OPP overhauling mental supports in wake of suicides

Ontario's provincial police force is expected to announce changes to itsmental health support system in response to therecent suicides of three officers.

OPP Commissioner VinceHawkesis expected to announce details later this week. So far, Hawkes'sonly public comments about the deaths have been on Twitter, where he wrote he was"deeply devastated by the recent loss of three of our members."

Hawkes also vowed to examine any barriers preventingmembers from seeking help.

The widow of one of the deceased officers is calling on the OPP to set aside time in each officer's day to allow them to discuss difficult calls with their peers.

SarahRouthier'shusband, Sgt. SylvainRouthier, was37 when he took hislife on July 31,after more than a decade as a OPP officer in Belleville, Ont.

She said her husbandwas a gentle soul andloving father of three who coachedall of his kids' hockey teamsand built a large backyard rink.

"He would have been the last person anybody would havesuspected to commit suicide or to struggle through a mental illness," Routhiersaid. "This can really happen to anybody if they don't take some preventative measures to make sure they're OK with their job."

'They're expected to keep those emotions in'

Routhierspoke toCBCNews from Camp FACES in Barrie, Ont., where she and her three children are getting support from professionals and other families of first responders who havelost loved ones.

She's sharing her husband's story publicly to prevent another tragedy.

Two other officers, including anotherfrom eastern Ontario, also took their own lives in the past month.

"First responders are human beings as well," Routhiersaid. "They see a lot of very difficult things day after day with their jobs. They're expected to keep those emotions in when they're dealing with a call.

"There's very little time to deal with those emotions afterwards because then they've got to go to the next call."

Routhier'shusbandtrained to become a police officer in Ottawa at Algonquin College, then startedhis career working security at the House of Commons as part of the prime minister's security detail in the early2000s.

He later landed a job with the OPP and workedas an officer across the province responding to car crashes, assaults and domestic violence. He then joined the tactics and rescue unit, where he dealt with high-risk calls including the Parliament Hill shootings in 2014.

Over the years, her husband didn't talk about being stressed or having a difficult time at work, she said, except for a fewmoments where he would talk about hard calls.

Then, in April, her husband came home from work and told herhe wasn't feeling like himself. He feltstressed and hadn't been sleeping.

The next day he toldRouthierhe was having suicidal thoughts.

Husband worried about stigma

Routhierbrought her husband to the hospital and he started the process of doctor's visits and taking medication. But he had a "very difficult" time with having to take stress leave from work, she said.

Her husband had just been promoted to sergeant and didn't want to let his detachment down.

"My husband was very worried about what other people were going to think of him for being off work or admitting he had a mental illness," Routhiersaid.

She convinced him to seek help through the OPP. He met with the force's wellness unit and told her the peer support was helping.

But the next week he disappeared and was later found dead.

'It was completely not on my radar'

She said that despite his struggles, she never imagined this would happen.

"It was completely not on my radar, even though he had spoken about suicidal thoughts a few months earlier. There wereno warning signs," she said.

Routhiersaid she may never know why her husband took his own life. She said she doesn't blame OPP, butdoes hopethe police forcecan learn from his death.

Speaking about difficult calls soonerrather than laterwould be a start, she said.

Removing the stigma about going on sick leavefor mental health issues and making spouses aware of what resources areavailable would also help, she said.

OPP support programs

In a statement toCBCNews, the OPP said it offers a number of resources for members, including peer support programs, mandatory mental health awareness and resiliency training, and an employee and family assistance program.

The force also saidthe OPP commissioner will be making anannouncement later this week about what the OPP is doing in response to the three deaths.

The focus needs to be on learning from what happened to bring about change, according to OPP union president Rob Jamieson.

He wrote a letter to members talking about his own journey.

"I have experienced extreme trauma as a result of doing my job as a police officer and four years ago I needed to step away," wroteJamieson.

"This has been a personal journey, and itis difficult to share this with thousands of people I do not know; however, I do so in the hope that it may give some strength to hang on, to speak to someone and to know you are not alone."

In an interview withCBC, Jamiesonsaid OPP members often work in communities thatdon't have the same numberofresources as bigger cities.

Need help? Here are some mental health resources in the National Capital Region:

• Association qubcoise de prvention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553)
• Ottawa Suicide Prevention: 613-238-3311