Revolutionizing Mental Health in Policing Through Resiliency and Transformational Leadership

The chapter opens with the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) sharing his personal and professional views and his connection to mental health in policing. The Commissioner’s lived experience with resilience will resonate with readers and establishes why mental health is important to him. The Commissioner reflects back on the OPP’s mental health crisis in 2018 when three police officers died by suicide within a 3-week span that would launch a series of reviews of the OPP’s mental health practices, policies, and workplace culture. Additionally, the chapter provides an overview of the mental health reviews and highlights the recommendations that would revolutionize the way mental health is addressed in the workplace. In 2019, the Commissioner traveled the province of Ontario to hear firsthand from the OPP members and their families who participated in the reviews about their experiences related to mental health. He recounts his initial reactions to being faced with numerous distressed members and families. The Commissioner reinforces the OPP’s ongoing commitment to implementing the recommendations, recognizing that lasting change requires actions on many different levels. He emphasizes the shared organizational responsibility to ensure that all members are supported in reaching their full potential without fear of stigma.