Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

1. The Psychological Wellness Program
15. The TPS Psychological Wellness Program is provided by the Service’s in-house
psychologists in the Psychological Services unit, and has both mandatory and voluntary
components.
16. Members of TPS teams who regularly engage in activities that place them at an
elevated risk for the development of a mental health-related operational stress injury are
required to meet with a TPS psychologist at least annually. Attendance at these meetings
is mandatory, although members cannot be compelled to disclose information to the
psychologist if they do not wish to do so. The contents of these visits are private and
confidential, subject only to the psychologist’s duty to warn and protect if the individual
poses a risk of harm to himself or herself, or anyone else.
17. Members of the TPS who currently participate in the Psychological Wellness
Program include:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
child exploitation investigators in the Sex Crimes unit, seen twice per year;
technical crimes investigators in the Intelligence unit, seen twice per year;
Emergency Task Force gun team members;
forensic identification investigators and civilian photo technicians;
undercover officers in the Drug Squad, Undercover Operations, and
Intelligence units;
collision reconstruction specialists in the Traffic Services unit;
communications operators (all 911 call-takers and dispatchers) in the
Communications Services unit;
all members of the TPS who have been deployed overseas, seen
immediately upon their return, and three, six, and 12 months postdeployment;
and
(i) child abuse specialists working at the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre. 12
18. Currently, there are 614 members of the Service that fall within these nine
categories. Mandatory wellness visits for these members occupy the bulk of
Psychological Services’ capacity.
19. All other TPS members are permitted to seek counselling from the TPS
psychologists on a voluntary basis.
12
Carol Vipari & Cathy Martin-Doto, Psychologist Guidelines – New Constable Psychological Screening Evaluations (Toronto, ON:
Toronto Police Service, 2013), Appendix A.
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