canada believes that each province and region presents opportunities to establish a support mechanism for those that serve and protect their communities while at the same time ensuring that programs remain true to CISM principles and have high fidelity to the established model. ICISF-Canada established the first truly Provincial network of public safety personnel peers in 2018. The Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network (ACIPN) has trained over 1300 peers fully integrated into public safety and emergency service organizations, including wildland fire, EMS, enforcement, corrections, search & rescue, and healthcare. The trained peers promote, deliver, and respond within their organizations and volunteer to be available to any public safety personnel in the province who requests support through the 24/7 peer support activation centre or activate to work as a response unit when large-scale events occur. ICISF-Canada provides: • Clinical oversight. • Peer consultation and collaboration. • Ongoing refresher training. • Resource material. • Expanding networks and call-out coordination on a regional basis. ICISF-Canada receives funding through grants and donations, and a volunteer governance board, guided by a public safety personnel peer advisory council, that ensures the program's sustainability. ICISF-Canada embraces the philosophy of being a peer-led, peer-driven peer support program for public safety personnel by public safety personnel. The goal of ICISF-Canada is to provide for the continuing operations of regional peer support networks such as ACIPN, delivering 24-7 access to real-time peer support for Canada’s public safety personnel. The Problem: Canada's public safety personnel and other front-line personnel experience an inordinately high rate of mental illness, largely attributable to the unique and stressful nature of their jobs. According to a pan-Canadian study on public safety personnel: - 44.5% screened positive for 1 or more mental illnesses, - Were found to be 10% more likely to exhibit suicidal behaviours than the general public and; - In Western Canada were found to be at a higher risk than Eastern Canada (Carleton et. al., 2018). This means that First Responders are among the highest risk for suicide and mental health issues in Canada. Public safety workplace culture and the stigma attached to mental illness often prevent these dedicated people from asking for help. For police, firefighters, emergency medical services, rescue personnel, and other related roles, their peers are the only persons who can truly understand the trauma that arises from dealing with critical events. They require a tailored set of individualized supports in order to fulfill their professional roles while remaining healthy and resilient. The Solution: Peer-led Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) has been established as being the best method and most effective means to provide support and enable public safety personnel to fulfill their professional roles while remaining healthy and resilient. (Carleton et. al., 2016). The Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network (ACIPN) is an internationally award-winning program designed to establish and deliver formalized training, processes and infrastructure to ensure that Alberta's crisis response workers have the best possible support. CISM, as recognized by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), is the most widely adopted organizational model for helping these professionals to cope. In rural areas, public safety personnel such as search & rescue, rural fire services, enforcement, and EMS often have little or no access to the supports and resources to mitigate the risk of psychological injury. Public safety personnel serving small communities often perform duties and roles beyond that of initial response, including death notifications, on-scene supports such as extractions and body removals, as well as provide victim support by way of responding to suicide, homicides, and violence. In addition, these public safety personnel are also far more likely to respond to incidents where the victims are known to them, putting them at even higher risk. Benefits: Whether new to the role or after many years of service, any incident, regardless of magnitude, can have significant negative impacts on public safety personnel's mental well-being. Having a provincial network of trained peers accessible 24-7: - Decreases lost time arising from psychological injury. - Reduces the impact of psychological injuries. - Increases public safety personnel's length of service to their communities. - Lowers attrition by helping to manage extreme workplace stress. - Addresses the increased risk of suicide. - Provides for healthier work and personal lives. - Helps to support and educate spouses and families of public safety personnel. - Reduces mental health stigma - Increase personal and workplace community resilience ICISF-Canada provides the following benefits to regional peer support teams through the network: - There is a general benefit to being part of and privy to a larger network of trained peers. - Access to the network for expert consultation and guidance on CISM Peer Support. - To be able to access additional supports and assistance with both individual and group interventions as well as assessment, strategic planning and referrals to the next level of care. - Immediate access, 24/7 to support and guidance from the network via email or telephone. - Access to continuing education, workshops, lectures, and seminars. - Resources and materials supplied to Network Peers (i.e., cue cards, brochures, identification, etc.,) Key Funding Areas Include: • Service Delivery • Network Operations • Informational Sessions • Research and Efficacy • First Responder Training: - Basic Peer Support Training - Refresher Training - Resilience Training Thank you for considering making a donation to support Canada’s Public Safety Personnel, including all our first responders who risk their physical and psychological wellbeing to protect and serve us all.