Co-Facilitator: The Firefighter Focused Peer Support Workshops
Peer Support Specialist

Rob Leathen is a recently retired 30-year Veteran of the Ontario Fire Service. In 2019 he was diagnosed with severe PTSD/Depression and like some, his journey also included a very close call with suicide. He openly and very publicly shares his lived experience to help chip away at the stigma that still exists surrounding 1st responder mental health and suicide. He is also very driven and passionate about educating those whose organizational roles involve mental health support from the perspective of a person with lived experience. He does this through his mental health education and advocacy efforts, mental health related digital artwork, and peer support with various 1st responder peer support organizations.

“Silence does nothing but strengthen stigma and when we recover
loudly, we keep others from dying quietly so speak up, speak out and
speak loudly when it comes to 1st responder mental health!”

So not only does he talk ‘the talk’, but he also walks ‘the walk’. His efforts to educate and advocate lead to the creation of his company Leathen Educational Services.