Markham receives funding to support ‘selfless heroes’

City of Markham Fire & Emergency Services will receive $25,000 as part of a new program that will provide specialized services to those who keep the province safe.

The funding, announced November 14, is part of the provincial government’s $32-million investment in the 2025-26 Mental Health Supports for Public Safety Personnel (MHS4PSP) program.

“First responders and public safety personnel have our backs every day and we will always have theirs,” Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said when the program was announced last fall. “This new program will ensure Ontario’s selfless heroes, who put their lives on the line daily for us, receive targeted mental health supports that match the unimaginable challenges they face.”

The MHS4PSP program builds off elements of Ontario’s Roadmap to Wellness. The program will include a web portal for public safety personnel to access core services, including internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy and peer-support tools. It will also include additional programs and services, such as access to a 24/7 call-line and other trauma-informed mental health services.

The MHS4PSP program is also supporting the creation of an Anti-Stigma Strategy designed to remove potentially harmful stigmas around asking for help. Based on the findings of the Staying visible, staying connected, for life report, the goal of the strategy is to help create work environments where people feel confident to seek mental health support. It will include a website with mental health resources specific to public safety personnel, a leadership support network, training to equip leaders with the skills and knowledge to support mental health in their organizations, and recommended mental health practices for organizations.

Warrior Health was selected as the successful vendor to design and deliver the services and programs for the MHS4PSP program, the government announced last year.

Photo courtesy of the City of Markham.