Wellness coordinator gauges needs of North Bay police

Playing null of undefined

North Bay police bolster staff wellness supports amid PTSD battles

Auxiliary officers to return to North Bay Police Service

Julie Lavictoire, who assumed the role of wellness coordinator for the North Bay Police Service in May, has spent her initial months diligently evaluating the needs of staff in relation to health, wellness and mental health challenges.

Lavictoire brings two decades of social work experience to the position, with a background that includes work with the Children’s Aid Society, the Canadian Mental Health Association as an adult court worker and most recently as the Manager of Community Social Development for the Municipality of West Nipissing. She has observed a particular dynamic in building rapport with police personnel.

“Police personnel are kind of notoriously guarded and a little bit less trusting than some of my other previous clients that I was used to,” she said.

However, Lavictoire reports progress is being made. She presented her findings to the North Bay Police Services Board Tuesday, highlighting the ongoing work of the peer support team and the success of in-house training for 911 call takers and dispatchers to manage occupational stress and trauma.

“When I check in with them, they’re a lot more quick to respond and kind of let me know I’m not doing so good or I’m doing a lot better today,” she told reporters.

Chief addresses staffing challenges, psychological risks

Police Chief Daryl Longworth provided context on the staffing situation, revealing that when he was sworn in as the city’s top cop, 27 employees were off work for reasons including physical injuries, mental health battles, post-traumatic stress disorder or parental leave.

While some staff have since retired and four members have returned to regular duty, 20 staff members remain off work. Longworth emphasized the department’s proactive approach to supporting their return.

“We’re currently speaking with a number of other individuals who are interested in coming back to work,” he said.

“We’re just working with their treatment providers, WSIB and the member to make sure that their transition back to work is seamless and good for them.”

Longworth acknowledged the profound psychological risks inherent in a policing career, citing a recent Canadian study that found police officers experience hundreds more traumatic events in their career than the average person. He stressed the importance of honesty and preparedness.

“We have to be honest and say this career will impact and change your life and it could potentially damage your psychologically,” Longworth said.

“But we have things in place. We’ve learned from mistakes in the past and we have the infrastructure here.”

Fostering a valued, supported workforce

Recognizing the day-to-day pressures officers face, Longworth underscored the critical need to maintain a healthy and motivated team. He directly linked the internal support provided to staff with the quality of service delivered to the community.

“If we keep them feeling like they’re valued and what they do makes a difference and the people actually care about what they do, they’re going to go out and look after the community and take care of the community’s needs,” he added.

Concurrent with these wellness initiatives, the police service is conducting an internal survey to identify childcare needs and supports for staff who are caregivers for aging parents, aiming to better accommodate schedules and provide further assistance.

Lavictoire is now focused on implementing new changes to better assist struggling team members and plans to present further data to the police board in the coming weeks and months.