Peer and Trauma Support Systems Team

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support team

Our Professional Mental Health Advisors:

  • Barbara Anschuetz EdD, RP, CTS Registered Psychotherapist

Barbara completed her Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Toronto, is certified as a Trauma Psychotherapist, Trauma Specialist, Traumatologist, Expert in Traumatic Stress and Certified EMDR Therapist. She is the Clinical Director of The Trauma Centre, which provides a comprehensive treatment program for individuals and families in the areas of trauma therapy, counselling and critical incident response. She has 30 years’ experience that includes local, regional, national and international trauma psychotherapy, training, consultation and education. She has served on boards, task groups and committees to foster awareness of trauma and PTSD. For the past 18 years, Barbara has also served as the Clinical Director of the York Region CISM Team for first responders and their families. She has received numerous recognitions for her work in trauma response.

  • Jeff Morley, Registered Psychologist

Dr. Jeff Morley is a Registered Psychologist, and Board-Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress. Jeff recently retired from the RCMP as a Staff Sergeant after 23 years of service. In his private psychology practice Jeff works extensively with police, military and emergency responders. Jeff teaches on Psychologically Healthy Workplaces, Trauma & Resilience to organizations and first responders across Canada. Jeff also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia, where he teaches Trauma Counselling and Group Counselling.

  • Dr. Isabelle Gamache

Dr. Isabelle Gamache completed her Doctorate in clinical psychology at l’Université du Québec à Montréal and is a member of l’Ordre des psychologues du Québec. She is specialized in cognitive-behavioural therapy. She works as a psychologist for the Montreal City Police. Her work is to provide consultation, prevention and emergency response to police officers. Dr. Gamache is also a member of the trauma Studies center of l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal. The trauma studies center is a multidisciplinary research, teaching and clinical center dedicated to trauma related issues. Primarily, she offers evaluation and treatment to victims of PTSD. In addition, in her private practice, she specializes in treating individuals suffering of mood and anxiety disorders, especially with PTSD.

  • Ms. Linda Antoniazzi, BA, MSW, RSW, CTS, CTR

Ms. Antoniazzi has been a registered Social Worker in the Province of Ontario since 1989. She worked as an Adult Protective Services Worker, including being a public trustee, and as an individual, marital, and family therapist with a Family Service Bureau before working for 17 years in the field of child protection and abuse treatment. She taught various college courses in the Developmental Services Worker, Social Services Worker, Police Foundations, and Law and Security programs for Sheridan College, and she was deemed an expert witness in the Halton and Hamilton Family Courts on child protection matters. For more than 25 years, Ms. Antoniazzi has specialized in treating persons victimized by childhood sexual, physical, and mental abuse, as well as rape, cult/ritual abuse, domestic violence, military trauma, and life-threatening events such as severe vehicular or workplace accidents. She has been instrumental in the development and ongoing training of Peer Support Teams to assist Children’s Aid Society staff in the event of traumatic incidents, and has provided individual and group therapy to victims of abuse and trauma, including firemen, police, and veterans. Ms. Antoniazzi holds an MSW from McMaster University, as well as a BA in Sociology (with undergraduate studies in Psychology and Criminology), and a BSW from the University of Windsor. She is also certified internationally in the areas of Trauma Assessment and Treatment, Critical Incident Response, and Clinical Hypnosis. She is a Certified Trauma Responder and a Certified Trauma Specialist with the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialist and she has been a member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies since 2006. She is a registered treatment provider for Veterans, RCMP and Military personnel with Blue Cross/Medavie, as well as a registered provider with Health Canada, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

Our Lived Experience Facilitators of the Peer Support Workshops:

  • Staff Sergeant (Ret’d.) Sylvio (Syd) A Gravel, M.O.M.

Syd Gravel is a former staff sergeant with thirty-one years of experience with the Ottawa Police Service. He is one of the founding fathers of Robin’s Blue Circle, a post-shooting trauma team of peers, established in 1988.

Syd is a more than thirty-one-year PTSD survivor and has been a peer supporter since 1988. In 2007, he was nominated by his peers and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and inducted by the Governor General of Canada for the Order of Merit in Policing, Canada.

