Provider of a Safe Space for our Public Safety Personnel, Military and their Families- Members for Members
Experience Change with The Haven
Mental Health Service Provider - Here to Guide You
Are you a First Responder, Public Safety Personnel and/or Military or their Family looking for mental health support? We provide peer-lead, mental health resources that understand that organizational stressors impact the healthy processing of our occupational stressors. We have a unique approach using various leading-edge, evidence-based modalities in partnership with other amazing organizations.
We are changing up what mental health resources look like for our people and their families.
Life can be overwhelming and sometimes even exhausting, but we are here to guide you through any obstacles you may face. Our goal is to help you understand yourself more deeply and to better cope with change.
Unique Treatment...
What is The Haven?
Approaching mental health wellness, with the understanding of the impact of organizational stressors. Traditionally, we have approached mental health wellness with the understanding of operational injuries. Powerful literature by Dr. Carelton, N. (2021) has shown that organizational injuries can have a significant impact regardless of the operational experience.
What does that mean?
That means that we at The Haven understand that organizational stressors, such as short staffing, shift work, healthy processing of operational pieces, organizational culture, leadership consistency, are directly related to your mental wellness. With this understanding, our holistic approach includes all of these dynamics and more.
"When you can't control what's happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond. That's where your power is.”
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The Haven Founder's Statement
The Reason Behind The Need
Hi my name is Michelle Vincent, Founder and Lead Director of The Haven. I am a retired, 18 year York Regional Police Veteran and more importantly skilled in and extremely passionate about mental health in our First Responders and Uniform Personnel. Our objective at The Haven is to support our First Responders and Uniform Personnel in working through their addictions and/or mental health issues such as Depression, Anxiety and/or PTSD through evidence-based, medically supervised treatment and returning to their families, organizations (if they choose) and communities whole and well.
I would love to share with you, how The Haven will aspire to accomplish this long-desired goal of supporting leading-edge, occupational-specific inpatient treatment exclusively to our First Responders and Uniform Personnel. This medically supervised treatment oasis is held on 50+ tranquil acres of beautifully treed property in a rural area, surrounded by natural gifts such as a rock labyrinth, a home-like setting and peaceful gardens. It is in a setting that includes horses that you will be invited to develop a personal relationship with as you care for and receive care from in a therapeutically lead environment. The Reintegration After Critical Incident and Long-Term Leave Program which is Edmonton Police’s outstanding, evidence-based program is a large part of treatment with us at The Haven. You may have successfully completed a stay with us however we will be with you on your journey as you reintegrate into your family, organization and community with your skill set!
The Haven will be your family for your chosen period of time, all the while making it financially affordable. How do we propose to make it financially affordable you might ask? We have created a three-tiered model whereby we receive funding from the government, private/corporate sponsorships and our favourite, from organizational associations through a $10 donation every pay for unlimited use of this oasis. We aspire to greatly reduce wait times and the need for funding for the client traditionally experienced.
The Haven aspires to reduce suicide and other mental health deaths and issues amongst First Responders, Uniform Personnel and their families, as well as reduce organizational liability that is often incurred as a result of mental health issues coming out on the job. We aspire to reduce costs provincially and nationally of physical and mental health care exclusive to this population through prevention, quick access and in-depth reintegration programming that follows the client long after their stay with us.
Our greatest strength and asset is our desire to continue and develop ongoing partnerships with other outstanding, leading-edge mental health organizations/resources. This will ensure gaps in this type of care, with the occupational specificity are upheld, forever growing and supporting the reintegration of our First Responders and Uniform Personnel into their families and communities.
The Haven Welcomes You...
Quality care you can count on!
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
We are a non-profit registered organization.
Business # 777251331RC0001
OUR MODEL, A PROVEN AND RELIABLE APPROACH
Maison La Vigile, Val-Cartier (Qc)
The initial concept of La Vigile was developed in the 1980’s by Mr. Jacques Denis Simard. Mr. Simard was a Police Officer in Quebec for many years and had noticed the mental health issues that came with this line of work. In his efforts to seek help for fellow officers, he noticed they would have to travel great distances in order to get the support they needed. He came to the realization that there was a great need for an organization dedicated solely to supporting first responders.
Over the years, La Vigile grew and expanded based on the needs and demands for this type of support and treatment from Emergency Service workers. Prior to developing their own in-house treatment programs, La Vigile networked with various organizations that provided therapy which treated various mental health and addictions issues. It was identified that, although there were some community partners that provided rich in-house therapeutic environment for individuals with mental health and addiction issues, these programs were not specific to the organizational culture of emergency services.
La Vigile recognized the importance of having a culture specific therapeutic experience for Emergency Service workers. There was an understanding that the therapeutic care provided to Emergency Service workers would not be effective when mixed with other populations who were not in this field of work. There were many specific needs could not be met within the general population, thus the development of their own in-house treatment center. This was one that could provide therapy (treatment) fulfilling the unique needs of Emergency Service workers.
The trust in the care provided at La Vigile has spread throughout the various mental health care providers as well as various insurance companies and associations in Quebec, making La Vigile a recommended resource for Emergency Service workers.