USJE to mark World Mental Health Day

As part of USJE’s nation-wide Presumptive Injury campaign, USJE plans to mark World Mental Health Day on Thursday October 10th 2024.  

World Mental Health Day, recognized around the globe, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of mental health – and to mobilize efforts to increase access to mental health supports. 

The Day provides an opportunity for stakeholders in Canada and internationally to share information about their work, and highlight how governments can increase access to mental health care for people worldwide.   

Thousands of USJE’s members work in the criminal justice system in Canada to keep our communities safe – from coast to coast to coast. What is often overlooked is the negative impact that this critical work can have on their mental health. 

USJE’s Public Safety personnel are federal employees who work across 18 federal departments and agencies, including the Correctional Service of Canada, the RCMP, the Ministries of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Justice, the federal Parole Board of Canada, among several others. They comprise the operational backbone of our country’s federal public safety network.  

ABOUT THE PRESUMPTIVE INJURY PIN 

In order to mark World Mental Health Day and USJE’s ongoing efforts to increase access to mental health, USJE has designed a Presumptive Injury logo in collaboration with USJE’s Health and Safety Advisory Committee.  

The design of the logo is intended to symbolize the potential impacts on the brain when someone experiences vicarious or acute traumatic events, and/or repeatedly interacts with graphic materials, certain kinds of criminal evidence and/or criminalized persons.  

The logo is also designed to highlight that Presumptive Injury coverage is a “missing piece of the puzzle” that, if available, can better support people in their healing and recovery.    

Like first responders, USJE’s members’ exposure to criminalized persons, traumatic events, graphic materials, witness statements and victims of crime can have long lasting consequences. Without early intervention, these consequences can compromise the well-being of USJE members and their families.   

USJE’s members are encouraged to show their support for World Mental Health Day leading up to October 10th 2024 by utilizing USJE’s digital ‘backdrop’ on their computers which features the Presumptive Injury logo.  

USJE is also sharing the logo design with all USJE locals via the website in the event that they wish to use it to produce stickers, t-shirts and/or other paraphernalia.

ACTIVITIES ON PARLIAMENT HILL  

Last year, on September 20, 2023, Member of Parliament Peter Julian introduced a Private Member’s Bill in support of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees’ longstanding call to ensure more federal public safety personnel have access to Worker’s Compensation for mental health related injuries. 

Proposals in the bill include key revisions to the federal Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA), a piece of legislation that has not fundamentally changed since its establishment over 50 years ago, so that federal public safety personnel do not fall between the cracks. 

As it is currently written, GECA leaves behind tens of thousands of federal public safety personnel who suffer from psychological injuries owing to their efforts to keep Canadians safe. 

This Private Member’s Bill, while introduced, is not scheduled to be voted upon in this session of Parliament. However, the current Parliament could make changes to the legislation at any time. USJE is seeking support from all federal parties to call on the Liberal government to quickly amend the federal legislation (GECA) which oversees the administration of Worker’s Compensation coverage for federal public service employees through the provinces and territories.

On Wednesday October 9th, USJE will host a special reception on Parliament Hill on the eve of Word Mental Health Day to mark this globally recognized event. At this reception, USJE will once again highlight its efforts to close a key gap in presumptive injury (PI) coverage among federal public safety employees who suffer from an occupational stress injury.   

USJE’s reception on the Hill is an opportunity to continue to raise awareness among senior Members of Parliament about public safety personnel, and to work towards having the proposed changes become a reality in this session of Parliament.  This would constitute a victory for both USJE’S members and Canadians overall.   

Thursday, October 10th: USJE has is inviting all Members of Parliament to wear a USJE pin featuring the Presumptive Injury logo during Question Period in the House of Commons on World Mental Health Day, Thursday October 10. This is a unique and important opportunity for MPs to show their support for the mental health and well-being of federal public safety personnel, including those who work tirelessly alongside other first responders to keep our communities safe.  

As USJE’s National campaign evolves, we will explore the option of providing more materials to build awareness about USJE’s Presumptive Injury campaign.