About EMS Peer Support & Wellness Solutions

Mark has been a long time Peer Support member and has seen a flurry of change in the program over his years on the team. In 2014, it was evident more support and attention was needed not only to the Peer Support program, but towards supporting the membership. The stressors of the job and the inherent risks of experiencing traumatic calls, human suffering and operational/organization stressors are all consuming. Molly recognized this impact on visceral level, which sparked in her a deep desire to make a change. In 2015, the loss of one of their fellow paramedics due to suicide forced the mission into fifth gear. With organizational support and nomination from the membership a Mental Health Task Force Team was created where Molly, Mark and five others began to research best practices and industry standards across Canada and Internationally. A technical paper titled “Development of a Psychological Support System: Establishing a Healthy Mental Workplace” resulted from this work. These recommendations were submitted to the employer….and the door to change was beginning to crack open.

For seven years after the death of their member, Mark and Molly with collaborative support from their peers and leadership in the organization grew the peer support program from 10 members (2015) to at most 140 members (2020). By 2021 the Peer Support membership settle at just over 120 active and dedicated members. Together this team offered 950 member contacts (2019). To which included: diffusings, one on ones, follow-ups and resource referrals. These conversations were the first steps in de-stigmatizing mental health.

They didn’t stop there! The creation and sustainability of wellness initiatives (as listed below) in addition to the foundation of consistent community connection opportunities has now forced the door to change wide open.

A Peer Support Team was created in Edmonton Zone EMS in 2015 to support the membership, connect people to resources and build relationships. Developed and maintained through volunteerism, this group had created numerous programs which are solely funded through the generosity of donors and fundraising. Costing the employer little to nothing.

“The Peer Support Team Mark and I had the privileged to co-create and manage from 2015-2022 are a remarkable group of individuals that empower staff to be their best and show up as their best. A group of over a hundred individuals who give so much of themselves to support others, especially throughout the pandemic. The EMS practitioners throughout the Edmonton Zone have also been a big part of this success story. Collectively showing their unwavering patronage in supporting the mission to create a psychologically safe workplace that is people centered. So, we want to stop right there and say…..Thank you for supporting your peers and improving the workplace!”

– Molly Varga 2021