11th Annual
‘Helping the Helpers’

At just 22 years old, Lauren began her career at Edmonton Institution for Women, stepping into the demanding world of corrections with little-to-no understanding of real-world mental health struggles. The weight of the job, coupled with the overwhelming stigma surrounding mental health in her profession, left her feeling isolated. Believing that seeking help was a sign of weakness, she instead turned to over-the-counter medication and alcohol to numb the pain and combat the relentless stress.

Lauren’s moral struggle was profound. She had always wanted to help people but found herself in an environment that made it nearly impossible to do so. All while sacrificing her happiness and her health. Eventually, the pressure became unbearable, forcing her to take multiple leaves from work. After the birth of her second child, she stepped away from her career with the intent to return when her children were older. However, life had other plans. In 2015, Lauren was diagnosed with PTSD and was told she would never return to her career. Overwhelmed with shame, she kept her diagnosis a secret.

Today, Lauren has transformed her story into purpose. Through her non-profit, she creates a safe space for first responder families to find support, community, and the courage to prioritize their mental well-being. Lauren works for the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Opening Minds to help get The Working Mind First Responder to organizations to equip their members with mental health education. By sharing her story, Lauren empowers others to break free from stigma, embrace healing, and recognize that seeking help is not a sign of weakness—but of bravery, strength and courage.

Toni holds a Bachelor’s and Master of Social Work from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Toni also holds a Master of Occupational Health Science from McGill University and is currently a doctoral candidate at Queen’s University. Her doctoral research is looking at the needs of police, fire, paramedics and correctional workers who have had a work-related psychological injury. Each year, hundreds of these personnel must leave work as a result of a work-related psychological injury. Toni’s research has produced a practice framework that aims to guide practices for case managers who are helping our first responders to get the care they need to rehabilitate and return to work.

In addition to work and study, Toni likes to spend time on Prince Edward Island playing with her grandson.

He cemented his reputation with his coverage of the Triple murder robbery at the Sydney River McDonalds. He covered that store from the final shot to the final verdict and at that time became very close to the victims’ families. He wrote his first book about the case Murder at McDonalds was an instant best seller. 

The work on that horrific story got him noticed by network producers in Halifax who transferred him and made him a crime reporter and part time anchorman. Jessome set his sights on the troubled and violent human trafficking that was happening in Halifax. He covered it exhaustively; it’s murders and kidnappings. He followed it to Toronto and befriended the young girls at the heart of the sex trade. This led to his second book, Somebody’s Daughter. He also became engrossed in the Hells Angels backed drug war that was raging in Halifax, and he successfully tied to the ongoing war in Quebec. This work got him noticed by network producers in Ottawa. Phonse was noticing a trend. The more violent and horrific his stories the higher his stakes rose at work. CTV borrowed Phonse and sent him to Bosnia to cover the final days of the ethnic cleansing there. They then sent him to Haiti to cover the brutal civil war. One night back in Halifax he was at a murder scene in Spryfield when his cell rang. It was Ottawa they needed him at the airport. A Natural disaster had struck in the mountains of Honduras tens of thousands killed and he would report to Canada how the Canadian Military responded.

Back home he continued to cover murders and violent deaths. His first shift at the scene of the Swissair accident lasted 36 hours. As the pace continued Phonse noticed tiny changes in himself. When his cell phone rang, his heart stopped and his hand shook as he answered. In 2007 after having his life threatened by the Banditos Motorcycle gang in Texas while he was on assignment something happened. He’d faced guns pointed in anger before. As always, he maintained his calm, but he moved toward the gun, not away. He stared in the shaking biker’s eyes and moved into his space. An older biker jumped in, and it was over. Phonse felt somehow disappointed. When he returned to Nova Scotia and he was racing down the highway to the next scene, he’d see past scenes, his eyes would water, and he’d fight the temptation to pull his news vehicle into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer. His wife forced him to seek help as she pointed out how badly his hands shook as he made lunch for work. In 2007 a psychiatrist said the words “You have complex Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome” when he added Phonse could never report again Phonse dismissed him and his diagnosis. He told no one. For the next seven years he kept running hard to the next tragedy. He wasn’t calm unless he was in a state of shock.

It kept up until April 2014 when he covered a near air disaster in a snowstorm at Halifax Stanfield. It might have brought him back to Swissair the way the survivors huddled under blankets and cried as the families of the victims of that air disaster had. He did the story, live hits on CBC radio morning and CBC TV’s national Newsnet. He wrote it on the web on his phone after getting the terrifying descriptions from the survivors. When his work was done, he sat on a bench to catch his breath. He got up to leave and looked at the massive TV camera on the floor beside him. He couldn’t pick it up. He had to fight to get the strength to pick up that camera. He went back downtown, cut the story for the afternoon and went home. He returned to CBC the following Monday morning and hosted Information Morning as a fill in. After the show he said he had a medical appointment. Went to see his doctor and never went back. 34 years of breaking news had broken him.

At RTF, we have developed the “Proactive Resilience Training Method”. Through personalized one-on-one coaching specifically designed to each individual client, we are able to ensure they are proactively prepared for the challenges they will endure throughout their careers and civilian lives.

A passion for practicing in Mental Health was ignited further following her spouses’ (John Garth) diagnosis of PTSD following a workplace injury in 2010. This injury forever changed Michelle, John Garth and their family and their lived journeys. This journey experience highlighted the lack of supports not only for those first responders diagnosed with PTSD as a result of a workplace injury but also the deficiency in supports for their families and spouses. This fueled the championing work for awareness, education and supports for spouses and families

Through this passion for practicing in Mental Health past opportunities were presented in creating and working alongside other strong advocates and community partners for mental health for First Responders and Frontline Professionals and their families such as Helping the Helpers Committee, Wings of Change and the WBC First Responders Steering Committee.

