Paramedic Mental Health and Wellness

While emergency call volume has decreased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paramedics now require additional time and focus to perform proper infection prevention and control procedures before and after each emergency call (e.g., PPE donning and doffing, equipment and vehicle cleaning/disinfecting, etc.). Continuing healthcare capacity challenges are also anticipated to result in significant ambulance offload delays in 2021, which will negatively impact ambulance availability in the community and response times to critically-ill patients. Maintaining ambulance availability will be dependent on securing additional staff to address these pressures Ongoing Supports for Paramedic Health & Wellness The City and Toronto Paramedic Services have continued to implement and maintain initiatives to support the wellness of all Toronto Paramedic Services staff, including: - Dedicated in-house Staff Psychologist/Psychological Associate in place since 1986 who provides 24/7 confidential consultation, and a Peer Resource Team established in the late 1980s to provide confidential peer-to-peer support. - Peer-led training (2016-2018) for all staff, encompassing Psychological First Aid, suicide prevention/intervention, and anti-stigma training. - Part-time Paramedic classification introduced in 2014 to provide full-time staff with greater opportunities for time off and to reduce the need for full-time Paramedics to work additional hours. - Psychological Health and Wellness Plan for all staff (launched in February 2017). - Implementation of more compassionate administration of existing Collective Agreement provisions (February 2018), meant to increase support for Paramedics involved in difficult emergency calls. - Introduction of increased psychological benefits entitlement in 2018 for Paramedics and their eligible family members. - City-sponsored TCEU Local 416 representative assigned to assist Paramedics in a safe and early return to work from injuries and illnesses (assigned in January 2019). - City-approved provision of psychological services for part-time Paramedics through the City's benefits provider, Green Shield Canada. - Launch of a Staff Support Centre in March 2020, at the outset of the pandemic, staffed by both management and union representatives, to respond to staff inquiries and provide centralized support and tracking for all COVID-19-related absences. - Expansion of the Telehealth program since March 2020 to reduce the number of Paramedic responses to 9-1-1 calls. Following consultation with both TCEU Local 416 (CUPE) and People and Equity, Toronto Paramedic Services will be undertaking various further measures to support the mental health and wellness of all Paramedics as outlined in this report.