The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is looking to expand a program that provides peer support to public sector workers in northwestern Ontario.
They’re touring the region to promote and raise funds for the Boots on the Ground program.
Spokesperson Sharon Bak says peer support makes it easier to understand what workers may be going through.
“And that value is huge for someone. You don’t have to tell your story over and over. You don’t have to explain things as much as you need to do. And again it is peers. Sometimes people are a lot more comfortable talking to peers than they are talking to professionals,” says Bak.
Representatives were in Fort Frances Monday to promote the program. They’re also visiting Kenora, Dryden and Thunder Bay this week.
There is a toll-free number already in place for workers to call if they are suffering from mental health or emotional trauma.
OPSEU’s Mike Lundy says ideally they would like to have a more physical presence in the communities where they members work.
“There’s also the opportunity maybe to sit down and have coffee with somebody. Not everything’s over the phone so sometimes it’s a more personal kind of experience,” says Lundy.
Bak says they would like to set up teams of at least ten individuals in the communities to make the program more effective.
