Tailored for both career and volunteer firefighters, Resilient Minds addresses unique challenges in their roles. With funding support from organizations, such as Movember (2021-22) and TC Energy (2023), and the Ministry of the Solicitor General (2024), Resilient Minds has supported thousands of firefighters and hundreds of fire departments across Ontario to safeguard their mental health. Firefighters who have completed the training have reported a decrease in stress levels and have experienced a transformation and shift in culture with regards to a more open dialogue about mental health and psychological illness.
Resilient Minds is delivered by a certified peer instructor and certified CMHA Ontario instructor.
Key Outcomes:
Recognize the effects of psychological stress/trauma
Communicate effectively with peers in distress
Respond promptly, safely, and appropriately to citizens in need
Apply strategies to manage stress and boost resilience
What fire departments are saying about Resilient Minds:
“More fire staff are having conversations around the kitchen table.”
“Firefighter mental health is about having the mental fortitude to successfully navigate through high-stress situations. But in order to do that, I believe a firefighter needs to have resilience. Resilient Minds is a great program to highlight what post-traumatic growth is all about, what resilience is all about. Resilient Minds gives firefighters the tools to be able to start having a resilient mindset so that they can have a successful career.”
IMPACT:
100%
gained knowledge in psychological trauma and disorders
100%
learned to better manage stress and increase personal resilience
97%
felt better equipped to support peers in distress
84%
reported using the skills in work and personal life
DID YOU KNOW?
- 78% of firefighters have received no resiliency training
- More firefighters have lost their lives to suicide than in the line of duty
- Symptoms of psychological disorders are 4X’s higher compared to the general public
The evaluation of the Resilient Minds program has been managed by independent research teams. The data is based on Ontario program launch in 2021 and was last updated in June 2024. Fifty-six per cent of participants self-identified as volunteer firefighters during 2022-23