Although now retired, she continues to champion for self-care, self-compassion and psychological health and safety within organizations.

As a labour leader, Jason has earned respect for his consistent commitment to social justice, equity, and solidarity, and for the clarity, dynamism, and unifying approach he brings to movement building across the National Union and in the broader progressive movement in Canada and internationally.

In 2023, he chaired NUPGE’s first-ever anti-racism conference, bringing together diverse voices from the National Union’s Components to foster better understanding and drive positive change for all members. He spearheaded the establishment of the new Indigenous Issues Committee to advance the National Union’s equity and reconciliation efforts.

Jason serves on several boards, including boards of the Black Class Action Secretariat and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In June 2024, he was elected Chair of the Canadian Health Coalition.

Before his current role at the National Union, he led the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU / NUPGE) as President, first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2019. As NSGEU President, he introduced an annual diversity summit to support tangible improvements for all members in the province.

In 2015, Jason was selected to attend the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. He is a graduate of the distinguished Harvard Trade Union program.

Born and raised in the working-class community of Whitney Pier, Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia, Jason began his career in the public service as a corrections officer. He worked first at the Cumberland Correctional Facility in Amherst, and then at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility in Sydney. He quickly rose to leadership within his local of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU / NUPGE), eventually being elected to the NSGEU Board of Directors and Provincial Executive in 2003 and 2005 respectfully.

Jason’s upbringing instilled in him a profound appreciation for diversity, fairness, and equality. These are the core values that continue to guide him as he serves in various leadership roles within the labour community. He enjoys spending time with his family. He is married and the father of 3 children: Tasia, Tyler, and Jalen.

In 2019, he was diagnosed with complex PTSD and things went off the rails, but thanks to numerous angels in my life and Save a Warrior he was able to get back on track and he’s currently working as a flight paramedic in Northern Manitoba.

A seasoned leader in strategy and operations, Mark is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He played a key role in mental health initiatives for staff and clients at Sun Life, earning a prestigious CEO Award in 2018 for his contributions to workplace mental health. He looks forward to bringing that same advocacy lens to the WCB. Mark also brings is expertise and passion to board advisory work with Unsinkable, a Canadian mental health charity that uses the power of storytelling in the community and in workplaces to break stigma, foster connection, and make mental health support accessible.

In 2022, Minzhou joined the Sherbrooke Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter and medical first responder. Since becoming part of the fire department, she noticed a striking difference between what she had learned in school about trauma among first responders and what she personally experienced in the field. This discovery sparked her deep interest in gaining a more thorough understanding of first responders’ mental health.

Moreover, both of Minzhou’s grandfathers suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to war experiences, which further inspired her determination to explore this topic. From 2023 to 2024, Minzhou interviewed various firefighters and combined their stories with her own field experience and therapeutic insights. From this process, she developed new perspectives on trauma among first responders and innovative understandings. Minzhou hopes to support more first responders in taking good care of their mental well-being.

PTSD and the isolation weighed heavy on Daniela but for years she kept it hidden in the name of prioritizing John and her girls. Finally, during the height of COVID, she realized she needed something more to help her start her own healing. After an acknowledgment she didn’t know she needed, Daniela started a blog to help her work through her feelings and experiences.

Through her writing, Daniela was able to find connection and a sense of belonging with other first responder spouses. Her goal, along with using writing as a healing tool, is to provide spouses with a space and a voice so they never have to feel alone.

Daniela still has her “days” because, as we now know, the journey towards healing is never ending and PTSD has a way of sneaking up when we least expect it. But now, she knows that prioritizing herself, both physically and mentally / emotionally, only helps make her and her family stronger.

Daniela Tsentouros lives in Kenora, Ontario with her husband John and two daughters.

When a patient’s story closely resembled one of her most traumatic memories, Angela experienced re-traumatization in the workplace and found herself facing a PTSD diagnosis for the second time in her life, this time with a family of her own to care for. The challenge became too great, and Angela had to accept it was time to be the patient instead of the nurse. Though she already knew the value her lived experiences had in helping others, the lessons at hand were in accepting help, that healing was possible for her too, that helping others without healing yourself first only puts you at greater risk for more harm and takes you away from that love for helping others. Healers are people with their own wounds, who are deserving of the care they give, healers need healers too.

Chris’s journey with PTSD started in the military with his tour overseas, parachuting and rappelling deaths and injuries of his fellow jumpers. Mental and Physical injuries to himself and troops he led. Repeated unknown situations which caused anxiety and tension throughout his time in the forces.

He left the military and pursued a career in Corrections, reaching the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Operations. His journey with PTSD continued in his Correctional career dealing with many First Responder emergencies, suicides, institutional disturbances, physical assaults and deaths. He finished his career as a Senior Staff Development Officer and instructed at the Ontario Police College and the Correctional Officer Recruitment and Training Centre.

Chris took the knowledge and understanding of the importance of bringing awareness and recognition of PTSD from both the Military and his other career as a First responder in Corrections. He has been committed to educating and training both Veterans and First Responders in recognizing and building resilience to the cumulative traumas of Military and Law Enforcement environments. He gained qualifications in Suicide Intervention (ASIST), Mental Health Fist Aid and Resiliency Training and has been a part time facilitator at a number of Colleges in Ontario.

Although now retired he is still involved with Veterans Groups and First Responders in his local area of Sudbury. Chris enjoys farm life with his wife Janette and is also involved with coaching his sons.