Since his retirement, he has devoted all his time and energy to speaking on developing resilience and resistance to trauma, trauma management and peer support systems. He has written and published “56 Seconds” and “How to Survive PTSD and Build Peer Support.” And now co-authored the book “Walk the Talk with Staff Sergeant (ret’d) Brad McKay. In 2014, Syd developed a trail-blazing curriculum for the training of peers in Canada, based on the guidelines and practices for the selection and training of peers developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Syd is currently co-leading the Peer and Trauma Support Systems (P.A.T.S.S.) Team for the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. He was also a volunteer peer facilitator for Soldiers Helping Soldiers in Ottawa. He has developed the content for the three-day peer training project – Transition to Communities for the Mood Disorders Society of Canada and is developing the content for a twenty hour on-line trauma management course through Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Syd also proudly serves as a senior police advisor for Badge of Life Canada.

In 2016 he was nominated by the Mental Health Commission of Canada as a Canadian Champion of Mental Health.

  • Staff Sergeant (Ret’d.) Brad McKay, C.T.R., C.T.S.S.

Brad McKay retired in 2015 after thirty-three years of service with the York Regional Police (YRP). In 1984, he was involved in a shooting incident that resulted in the loss of a life. At that time, there was no formal peer support or mental health programs available at YRP, so he processed the event on his own with help from his network of family and friends.

In 1989, he co-created a trauma team to support YRP members involved in police shootings. He transitioned this team into the York Region Critical Incident Stress Management Team in 1996. He is now an advisor to the executive and the alumni team lead. The York CISM Team is unique and ground-breaking as a multidisciplinary team in that it supports all first responder services including police, fire, paramedic and emergency department staff. To enhance wellness at YRP, he started the Operational Stress Injury Prevention and Response Unit in 2013; he also created the York Regional Police Peer Support Team in 2014. In 2016 he co-authored the book “Walk the Talk” with Staff Sergeant (ret’d) Syd Gravel.

As a Certified Trauma Services Specialist with ATSS, Brad has responded to and coordinated hundreds of interventions for frontline responders and their families. Brad has been asked to appear on TV News to provide the first responder perspective. Currently Brad is providing clinically supervised peer support for mental health professionals in York Region and is the peer lead for a local yoga group for first responders based in Newmarket, ON. Brad is proud and honoured to join Syd Gravel in co-leading the Peer and Trauma Support Systems (P.A.T.S.S.) Team. This is a team of highly skilled, trained, experienced and professional peer and mental health experts from across Canada. Many of these professionals have volunteered countless hours to support front- line responders.

Brad joined Badge of Life Canada in 2015 as a senior police advisor and volunteers on two peer teams. A family man, Brad is a community-minded energetic advocate for wellness and peer support.

  • Deanna Lennox, War Horse Awareness Foundation

Deanna recently retired after 16 years of service with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 2004, Deanna suffered a permanent hearing loss as a result of being exposed to several shotgun blasts. This injury abruptly ended Deanna’s operational policing career. The sudden loss of hearing – and the loss of her identity as a police officer – contributed to her suffering a bout of Major Depression. A few years later she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Deanna is determined to pass on what she refers to as “Tools in the Toolbox” for frontline service providers. In addition to professional counselling (including EMDR), she has experienced the benefits of working with horses, yoga, meditation, journaling and other alternative healing modalities. Deanna is a certified meditation teacher and brings the experience of meditation to her symposiums and retreats. In January 2015, Deanna’s memoir is scheduled to be released by HarperCollins. Her book, “Damage Done” chronicles her experiences in the RCMP, her struggles with depression and PTSD, the creation of the War Horse Awareness Foundation and her passion to continue to help others.

  • Paul MacKenzie, C.A.D.C., C.T.R., C.T.S.S.

