DSAs should have access to mental health supports when and as necessary, says report
Things are not easy for hundreds of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) detachment services assistants (DSAs), mostly women, across Canada, according to a report.
DSAs serve as the first point of contact in every RCMP detachment across the country. They provide key operational support to the RCMP when it comes to responding to emergencies, conducting criminal background checks, supporting investigations, overseeing offenders on release, as well as the maintenance of crucial RCMP databases.
And these workers go through occupational stressors such as vicarious trauma, according to ‘The Mental Health and Well-being of Detachment Services Assistants in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: A Qualitative Investigation’ report released by leading public safety academic Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli.
In interviews with 54 DSAs, the most frequently mentioned example of disturbing materials and/or events were those involving the sexual abuse of children, according to the report. Deaths of children and youth were also mentioned, these included deaths of unknown causes and accidental deaths.
Interviewees also mentioned suicide, physical violence and homicide. In two instances, the child or youth was known to the participant.
“Knowing the victim personalized the incident, brought it “closer to home”, and affected DSAs’ interpretations of their environment and personal safety. Knowing the victim cannot be discounted as impactful to well-being, and must be recognized as too common in remote and rural areas,” said Ricciardelli in the report.
“DSAs are often long-time residents of a community their detachment covers, which, particularly in small communities, leaves them susceptible to knowing both victims and those criminalized.”
Other significant sources of occupational stress in staff members’ work environments include interpersonal conflicts with colleagues and/or supervisors, workload issues and role demands.
More than three in four (76 per cent) members of the RCMP reported experiencing high levels of job stress during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, found a previous report.
Recommendations
To help DSAs, Ricciardelli recommended that the RCMP provide better support to workers exposed routinely to potentially psychologically traumatic materials.
“Recognizing [that] the unique jobs of DSAs can expose them to potentially psychological traumatic materials, it is important that DSAs doing such jobs (e.g., transcribing, attending to the front counter, handling victims, exposure to images and videos) have access to mental health supports when and as necessary,” Ricciardelli said.
RCMP must also develop a policy on mandatory psychological evaluations for DSAs, particularly those working in units that require regular exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) to mitigate the stigma around mental health and treatment-seeking, while also ensuring that DSAs are receiving the mental health and well-being support they require, she said.
Annual psychological assessments are also needed, and these assessments should be routine and thus mandated by the RCMP for DSAs working in units that result in their regular exposure to PPTE (e.g., Internet Child Exploitation units), said Ricciardelli.
“Such assessments will help create connections between DSAs and their support, building rapport that may make it easier to call for support when a situation is more dire,” she said. “In addition, the check-in assessments can help to monitor DSA mental health and well-being, encouraging early intervention and prevention if compromised mental health emerges as a concern. The result will be a psychologically healthier workforce.”
Previously, Prince Edward Island, along with its partners the University of Regina and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), launched a new free mental health program designed to support the unique needs of public safety personnel (PSP).
Ontario and Alberta have also moved to provide better mental health services to first responders.
