First responders across Canada are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Police officers are regularly exposed to trauma, often carrying the burden of stress, burnout and stigmatization in silence. Kym Briggs, RSW, EdD, and Chief Marc Roskamp of St. Thomas Police Service (STPS) are on a mission to transform the dialogue around mental health, dismantle barriers and provide meaningful support to those who serve their communities.

The research of Kym Briggs

Kym Briggs began her career as a probation and parole officer before discovering her passion for working in the mental health and justice system. She spent 15 years with the Canadian Mental Health Association, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges of a “broken mental health system.” Determined to drive systemic change, she pursued a master’s degree in education with a focus on equity and social justice, seeking holistic approaches to address mental health challenges.

Briggs has strong personal ties to first responders as the wife of a police officer, the daughter of a police officer, and both the daughter and sister-in-law of firefighters. Her personal connections, combined with frequent discussions and observations of friends and colleagues in the profession who were struggling with their mental health, highlighted a pervasive issue.

Briggs later completed her doctorate in educational leadership, specializing in police mental health. Her research examined policing culture and the stigma surrounding mental health. “My findings revealed that, despite the millions of dollars spent on mental health initiatives by police services across Canada, the biggest barrier remains the ingrained culture within these organizations,” she explained.

Reflecting on her earlier career experiences, Briggs drew a parallel to police officers who often feel trapped on a treadmill, making little progress against the persistent perception that seeking help equates to weakness.

Briggs is on a mission to shift this narrative. She strives to normalize mental health struggles as a common human experience, particularly for individuals exposed to trauma, organizational stress, and high-pressure environments. Her vision is to foster a new culture—one that encourages reaching out for help early before struggles escalate into crises like relationship breakdown, substance misuse and even suicidality.

A first responder mental health epidemic

Early in her research, Briggs encountered an eye-opening statistic: “While the average person is exposed to only one or two critical incidents in their lifetime, police officers are exposed to 800 on average throughout their careers.”
“The traditional position that policing inherently involves traumatic experiences and therefore those that are struggling must live with it is unacceptable. Police officers experiencing trauma and burnout find it occurs in ways that are beyond the scope of the typical human reality,” shared Roskamp. “The perception that police professionals must be immune to trauma is a mentality, a culture, that encourages silence and results in unnecessary stress. Long-standing cultural legacy thinking must change.”

In addition to their own struggles, officers must contend with the rise in violence, economic stressors and mental health issues in the community, which are outside their typical wheelhouse.

“Officers are increasingly expected to solve a variety of problems that develop in the community,” said Roskamp. “This ever-expanding role of the police has had a negative impact on officers themselves, many of whom have attested to having too much on their plate.”

“To change the culture, we need to change the perspectives of the team and the way they see mental health.” – Kym Briggs

First responders require access to someone who truly understands the unique demands and pressures of their role. “Many factors make officers feel they can’t say, ‘I’m struggling,’ and they’re often afraid of the consequences of speaking up,” said Briggs. While they can’t control what happens outside the organization, Briggs and Roskamp hope to change the culture within it.

Roskamp not only believes that police leaders must find ways to support the health of the community, but equally important is finding ways to build up the resiliency of police officers and civilian support staff. “We must be healthy on the inside to deliver services on the outside,” he explained.

A wellness project

During her doctorate, Briggs originally connected with the St. Thomas Police Service, in hopes of supporting the organization in finding healthy pathways to transformational change. That plan has broadened, and her work is now seen as necessary, identifying missing elements needed to overcome significant cultural barriers as she closely aligns with Roskamp, whose priority has always been the mental health of his team.

“I knew with all the work that Marc had already done, it could be more effective if we started changing the culture,” said Briggs. “To change the culture, we need to change the perspectives of the team and the way they see mental health.”

Briggs believes the social model of disability is often overlooked in mental health education, largely because the dominant framework in Canadian society is the medical model. This model focuses on addressing mental health issues through medication, counselling and resources. However, Briggs argues that what’s missing is a focus on environmental factors and organizational culture—the way an organization responds to mental health challenges.

“We must shift the internal culture to account for the new norms of health and wellness for police officers and recognize the many challenging matters that are exhausting their energy,” shared Roskamp.

This was the birth of The Wellness Navigation Project at STPS, encompassing sworn and civilian members.

The project, rooted in best-practice principles and academic research, begins with a five-hour mental health workshop. The program focuses on the social model of disability, helping officers understand the importance of environmental factors and how important it is to respond to mental health differently. The class sizes range from 10 to 15 people, occur in person, and are custom-created for the police service. Briggs is the only facilitator.

“We’ve trained about 60 officers now at STPS, and you wouldn’t believe the level of engagement I’ve seen so far. You can feel the readiness for change,” said Briggs.

“Dr. Briggs’ approach emphasizes practical, actionable strategies that can be implemented immediately to enhance mental wellness and overall job satisfaction within STPS. By participating in this workshop, officers and civilian staff are acquiring valuable skills to improve their mental health, and they are also learning how to support their colleagues, contributing to a healthier, more resilient police service,” said Roskamp.

“The traditional position that policing inherently involves traumatic experiences and therefore those that are struggling must live with it is unacceptable.” – Chief Marc Roskamp

The second phase of this project involves conducting a mental health survey of STPS members to better understand staff mental health and wellness. The survey will gather insights on how employees feel about mental health and the resources available to them, providing a clear picture of the overall health and well-being of the workforce. Following this, the third phase will consist of one-on-one meetings and focus groups with individuals who have been on leave or have accessed mental health resources to identify any barriers they encountered. By the end of summer 2025, Briggs will present Chief Roskamp with a report detailing her findings and recommendations. This report will highlight key areas for change, propose a process for implementation, and suggest relevant policies and procedures, with full implementation slated for 2026.

The future is now

Briggs hopes to expand this type of project and mental health awareness to include more police services across Canada. Her main goal is for individuals to realize they are not alone and that acknowledging their struggles is not a sign of weakness. She hopes to contribute to large-scale cultural change within policing organizations across the country.

“It is incumbent upon police leaders to improve organizational member wellness in ways that match the efforts committed to community wellness,” said Roskamp. “Undoubtedly, a healthy police service will improve service delivery and overall citizen experiences.”