Another Option

Most people are not quick to accept anything new especially if it doesn't fit their idea of "normal". There are times however when others in society determine what is normal and even good and the rest of us just go along with it, seldom asking any questions. Forgive me if that sounds over simplified but for the sake of argument, play along with me.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Occupational Stress Injury (OSI) are on the radar of most First Responders these days. The unfortunate high rate of suicides in recent weeks among our Police, Fire and EMS, has caused many professionals to reassess the procedures that are presently in place to help those suffering from PTSD. As I follow this discussion on social media and look at some of the organizations that are at the forefront of getting help to First Responders, I see one glaring omission. I see psychologists and psychiatrists within Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). I even see therapeutic yoga and Buddhist rituals but I do not see the Christian faith involved in any meaningful way. This blog is intended to bring a new focus on not only the role of a Chaplain in the way of counselling but perhaps more importantly, how Chaplains could be used as an advocate for those suffering in silence.

My point is a simple one: Chaplains can and should be "part of the team" that gets First Responders the help they need. What I would like to do in this first blog is to unpack what that may look like.

I was a police chaplain while I was also a pastor of a church in Toronto. Since then I have been a workplace chaplain, long-term care chaplain and airport chaplain. I know the term "chaplain" scares a lot of people because they automatically associate "chaplain" with being some old religious character that says last rights. They might even be viewed as someone who preaches at people. If you fall into that category of thinking, let me renew your mind a bit.

I used the word "advocate" earlier and perhaps if we shift our focus a little we can get a better handle of what I am proposing for First Responders. Let me begin by explaining what I do today in long-term care, in the workplace and at the airport. The key to what I do is two-fold: I build relationships and I listen. As I do that, I gain the trust of people. For example, as a Christian chaplain, my best friend at Toronto Pearson Airport is Mohamed. Mohamed is a devout Muslim who goes for prayers several times a day while working at the airport. At long term care, my best friends are residents who almost never attend our church services. They are a former Brigadier General, a retired Toronto cop, a retired American soldier with MS and an Atheist. At a previous workplace where I was also a chaplain, I was friends with a witch and a former biker.

Please understand that I was a pastor for 14 years and a missionary in Estonia for another 2 years. I have facilitated Ethics training for the Estonian Police and I have counselled cops who have been involved in traumatic situations in their lives. I have walked with families through the tragic death of an infant child and through the burning down of a family home that housed 16 adopted children. I could go on but hopefully you get the picture of who I am.

So why do I believe Christian chaplains should be involved in the discussion on PTSD? Maybe because we have been helping those dealing with traumatic events for years. Maybe because it might help where help is still needed. Maybe because we keep saying that we still don't have all the solutions as illustrated by the constant suicides among First Responders.

I applaud the work of psychologists and psychiatrists and yoga instructors and Buddhist meditation techniques. I really do. Isn't it time however to invite Chaplains to the table?

In my next blog I will present the advocate side of being an effective Chaplain within in the community of First Responders.