Speakers

A survivor of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Tyler has transformed his journey of resilience into a mission for advocacy. In 2022, he co-founded the Speak Your Mind podcast, creating a platform for meaningful conversations about mental health. In 2023, he and his partner Kat captured hearts as winners of The Amazing Race Canada, continuing to inspire open dialogue around mental wellbeing.

Dr. Colleen Carney is a Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory. Dr. Carney is a leading expert on cognitive behavioural insomnia therapy (CBT-I), with over 25 years of experience in sleep medicine experience, and over 200 publications. Dr. Carney is the current President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Behavioral Sleep Medicine group and was recently a member of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders Insomnia Disorder diagnostic criteria revision workgroup and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline workgroup. They are a passionate advocate for improving access to evidence-based treatments for sleep.

Evan Bray is excited and honoured to be The Voice of Saskatchewan with Rawlco Radio and host a provincial radio show 8:30am to 12:30pm, Monday to Friday on 650 CKOM in Saskatoon and 980 CJME in Regina.

The Evan Bray Show features Evan’s opinions on a wide variety of topics, with interesting guests and Saskatchewan people sharing their diverse, thought-provoking opinions.

Many know him as the former chief of the Regina Police Service. Evan retired as Chief of Police for Regina Police Service in June 2023 to join Rawlco Radio, and turned in his badge to change frequencies from police scanner to AM radio.

In his seven years as Chief of Police, Evan directed over 600 police officers and staff and was highly regarded as an effective, respected, and accessible leader. Evan’s career in policing spans almost three decades.

As police chief, Bray worked closely with governments, leaders and grassroots community organizations to understand the challenges people in Saskatchewan face. He led crowd control and crisis negotiation teams in his policing career — skills that can be useful during heated debates on his ground-breaking show.

Bray was born and raised on the family farm near Abernethy in southeast Saskatchewan. Growing up on the farm instilled a deep appreciation for his rural roots and a strong love for the province.

He lives in Regina with his wife, Jodie, and has two grown children, Cy and Ella, and two grandchildren.

Passionate about academia, Sarah Bourget holds a bachelor's degree in industrial relations, followed by studies in occupational health and safety and disability management. In 2023, she completed a master's degree in workplace people management with distinction for her thesis on the psychosocial impacts of occupational injuries among paramedic technicians.

With over 10 years of experience in the pre-hospital emergency care sector, she has served as a health, safety, and human resources advisor, as well as head of the health and safety department for a major organization. She now teaches as a university lecturer, contributes to research, and continues a career focused on health and well-being, particularly regarding the mental and emotional health of emergency responders.

Dr. Allison Crawford, is a psychiatrist and the Director of Virtual Care at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, at the University of Toronto. She is the Chief Medical Officer of 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline; Medical Director of the Ontario Psychiatric Outreach Program; and a Founder and Co-Chair of ECHO Ontario (www.echoontario.ca), an award-winning, virtual community of practice. These activities advance access to mental health services, with a focus on suicide prevention, community-based care, and Indigenous wellness.

Dr. Colleen Dell is a Professor and Research Chair in Sociology & School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. She is also a Senior Research Associate with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use & Addiction. Dr. Dell’s research program is grounded in an empowering, community-based, and patient-oriented participatory approach with both humans and animals.

Andrée-Ann Deschênes holds a doctorate in occupational psychology and is a professor at the School of Management at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. She educates current and future managers in public security management programs. She is co-holder of the UQTR-ENPQ Research Chair in the prevention of psychological health at work in public safety and co-director of the UQTR branch of the International Centre for Comparative Criminology. Her funded research, recognized both nationally and internationally, focuses on management psychology in public safety organizations, with particular attention to the prevention of occupational psychological health issues in police environments.

Dr. Janet Ellis is a Professor of Veteran Mental Health in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and a Medical Psychiatrist with a strong clinical and research interest in veteran mental health, the primary and secondary prevention of depression and PTSD in the context of cancer, acute physical trauma and in healthcare workers and public safety personnel. She is a founding member of Disaster Psychiatry Canada, the Director of Psychosocial Care in Trauma and lead Psychiatrist for disaster response planning in Canada’s largest trauma centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Under her professorship, Dr. Ellis is working to address gaps in veteran care, with a focus on cultural competency, trauma-informed approaches and cross-sector collaboration.

