News & Events
August 27, 2025
Newsletter Fall 2025
September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month:
Supporting first responders and public safety families affected by suicide
Every September, Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month reminds us of the importance of awareness, compassion, and action in preventing suicide. Public safety personnel (PSP)—including police, paramedics, firefighters, correctional workers, and others—face unique stressors and traumatic exposures during their occupational duties. These exposures can increase their risk for mental health challenges, and potentially also their risk for suicide.
At PSPNET and CIPSRT, the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment, we are committed to providing evidence-based resources, treatment, and education tailored to the needs of PSP. Together, we can work to reduce stigma, encourage open conversations around mental health.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8. Help is available 24/7 and can make all the difference.
Learn more about supports and resources at pspnet.ca and at this CIPSRT link.
PSPNET: Turning research into impact
The PSPNET team has been busy translating research findings into meaningful improvements to our programs.
This fall, we’re excited to introduce new case stories to the Wellbeing Course, highlighting how PSP leaders, Indigenous PSP, and PSP with milder symptoms have used ICBT (internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy) to support their mental health and wellbeing.
Our research shows that PSP value these real-life examples, helping clients feel supported inspired to enact positive change. As a result, we’re pleased to be making these additions.
We’re also making great progress on the French version of the PSP Sleep Course, designed to address the unique sleep challenges faced by public safety personnel.
In recent months, we’ve had some team transitions and warmly wish Abby Phillips and Gabriela Ioachim all the best in their exciting new career opportunities. At the same time, we remain committed to our goals to strengthen PSPNET.
We’re also welcoming new trainees Dannielle Lapierre, Paige Sivell, and Alexa Danyluk. We’re excited to have them bring fresh perspectives and open new research directions.
If you have suggestions for future research directions, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at pspnet@uregina.ca.
New Resource Hub: CIPSRT Printed Materials Now Available
We’re excited to announce the launch of CIPSRT’s Printed Materials & Resources collection, now available to order online free of charge. This vibrant resource hub offers a range of high-quality, bilingual printed materials designed to support public safety personnel (PSP), their families, and the professionals who stand beside them. Materials include flyers, infographics, wallet cards, sticker books, brochures, posters, and ring cards—all thoughtfully crafted for various PSP sectors.
Whether you’re looking for the Introduction to CIPSRT and PSPNET flyer, or sector-specific PSPNET outcome infographics, or the PSP Families—Why Families Matter brochure, these tools are ready to help raise awareness, support mental health, and guide effective conversations. A link to the CIPSRT store can be found here.
Accessing the collection is simple:
- Visit the Printed Materials section on CIPSRT’s website.
- Browse the full catalog of available items.
- Add what you need to the cart and submit. We will courier your items free of charge.
These resources are perfect for distribution at workplaces, training sessions, community events, or in direct work with PSPs and their loved ones. Share the news, order your copies today, and help spread knowledge and support far and wide.
2026 CIPSRT Conference
CIPSRT—the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment—is bringing together public safety personnel, mental health professionals, policymakers, and researchers for a new conference in May 2026.
You’re invited to share your experiences and access practical and evidence-based tools and resources to promote mental health, resilience and overall wellbeing within the public safety sector.
Stay tuned for registration details.
Did you know!?
CIPSRT hosts a network of Academics, Researchers, and Clinicians known as ARCNET. This network has expertise in public safety personnel (PSP) and posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). They also have knowledge of organizations and families impacted by PTSI.
ARCNET membership provides a community of practice to:
- Highlight and share relevant research for use in knowledge mobilization efforts
- Identify critical needs, questions, and research gaps on relevant issues
- Identify funding gaps and opportunities
- Support knowledge translation and mobilization efforts with PSP stakeholders
- Support the development and maintenance of evidence-based services for PSP
- Provide specific and reliable expert guidance and insight to PSP stakeholders
- Identify opportunities for advancements that support PSP mental health
Follow this link to learn more and apply to join the ARCNET today!
Book a Presentation for your Team this fall and winter
CIPSRT and PSPNET teams are available for virtual or in-person conferences, expos, and presentations! Some popular presentation topics include:
- Supporting a Colleague
- Self-Care
- Sleep
- Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
If you are interested in booking a presentation, or if you know of any upcoming opportunities to connect with your team, please contact Communications.CIPSRT@uregina.ca.
New resources available!
Video recordings, infographics, and summaries of all that we learned from our latest webinars are now available online.
Garnet Families Interactive Series: What about my family? Where do we fit?
First responder, public safety, and military families come in all shapes and sizes. Here’s what we learned in conversation with dual-serving and lone-parent families.
Supporting the mental health of public safety personnel through allied health care
Repeated exposure to trauma encountered on the job can have serious impacts on the mental health of first responders and other public safety personnel (PSP). In this webinar, we learned how allied health care professionals can assist in treatment and recovery from trauma.
In this discussion, we learned how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) therapies can potentially assist PSP in supporting their mental health.
Upcoming Events
Atlas Peer Support and CIPSRT event
Upcoming Webinar September 17, 2025
A free webinar will be held Sept. 17 for veterans, military, public safety personnel, and families to explore evidence-informed peer support guidelines.
The webinar is co-hosted by the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (Atlas) and CIPSRT, the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment. To learn more, click here.
The webinar will discuss how the guidelines were created and why they are needed in the community. Participants will have ample opportunity for questions and answers.
The event takes place:
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CST | 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT
Registration closes the day before the event on Sept. 16. We hope to see you there!
Garnet Families Interactive Series: The tired side of service
Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
10:00 am – 11:00 pm CST | 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT
You are invited to join Marilyn Cox, Dr. Heidi Cramm, and Dr. Linna Tam-Seto as they broaden the focus on sleep and its connection to public safety personnel (PSP) and their families.
From shift work to trauma exposure, the demands of these high-stress jobs can lead to significant sleep disturbances, often affecting both the serving member and their loved ones.
Understanding these impacts has resulted in the development of tailored interventions and policies that support the sleep health and well-being of PSP and their families.
For more information and to register for this online event, click here.
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Stay tuned later this fall as we share details about more upcoming online events, including a special two-part discussion series supporting the mental health of woodland and wildland firefighters.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
PSPNET Advisory Groups
Since January 2024 PSPNET has been working collaboratively with an advisory group of First Nations and Métis Peoples and their allies in Saskatchewan. This group provides guidance and feedback on our services, research, and outreach. Members include an Elder, an Indigenous PSP, Indigenous researchers, and an Indigenous community member. We are excited to announce that a Quebec counterpart group has been founded and is meeting for the first time this month. If you’re interested in learning more about our PSPNET advisory group in Saskatchewan or Quebec, or if you or someone you know might be interested in joining, please contact us.