Paul is a former Halifax Regional Police Officer (Rtd.), having served in Patrol Division, Mounted Division and as the Employee and Family Assistance Program Coordinator. Paul is presently the Firefighters and Family Assistance Program Manager for the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. Over the past 30 years, Paul has developed and implemented policies and programs pertaining to the delivery of Employee and Family Assistance Programs, Referral Agent Programs, Critical Incident Stress Management to emergency service providers such as the RCMP, Emergency Medical Care (EMC) Paramedics, 911 Operators, Children’s Aid Society, Metropolitan Regional Housing Authority, Atlantic Support Services Association and the Canadian Coast Guard. As well as for community-based trauma response teams such as Strait Area Debriefing Association, Eastern Shore CISM Debriefing Team, Kanesatake Community Trauma Response Team (Quebec), Yarmouth County Community Response Team and the Chippewa’s of Georgina Island (Ontario).

Paul has also worked with the Native Community in the Maritimes as the liaison officer between the Regional Police and the Native Community. He continues to work with the Native Community across Canada as well he has served on the Atlantic First Nations Task Force on HIV/AIDS, former healing consultant for Teachings of the Sweet Grass Braid Society (survivors of residential school), a facilitator of the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and an associate counsellor for the Eagles’ Nest Recovery House. Paul is the former Director of the Spirit of the Eagles’ Feather Society.
Paul is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Traumatic Stress Network. He is also currently a member in good standing with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention, the Suicide Information & Education Centre, the former Nova Scotia EAP Association (Past President) and the Addictions Intervention Association. Paul is past Vice Chair of the Executive Board of Directors for Alcare Place, an addictions recovery house located in Halifax, NS and recently served as the Atlantic Regional Director on the National Board of Directors for MADD Canada.

Paul has been recognized for his work and has received many awards such as the St. John Ambulance Appreciation Award, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. Jerusalem, The Priory of Canada, The Halifax Police Department Award of Recognition for the Employee Assistance Program, Medals of Exemplary Service from the Province of Nova Scotia, Health Canada Award of Recognition for services provided for the Swissair Flight 111 Recovery, 2007 National recipient of the Tema Conter Memorial Trust Public Service Award and recipient of the 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Paul has also been featured in many articles on the both his personal and professional life and most recently was featured in the book “The Sixty Second Story” written by Janice Landry.

  • Neil Orr (Ret’d) York Regional Police.

Neil began his policing career with the O.P.P in 1984, before joining the York Regional Police in 1987. His career has included assignments in Communications, Child Abuse, Forensics and the Training Bureau. Neil is a PTSD survivor and has been a committed Peer Support member and trainer for the York Region Critical Stress Team for over 15 years which has included deployment to New York City in 2002 to support NYPD Officers. Recently Neil was part of the selection process of the York Regional Police Peer Support Team. Neil currently serves in the capacity of Peer Support on the York Regional Police CISM Alumni Team. Neil shares his personal and professional experiences openly as a dynamic positive presenter.

  • Staff Sergeant Ron Campbell, RCMP “K” Division

Ron is a serving 34-year member of the RCMP, presently working in Employee & Management Relations in Edmonton. Ron was diagnosed with PTSD in 2004 and Major Depressive Disorder in 2009. Since then Ron has gone on to be a public speaker on Stress Management in Policing, and Self Care & Prevention of Operational Stress Injuries. His audiences have included the FBI, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, The Canadian Association of Police Governance, Canadian Police College, and many police conferences across the USA and Canada. Ron is a committee member on the Lieutenant Governor’s Circle and Mental Health and Addictions (Alberta) and supporter of the Warhorse Foundation. He is also active in peer support to first responders across Canada. His editor is putting the finishing touches on his book which he hopes to have published in 2015.

  • Rae-Lynne Dicks, BA-Criminology, MA-Criminal Justice

Rae-Lynne Dicks is a former 911 Communications Operator (VPD & VFRS), with 10 years’ experience and is a 20-year survivor of chronic PTSD due to cumulative traumatic incidents. As part of her Master of Arts degree, Rae-Lynne conducted the first research in Canada that focused specifically on Canadian 911 operators and PTSD; it is titled, Prevalence of PTSD Symptoms in Canadian 911 Operators. Rae-Lynne has been a volunteer with Badge of Life Canada under the guidance and mentorship of its Founder, Peter Platt and a guest speaker for Tema Conter during their Heroes are Human Tour.