Annie Gendron, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in psychology. She is a researcher at the Centre de recherche et de développement stratégique de l'École nationale de police du Québec (Centre for Research and Strategic Development, National Police School of Québec), an associate professor in the Psychoeducation Department at the University of Québec in Trois-Rivières, co-holder of the Research Chair in Prevention of Psychological Health at Work in Public Safety, and a regular researcher at the International Centre for Comparative Criminology - Inter-University Centre. Her research interests focus on issues relating to the selection of candidates for the police profession, training, and police intervention in Québec. Her work explores the competency profile of candidates, the academic and professional trajectories of police officers, selection tests, the prevention of psychological health problems among public safety personnel, practices related to the use of force and suicide situations in the presence of police. She is also interested in the issues of police intervention in indigenous contexts and with indigenous clienteles.

Leo Goudal is a Research and Policy Analyst within the Research Partnerships portfolio at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. He obtained his Master of Public Health at the University of Western Ontario. Additionally, he is a Veteran that served four years as a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces. As part of his role at the Atlas Institute, he led the project coordination on the National Peer Support Community Network (PSCN); a national network of stakeholders from the Veterans, Public Safety Personnel (PSP), peer support, research and service provider communities. In collaboration with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), the Atlas Institute and the PSCN co-created best practice peer support guidelines that are specific to Veterans, PSP and their Families. Going forward, Leo will oversee the evaluation and implementation phases of these guidelines to monitor their adoption and suitability.

Amanda Conway has been with the Brandon Police Service since 2016. Until recently, she served in the Community Policing Unit, but she has now returned to general patrol. She holds a degree in Social Work from the University of Manitoba and has experience in mental health crisis services and community corrections. Amanda is a Registered Social Worker, a Social Work Field Educator, and is close to completing her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Policing at Wilfrid Laurier University.

She co-facilitated a course on First Responder and Military Mental Health at Thompson River University and is deeply involved in various community initiatives, including Indigenous boards, restorative justice, and mental health and suicide prevention. In 2020, Amanda co-created Project Resilience 911, a non-profit peer support initiative for first responders, military personnel, and their families, which provides resources and promotes mental health awareness.

Amanda’s dedication to mental health earned her the Mental Health Service Award in 2021 and recognition as a Champion of Mental Health by the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment. She was also awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award in 2023 for her leadership. A Metis woman, Amanda is passionate about creating cultural safety and reconciliation between Indigenous communities and public service.

Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family, including her two adult children and four-year-old grandson. She is married to another member of the Brandon Police Service and values the unique experience of being a first responder spouse.

Cynthia Hamilton Urquhart is a passionate speaker, writer, and mentor dedicated to empowering the First Responder community through mental health advocacy. Her unique perspective draws on her 25 years of experience as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Officer and her personal life with her First Responder husband and their blended family.

When Cynthia and her husband were both diagnosed with PTSD within eight months of each other, they embarked on a shared healing journey. This experience gave Cynthia deep insight into the physical and mental health challenges faced by First Responders and their families. It inspired Cynthia to become a passionate advocate for change, and a source of hope for others navigating similar struggles. As a result, she founded A First Responder Voice to reach out to First Responders and their families and is the author of ‘A First Responder Voice: A Guided First Responder Journal Encouraging Mental Health Care’.

She is a Universal Women’s Network, 2019 Woman of Inspiration - Unsung Hero award winner, and the recipient of both the RCMP Long Service Award and the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal. In 2024, she was selected to appear in The Big Talk Academy Virtual Showcase, speaking about ‘Changing your world with the courage to care’.  

Layne Jackson has been the Fire Chief of Regina Fire & Protective Services since 2017. His fire service career spans over 29 years, where he has served in a variety of positions including overseeing such programs as Suppression & Rescue, Training, Public Education, Inspections, Investigation and Emergency Management. He possesses two degrees and numerous professional certifications. Layne places a high importance on ensuring the Department’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team is supported and has the tools needed to assist members with difficult situations.

Matt Johnston is a full-time professional firefighter and CEO of First Responder Health Services. As a trained mental health clinician, Matt co-founded the Occupational Awareness Training (OAT) Program in 2017, following a cluster of suicides in the fire service.

The OAT program is an innovative twofold initiative: it educates healthcare providers on how to effectively build rapport with public safety personnel and provides tailored training for frontline workers. In collaboration with Blueprint and the University of British Columbia, Matt helped mobilize findings from the First Responder Resiliency Program, which achieved statistically significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among participants.

During his presentation, Matt will discuss the online OAT program, which employs a drip content delivery method, enabling monthly training to be seamlessly integrated into firefighters’ in-station, on-duty schedules. With over 12,000 firefighters enrolled, Matt will highlight how the program translates research into practical, engaging psychoeducational training that mitigates the impact of psychological stress injuries.

Laryssa Lamrock has worked with military, Veteran and first responder Families in different capacities over the last 20 years, including extensive experience in the field of family peer support with Operational Stress Injuries (OSIs) such as anxiety, PTSD and depression. Today, she is the National Strategic Advisor- Families, for Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families.

