York Regional Police launch Canada's first police-run mental health centre

York Regional Police created the country's first police-run mental health and wellness center, a 6,000-square-foot space dedicated to helping officers and their families.

"We know and recognize that if we look after our members, they will look after our community," said Deputy Police Chief Paulo Da Silva. "We identified that a space of this nature would benefit our members in terms of the services offered."

The center was created in partnership with the York Regional Police Association and aimed at providing services and treatment that help officers deal with the trauma exposure that is often associated with the job.

"We recognize that in order to receive a sense of total wellness that members need to ensure that their biological health, their psychological health and their spiritual health is taken care of," said Dr. Kyle Handley, senior director of wellness with York Regional Police.

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The center includes access to registered mental health clinicians, on-site chaplains from different religious denominations, peer support workers, and fitness and nutritional guidance.

All these services are provided to officers and their families free of cost.

The center is staffed by several dozen experts and is designed to give a sense of total wellness to officers and their families.

"We are creating a total sense of wellness for them and their families so that we can ensure that they can stay safe, on their first day up until their last day, hopefully after a 30-year career," Dr. Handley added.

The York Regional Police and the Association hope to add more programming to help officers and their mental health in the future.