Project Resilience delivered some sweetness to the Military Family Resource Center (MFRC) at CFB Shilo bring awareness of the need to end mental health stigma on Bell Let’s Talk Day with Rob Lavin, executive director and Nicole Taborowski, deployment and special events coordinator, deciding which cookie looks the most scrumptious on Jan. 24 (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News  

Reaching out to military personnel and first responders with cookies is a sweet way to let those front-line occupations know that Project Resilience is working to end the stigma of mental health challenges often experienced by front-line occupations.

Constable Amanda Conway of Brandon Police Services delivered the cookies to various locations around CFB Shilo on Jan. 24, Bell Let’s Talk Day for the fourth year.

The idea is to keep the conversation going about mental health, and that’s why Project Resilience delivers the Bell Let’s Talk Day cookies in the shape of a conversation bubble, she said.

“This year, we have close to 475 cookies. We delivered them to different first responders, front-line and military organizations in the area.”

She said the cookies come with a contest where individuals can win prizes through posting on the group’s social media page.

A 2020 Survey conducted by the Canadian Police Association revealed that 35 per cent of officers go to work feeling mentally unwell, stressed or burned out, while 31 per cent go to work while physically ill.

According to the Canadian Association of Mental Health, firefighters are exposed to significant trauma at work and are not generally taught to protect their mental health. This contributes to a suicide rate three times higher than the general population.

Paramedics are at an even higer rate, states the Canadian Centre for Suicide Prevention.

Those with a military background, who often go on to work as first responders because the work is familiar to them face an even higher likelihood of developing mental illness.

“Regardless of what organization or agency we all come from, we need to work together, network, and apply best practices to stamp out the stigma of mental health in all of these areas. [The stigma] is real and it’s still there.”

“We need to make sure that no one is walking alone if they are feeling challenged or are facing mental health struggles.”

Conway and an RCMP colleague initiated Project Resilience in 2020 to unite first responders so they are not facing mental health issues alone. They started with an awareness run with some fundraising on the side, which has since grown into an education organization and crucial touch point.

“It has very much become a resource. We offer education with facilitators like Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR). We do different initiatives. We also provide crisis support, including critical accident debriefing,” she said.

“We really are trying to reduce the stigma around mental health in professions where the stigma still exists. Things are getting better and we continue to address that.

Project Resilience has more than 30 volunteers and supporters helping the organization get the word out. They always welcome volunteers, including two specific Canadian Armed Forces personnel from CFB Shilo.
In the past year, the growth has expanded throughout Manitoba with education and workshops happening in the spring up North, Conway said.

Services and resources are available by contacting Const. Conway at (204) 573 8227 or email: projectresilience911@gmail.com.