Project Trauma Support Cohort
Donation protected
Hey folks,
It is no secret at this point that I have PTSD that was acquired as a result of some of my experiences as a paramedic. I used to be uncomfortable saying that, but all I was doing was fuelling my own and society’s stigma around mental health.
In late 2016, I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend a “Cohort” run by Project Trauma Support (PTS) in Perth, ON. PTS was developed by an ER Physician, Dr Manuela Joannou, with decades of tenure after the loss (death by suicide) of a paramedic coworker in Lanark County.
A Cohort is a 6 day, residential/experiential treatment program that invites participants from military and first responder backgrounds, that are struggling with PTSD, to reconnect with themselves (body and soul), the community, and nature. So many of us fall victim to the symptom of avoidance and try to cope by isolating.
This treatment program is being backed by Queen’s University, the University of Saskatchewan and is now a part of a recent research grant given to the University of Alberta. This program literally saved my life. PTSD may have contributed to the demise of my marriage but PTS gave my sons their father back.
To put some numbers into perspective for you; we are currently losing a military member/veteran or first responder to suicide every two days in Canada. PTS has treated 130 members of the military and first responder community since its inception in 2015. We haven’t lost a single participant. The outcomes have been astonishing; some have gone back to their pre-injury work, others have found new careers or have become contributors to their communities and families. The most common feeling that folks have, when leaving the program, is hope; a hope for a future that many had lost.
Last year, with your help, I was able to raise enough money to send a participant through the Cohort. At that time, it happened to be a male participant. This year, I’d like to raise enough to send a woman through the program.
Please oh please help me out. On top of looking for donations, I’m also asking that we all start openly discussing our mental health. Let us break down the walls of stigma that we’ve built as a society.
All my best,
Rob
http://www.projecttraumasupport.com
It is no secret at this point that I have PTSD that was acquired as a result of some of my experiences as a paramedic. I used to be uncomfortable saying that, but all I was doing was fuelling my own and society’s stigma around mental health.
In late 2016, I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend a “Cohort” run by Project Trauma Support (PTS) in Perth, ON. PTS was developed by an ER Physician, Dr Manuela Joannou, with decades of tenure after the loss (death by suicide) of a paramedic coworker in Lanark County.
A Cohort is a 6 day, residential/experiential treatment program that invites participants from military and first responder backgrounds, that are struggling with PTSD, to reconnect with themselves (body and soul), the community, and nature. So many of us fall victim to the symptom of avoidance and try to cope by isolating.
This treatment program is being backed by Queen’s University, the University of Saskatchewan and is now a part of a recent research grant given to the University of Alberta. This program literally saved my life. PTSD may have contributed to the demise of my marriage but PTS gave my sons their father back.
To put some numbers into perspective for you; we are currently losing a military member/veteran or first responder to suicide every two days in Canada. PTS has treated 130 members of the military and first responder community since its inception in 2015. We haven’t lost a single participant. The outcomes have been astonishing; some have gone back to their pre-injury work, others have found new careers or have become contributors to their communities and families. The most common feeling that folks have, when leaving the program, is hope; a hope for a future that many had lost.
Last year, with your help, I was able to raise enough money to send a participant through the Cohort. At that time, it happened to be a male participant. This year, I’d like to raise enough to send a woman through the program.
Please oh please help me out. On top of looking for donations, I’m also asking that we all start openly discussing our mental health. Let us break down the walls of stigma that we’ve built as a society.
All my best,
Rob
http://www.projecttraumasupport.com
Organizer
Rob Mitchell
Organizer
Nepean, ON