SAIT program focuses on paramedics' mental health

Paramedical students at SAIT can now benefit from training that will help them manage their mental health while on the job. (File)

Paramedical students at Calgary's Southern Alberta Institute of Technology are being offered the opportunity to learn more about how to help improve their mental health on the job.

For two years, the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program was an elective offering.

Now, through research funding accessed by Wayfound Mental Health Group, the eight-module certification program has been adopted by the SAIT's school of health and public safety.

"By building mental health training into our students' education, we're investing in their futures and reinforcing a resilient foundation in the industry," said SAIT's school of health and public safety academic chair Jimmy Joy, in a news release.

"With this training, our graduates will enter the workforce better prepared and equipped to manage the psychological stresses of their chosen profession."

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In March 2023, Alberta research network Parkland Institute released a report based on interviews with 27 Alberta paramedics, who have more than 400 years of total work experience.

"As made visible in this report, the cost of a 'sole trust in numbers' approach to governing EMS is borne primarily on the shoulders of paramedics and their patients and is central to the current state-of-affairs in EMS in the province," states the report.

As part of the BOS program, students will tackle topics including operational stress, physiology, and stress response and delve into the connections between thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

"By teaching strategies for self-care and promoting a supportive peer environment from the outset, we are developing practitioners to excel in their careers and thrive as individuals outside of this demanding profession," said SAIT instructor and advanced care paramedic, Nathan Biswanger.

Full information about the program is available online.