Thank you to all the police chaplains who joined me today for Chaplains Connect; in total there were 50 registered for this free educational presentation. From the comments I've received, our presenter Pattie Atwell from Prospect Human Services in Alberta was very appreciated by our CPCA Members.
Pattie shared an inside perspective from her battle with PTSD from years of service as a Manitoba Corrections Officer. She fell through the cracks of a system that, back in 2017, did not meet her needs for wellness, and left her with very limited access to outside resources. That battle motivated Pattie to seek employment with an organization that serves to fill in those cracks by providing access to treatment, support, transitional training, and personal follow-up with their clients. Pattie is Team Lead for Forces@WORK: Public Safety Personnel Program through Prospect Human Services. Pattie shared about this Alberta based program designed to address the unique challenges of leaving behind a career defined by public service. The employees at Prospect understand the complexities of moving beyond the uniform, and they provide guidance through every step of transition. Whether overcoming physical, psychological, or emotional barriers, they provide the tools, support, and training to build a successful second career. Those who are eligible are municipal police officers, RCMP, Corrections officers, dispatchers, paramedics, firefighters, and military who serve or have served within the province of Alberta. Here is a link to the program https://www.prospectnow.ca/forces-at-work-psp/
Pattie also supplied CPCA Members with a National Resources List for Police Officers, which I sent out to all who registered in an email that had the Zoom meeting link.
To our chaplains who registered for this event, and let me know you were unable to attend or had to leave early, I have emailed you the video of Pattie's presentation. If you had registered and were unable to attend, and have not notified me, please send me an email and I will send you the recording.
Thank you, Pattie for your presentation and for answering a multitude of questions. You have shared valuable insight, tools and resources that will assist CPCA members as they serve those who serve with excellence. Thank you, CPCA Members for taking time to join together for Chaplains Connect.
With gratitude on behalf of the CPCA Leadership Team,
Bruce Ewanyshyn
CPCA President
ICPC Director of Region 1
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