Lethbridge Police and Wounded Warriors Canada launch innovative program to reduce the risk of trauma-related injuries

The Lethbridge Police Service and Wounded Warriors Canada recently partnered to deliver Down Regulation Skills Training (DRS-T) – the first of its kind in North America – developed for police officers and other responders who regularly face the threat of death, serious injury or violence.

The innovative program equips trauma-exposed professionals with simple, practical interventions they can use not only after a high-stress call, but during the event itself as long as it’s safe to do so.

It’s estimated that over half of civilians will experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. In contrast, police officers are exposed to approximately three to five traumatic events every six months. That means officers may experience up to 200 per cent more trauma than the average person.

“We recognize the importance of proactively supporting our officers by giving them the education and tools to help reduce the risk of trauma-related injuries,” said Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier.

Last year, Grobmeier began working with Wounded Warriors Canada to build a resiliency training model that could be implemented as close to an incident as possible. After extensive collaboration with Dr. Tim Black, WWC’s National Clinical Director, that concept became a reality.

High-risk, high-intensity physical activities involve physiological components that require training, monitoring, and maintenance. Achieving physical readiness, fitness, and acquiring applicable skills not only prevents injury in the long term but is a requirement for high levels of performance on the job. Just like high performance athletes who take time to recover following intense competition and physical exertion, first responders whose limbic systems are highly activated must engage in a period of recovery or what can be termed “down regulation” of their nervous systems to avoid chronic limbic activation and physiological stress.  

At the heart of the Down Regulation Skills Training program is the BETR model – Body, Emotions, Thoughts and Relationships. It guides officers through a quick self check-in, helping to down-regulate the body’s stress response when the natural process gets disrupted – something that happens often in policing. These grounding techniques help officers stay present in the moment and reduce the risk of injury after a traumatic event.

The first training session recently took place when Dr. Black spent a full day embedded with the LPS tactical team observing scenarios to better understand the pressures they face. This was followed by classroom-based learning and more scenario training so the officers could put the new skills into action.

“The Wounded Warriors Canada-Lethbridge Police Down Regulation Skills Training represents a unique approach to developing supports and providing skills for Trauma-Exposed Professionals (TExP) where our two organizations have joined forces and combined expertise in our respective fields to create a program alongside the professionals it is meant to serve,” said Dr. Black. “Collaborating with the Lethbridge Police Tactical Team in developing DRS-T ensures the training has real-world relevance and is being field-tested with the very people who risk the most and who have the most to gain.”

Moving forward, the DRS-T program will be integrated service-wide so every officer has access to the mental health tools they need to do their job, protect the public and take care of themselves.

The Lethbridge Police Service extends its gratitude to Dr. Black and the members of Wounded Warriors Canada for their time and collaboration. WWC, which provides mental health services to trauma-exposed agencies, professionals and their families, also plans to offer the new DRS-T program to other organizations across Canada in the future.