Mental health and the wellness of all our stakeholders are very important to the CAA. There are many resources available and not all of them will be helpful for everyone. The resources below are offered as a courtesy to anyone visiting the CAA website. They are only some of the possible options that may be helpful. We recommend people explore the best options for themselves. 

CAA Aligned Programs:

CAA Training Partner
	* only available to CAA members

External Resources: 

List of free resources available in Canada

Mental health resources available in BC

Suicide prevention & mental health resources (Canada)

Find your local resources (Canada)

Find a counsellor near you

Humanacare- Employee Assistance Program

• Short–term therapy/counselling
• Trauma/crisis management and intervention services
• Financial, legal, family and stress-related services
• Health system navigation, case management, care coordination and concierge services for acute illnesses (expert advice on how to get the most out of the system)

Critical Incident Stress Management Preventative Plan and Framework (presentation by Erin Tierney)

After a Crisis- Alberta Critical Incident Provincial Network

Mountain Muskox- Peer Support

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Resources

Safety Talk for Ski Areas: Critical Incident Stress Management.

Training:

Assembling the Pieces Toolkit- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

This toolkit is designed to support organizations working to implement the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard). As a companion to the "Assembling the Pieces Implementation Guide" and the Standard, this toolkit provides practical advice for implementing key elements of the Standard, as well as links to tools that will assist organizations in taking action towards implementation.

Recordings:

Creating a Resilience Toolbox: Enhancing Team Dynamics in Avalanche Operations

CAA Spring Conference Presentation

by Sydney Badger & Wren McElroy

Creating a workflow that supports resilience and well-being in the avalanche industry is a unique process for each operation. Teams of varying size and scope can strategize how their operation responds to high pressure environments and improve team culture, without compromising work ethic or morale. This presentation captures the initial stages of resilience planning for a MoTI Avalanche Program. It highlights proactive steps to stress injuries and builds awareness on managing operational and personal pressures. We hope to exemplify how to support a team before potential incidents and design environments for effective decision making.

Dealing with Trauma, PTSD and the Road to recovery in the Avalanche Industry- CAA CPD

Mountains are a place of adventure, discovery, and joy but there can be negative consequences when things go wrong and the road to recovery can be long. Join us for a conversation around mental and physical trauma, PTSD, and recovery in the Avalanche industry. Avalanche professionals will share some of their personal experiences in managing and recovering from these traumas. Following this, medical professionals will join the round table discussion, sharing their experiences, processes, and additional resources to aid in the healing of physical and mental traumas. During this session, we invite you to participate, share ask questions or sit back and listen while we look at the complex journey to recovery and current tools that are available.

The Avalanche Hour - Stress Injuries with Laura McGladrey (podcast)

WorkSafe- Trudi Rondeau- Pillars of Resilience

• Mental health is more important now than ever. It is likely you have come across the term resilience, as it is used in many ways. In this presentation, individual, and organizational resilience are explored. Individual resilience looks at what an individual can do to protect their own mental health, while organizational resilience speaks to workplace culture and what leadership can do to create psychological safety in the workplace. Learn about the pillars of resilience, how they fit together and impact one another. Gain an understanding of strategies for resilience, both individually and organizationally, and the resources available to support positive mental health.
• See the PowerPoint
  

American Avalanche Association- Mental Health Talk

Strategies for Dealing with Work-Related Stress in the Snow & Avalanche Community. A panel discussion moderated by David Richards.

Mind the Brain - Managing During Uncertainty (podcast)

Staying Well in the Avalanche Industry: Insights, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth - Sydney Badger

The avalanche industry has taken important steps towards improving incident response, trauma support, and stress injury awareness. This presentation aims to add to that conversation by exploring the contributing factors to maintaining well-being and career sustainability. It is informed by numerous interviews with leaders, workers, and researchers in the avalanche industry, including voices from ski guiding operations, industrial avalanche programs, MoTI, and ski patrol programs. Based on graduate research that examined mental health challenges faced by adventure participants, the presentation is adapted to address the unique and varied experiences within the avalanche industry. The presentation aims to illustrate the current landscape of challenges, strategies and opportunities for growth at individual, organizational and cultural levels.

Staying Well in the Avalanche Industry: Improving Regulation and Operational Levels - Sydney Badger

This presentation explores well-being and career sustainability in the avalanche industry through the lens of polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation. By understanding how we are wired, individuals and organizations can implement simple changes with the potential for significant impact. Interviews with workers from ski guiding operations, industrial programs, highways and patrol help to illustrate how nervous system patterns like chronic activation can be interrupted to support individual and organizational resilience. Ultimately, the goal of this presentation is to illustrate that there are opportunities in daily and weekly workflows to improve regulation, even in the height of winter operational pressures.

Curiosity: The Antidote to Unhelpful Stress and Trauma - Lindsey Harris

This presentation invites you to get curious about the stress and trauma responses, why they are helpful, when they become harmful, and how to recognize the difference. We will also explore the individual nature of reactions to any given event. When we understand more about the way bodies and our nervous systems influence our thinking, we are better able to recognize and manage our stress responses. Lindsey will share practical tools and tips to help guide you, or others around you, away from unhelpful stress reactions towards more regulated responses.

This website does not provide medical advice. It is a source of information and resources for mental health., The resources listed, including but not limited to all the linked documents, webinars and websites are offered for informational purposes only. Information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health care provider with any questions you may have.