Artist, Advocate, and local First Responder Daniel Sundahl is hosting a free symposium on Mental Health Resources for Emergency Service Workers and their Families in Leduc on Tuesday January 22, 2019 from 6pm – 10pm. The event will take place at 4308 50th Street, Leduc, Alberta.
From Sundahl’s Facebook Event Page:
I’ve invited a few of my contacts to come speak on the mental health resources available to first responders in the Edmonton area. This is a free event open to all emergency workers. Our speakers will share the mental health resources they have developed that are available to first responders and their families. I will also speak on mental health recovery and post traumatic growth. Come join us at the McLab Centre in Leduc to hear about some of the resources available to us here in the Edmonton area or get some ideas that you can implement for your own service. A special thank you to the Leduc City Fire Services for sponsoring this event so it can be free for everyone to attend.
Speaker topics:
Post Traumatic Growth – Daniel Sundahl, Paramedic/FIrefighter, Artist www.dansunphotos.com
A.S.K. All Services Kinship – Mike Skinner, Paramedic/Firefighter
Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network – Jeff Sych, M.Sc., R.Psych. https://abcism.ca
Legacy Place Society -Diana Festejo https://legacyplacesociety.com
Re-integration – Sergeant Glen Klose, Edmonton Police Service
Strathcona Firefighter Paramedic Spouses Association – Katie Bickell and Elliott Davis https://scfpspouseassociation.ca
Who should attend?
• Paramedics
• Educators
• Correction Officers
• Fire/Rescue Personnel
• Dispatchers
• Medical Directors
• Law Enforcement
• Nurses
• Military Emergency Personnel
• Social Workers
• Other Emergency Professionals
• Emergency Services Managers
• First Responder Families
As you may have noticed, a representative from our own Association will speaking at this event and, in case you don’t already know, Katie Bickell is also the person who writes these these posts so she’s going to change from writing in awkward third person right now in order to explain how this came to be. As I posted in our private Facebook group:
A few days ago, Local 2461 Executive Vice President Elliott Davis virtually introduced me to Daniel Sundahl of Dansun Photos, a paramedic who uses his art to depict the experiences of First Responders. Probably like many of you, I knew of Dan’s much-celebrated art but I did not know he was local. Elliott introduced Dan and I as he imagined a future collaboration between us (in my other life, I am a writer). In the email, Elliott included the link to SCFPSA’s website.
Dan was intrigued by our group and asked if I’d lead a 30 minute presentation at an upcoming event he was planning. I told him our group was new and still finding footing, but he insisted the topics of inclusive community building in the First Responder community and empowering Families around the mental health and wellness of First Responders were vital, welcome, and very relevant to his audience, which will be made up by First Responders and their families. He asked me to speak on setting up the group and what needs we hope our association will serve. I plan on speaking about the value of:1. Information Sharing
2. Community Building & Support
3. Educational Empowerment
4. Advocacy
and how our group supports these efforts. I’d also love to hear more thoughts from you on how a group like ours is or could be beneficial to the Families of First Responders.
I also requested VP Elliott be invited to the conversation as co-presenter as the inclusive leadership of our union was vital in our group’s creation.
If this event is anything like Dan’s art, I’m sure it will be honest, eye-opening, and meaningful. I hope many of us can gather as a larger community.
Katie
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