Along with her professional experiences, Laryssa is truly a military family member as she is the daughter, spouse and mother of formerly or currently serving Canadian Armed Forces members. Her personal experiences in supporting a loved one with OSI and her own journey with depression drives her passion for representing and advocating for families. She believes strongly not only in the importance of Family involvement in the recovery process of their loved ones mental health injuries but also in the necessity of Families being supported in their own experiences.

Laryssa has had numerous speaking engagements involving mental health awareness specific to OSIs, peer support and her lived personal experiences. A few of the most noteworthy have been the CIPHER collaboration conference, the National Conference on PTSD, and an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. She participates on a number of Committees including, the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Advisory Council, the VAC Ministerial Advisory on Families and the Veterans Affairs Deputy Minister’s Commendation Awards Advisory Committee. She is the author/co-author of a number of articles including “Loving a Broken Soul - The lived experience perspective on the implications of Veterans’ moral injuries for Families,” published in the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health.

Holder of a bachelor's degree in administration, Isabelle Cindy Légaré is a consultant in human resources management, occupational health and safety, and continuous improvement. She also works for the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), where she supports business analysts in optimizing the organization's various processes. Currently pursuing a master's degree in project management, she also serves as a research officer and is conducting a thesis on Lean Management and occupational health and safety in Quebec’s fire services. Additionally, she contributes to the advancement of workplace health and safety as a coordinator of RÉSO SST, which aims to foster networking among stakeholders.

Dr. Renée MacPhee has been an integral member in the Canadian paramedic community for almost 30 years, devoting her time helping as a researcher and educator. She is a tireless advocate dedicated to improving their physical and mental health and well-being. In 2017, she became a Founding Member and Paramedic Sector Lead at the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research & Treatment (CIPRST). In 2018 her commitment to the health of paramedics across Canada earned her the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada Presidential Award of Excellence, marking the first time that the award has been bestowed upon a civilian. In 2022, she joined the Mental Health Collaborative for Public Safety Personnel Round Table with the Ontario Solicitor General’s Office. In 2022, she was presented with the Laurier University Award for Community Service and Engagement in recognition of her efforts supporting Canadian paramedics. Her determination to identify and implement solutions that address the needs of the paramedic community has earned her the respect and cooperation of paramedic leadership, frontline, and labor groups. It is her long-held belief that successful research in the field of paramedicine is the result of work that is done by paramedics, with paramedics, for paramedics.

Dr. Nathalie Reid is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina, where her research program focuses on educators' experiences of/with trauma and trauma-sensitivity. She is also the Director of the Child Trauma Research Centre at the University of Regina, whose research program has many foci: climate trauma, ACEs, social services, early prevention and intervention, newcomer children youth and families. It is in this role that she has also come to work with public safety personnel families. Dr. Reid was a Co-PI on PSPNET Families, an online wellbeing hub of upstream mental health support for public safety personnel families. It is this work that led her to seek out and acquire funding for PSP Youth and Kids - a project creating free, widely-accessible, upstream mental health and wellbeing supports for children and youth connected with defence and public safety personnel.

Seema Sharma is National Director of the International Association for Human Values. In her role, Seema leads operational stress and trauma programs with IAHV in Canada, specifically the SKY Resilience for First Responders and Public Safety Personnel. She works closely with key stakeholders at all levels and across the country to present evidence-based research supporting the efficacy of the program as well as delivering the SKY Resilience program to municipal police organizations and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

A dynamic leader with over 22 years’ experience in strategic advisory services and planning to both the government and private sector, Seema also works full time with a global tech and strategic advisory company serving as a member of the leadership team with a specialized focus in health care delivery and systems. With an educational background in immunology and medical microbiology and infectious diseases, Seema also actively lends her strategic business expertise to humanitarian and social impact initiatives by delivering programs to build resilience and improved performance in a wide range of settings.

Robert Stewart has been an executive member of the Board of Directors at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Canada for almost a decade and served 2 terms as President. Representing a membership of almost 500 public safety professionals, Robert continues to advocate for front-line emergency telecommunicators.

He graduated with an honors degree (BA) in Psychology and achieved a Masters Certificate in Project Management. Robert has education in CBRNE, incident command, quality improvement, and paramedicine.

Robert was a paramedic, emergency medical dispatcher, and superintendent with BC Emergency Health Services during his 17 year tenure. Co-managing one of Canada’s largest EMS communications centres in Vancouver, he also spearheaded training and quality improvement across BC’s three medical dispatch centres.

Currently, Robert is the Director of Emergency Communications for the City of Brandon leading provincial 911 activities for a geographically diverse population of 470,000.