In 2017, Rae-Lynne created the first conference, Connections in First Responder Mental Health and collaborated with her alma mater Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Badge of Life Canada to bring together a long list of speakers, service providers, persons with lived experience and academics. Participants included local organizations, first responders, treatment providers and KPU students who listened, shared and asked questions in discussion of a wide range of topics over the course of the 2-day conference. The proceeds of this conference were donated to Badge of Life Canada.

In 2019, Rae-Lynne was invited by the Ministry of Health to attend the National Conference on PTSD in Ottawa where she was invited to share the results of her Master of Arts research and participate in the conference as both an academic and a person with lived experience. All the participants attending the conference worked together collaboratively to inform the future federal framework on PTSD. In participating at this conference Rae-Lynne was honoured to confirm that 911 operators and dispatchers will be included in all legislation resulting from the Federal Framework.

Rae-Lynne regularly speaks publicly to share her story that she blends with discussion about the early warning signs along with the development of PTSD as she experienced it. Rae-Lynne also discusses issues involving stigmatization in first responder organizations and her road to survival, including how she made the conscious decision to live.

Our Mental Health Worker Facilitators of the Peer Support Workshops:

  • Joddie Walker, MS, RP, CTS, D.A.A.E.T.S. Registered Psychotherapist

Joddie holds a Master’s of Science in Forensic Psychology and is a Certified Trauma Specialist with ATSS and National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children. She holds Diplomate status with the American Academy of Traumatic Stress and is a National (USA) Credentialed Advanced Advocate. In Joddie’s private practice, she specializes in first responders, their family members as well as civilians with PTSD, anxiety or depression. Joddie has 25 years of experience working directly with crime victims in various program settings. She has been trained in three models for debriefing, each for a specific audience: first responders, children or community members. She aided first responders as part of two critical incident stress teams. Her direct experience includes volunteerism with two Peer Teams, one in Canada and the other in the USA. Joddie’s response with CISM also included responding to survivors of the September 11th terrorist attack on two occasions and two populations: survivors of the South Tower and New York City Police Department. Joddie’s technical support and teaching includes conducting trainings throughout the USA and Canada on topics such as victimology issues and sexual offenders. Joddie has taught for the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation (USA) on death notification, trauma, grief and loss. She has also developed a peer/mental health led curriculum for first responders of child abuse on secondary traumatic stress. Her mission: to restore hope and healing to those whose job it is to bring hope to others.

  • Careen Condrotte

Careen is a Registered Social Worker and has been working in the prevention/early intervention field for over 20 years. Careen is an Approved Instructor with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and through this work has developed and provided crisis response services to first responders (peer support teams), health care professionals, schools and communities. Careen has experience in suicide prevention, intervention and grief support in addition to her training in mental health promotion and prevention.

As a believer in wellness, resiliency, and early intervention, Careen strives to acknowledge her audience/client challenges & strengths provide accurate and practical resource information. She works to provide easily implemented strategies for wellness and resiliency, and instill positive messages of personal control & responsibility of wellness, hope and energy to make positive changes.

Careen is also a Reiki Practitioner Level II and believes in providing individuals with holistic options for wellness in conjunction with the traditional/western options available. She understands the importance of individuals having choice and control over the healing tools and resources for their individual journey.

  • Hilary Anne Murray, MSW, RSW, MPTh

Hilary is an Anglican priest with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. She presently serves as the Pastoral Vicar at Christ Church Cathedral. She obtained her Master of Pastoral Theology from St. Paul’s University. Hilary is also a clinical social worker, obtaining her Master of Social Work in 1993. She is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), as well as, a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Hilary Murray has extensive experience providing psychotherapeutic services in the areas of grief/loss, chronic illness and end stage medical conditions, depression/anxiety, trauma and marriage and family counselling, as well as, spirituality. She is a facilitator and advisor for the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program and a clinical trainer for the Peer and Trauma Support Services Advisor, certified training program under the Mood Disorders Society of Canada.