Mental Health Therapy Access for Police Officers Under Alberta's Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)

This article explains how the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Alberta helps police officers in the province get mental health support. It covers the WCB’s rules, recent changes, available treatments, and other helpful programs.

From Burden of Proof to Presumptive Coverage: A Major Change

The way Alberta’s WCB supports police officers with mental health has changed significantly. Before 2018, officers had a tough time getting help.

Before 2018: If a police officer in Alberta wanted WCB benefits for a mental health issue like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they had to prove it was caused by their job. This meant a lot of paperwork, including reports, witness statements, and doctor’s notes, to show a direct link between their work and their mental health. This was often long, stressful, and sometimes failed, leading to denied claims and making the officer’s mental health worse. Officers had to show that their stress was more than what was normally expected in their job.
Proposed Bill: A bill was introduced to improve WCB coverage access for first responders.
2018 and Presumptive Coverage: Things changed on April 1, 2018. Alberta started “presumptive coverage” for mental health injuries for first responders, including police officers. This means that if a police officer is diagnosed with a mental health injury after experiencing traumatic events, it’s assumed to be work-related. This made the claims process much easier because it recognizes the trauma that police officers often face.

How the Current System Works: Eligibility and Process

Presumptive coverage has made it simpler for police officers to get help, but it’s still important to know the rules.

First Responder Classification: The WCB defines first responders as firefighters, emergency medical technicians, peace officers, and police officers, per the Workers’ Compensation Act
Presumptive Coverage: The main idea is that mental health injuries, diagnosed after traumatic events, are assumed to be work-related for police officers. This greatly reduces the initial challenges in filing a claim.
Getting a Diagnosis: Although there’s a presumption, a formal diagnosis from a doctor or psychologist is still needed. This diagnosis supports the claim and helps guide treatment. The diagnosis usually follows the guidelines in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Coverage Beyond PTSD: Presumptive coverage isn’t just for PTSD. It includes other mental health injuries from workplace trauma, like acute stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders.
Filing a claim. After getting a diagnosis, the officer, usually with help from their employer or union, files a claim with WCB-Alberta. The claim includes details of the traumatic event(s) and the diagnosis. WCB-Alberta reviews the claim, usually much faster because of presumptive coverage.
Assessment Types: The WCB offers detailed psychological and psychological-vocational assessments. The psychological assessment looks at the full impact of the injury on the officer’s life. The psychological-vocational assessment focuses on the officer’s ability to return to work, identifying any limitations and helping find ways to get back to work, like modified duties or a gradual return.
Treatment Plans: Based on the assessments, WCB-Alberta creates or approves a treatment plan. This plan is made with the help of healthcare providers.
Police Officers and Presumptive Coverage: The presumptive coverage for police officers (and other first responders) is different from many other jobs in Alberta. For other workers, proving a direct link between their work and a mental health condition can be much harder. This special consideration for first responders recognizes the higher risk of mental trauma in their work.

Therapy Options and Limits

Once a claim is accepted, WCB-Alberta offers access to different therapies.

Working with Local Psychologists: WCB-Alberta works with psychologists in the community to provide treatment. This lets officers get care locally, making it easier and reducing travel.
Evidence-Based Therapies: The choice of therapies is based on the assessments and proven methods for treating work-related mental health injuries. This usually means the therapies are evidence-based and have been shown to work in research.
Treatment Oversight: WCB-Alberta oversees the treatment plan to make sure it stays focused on the work-related injury and helps the officer recover and, if possible, return to work.

Areas of Discussion and Legal Considerations

Despite improvements, there are still some concerns.

Assessment Concerns: Some worry about whether the psychological evaluations are thorough enough, especially in cases of complex trauma or long-term stress.
Fairness of Assessment: It’s vital that the assessment process is fair. There have been concerns about possible biases or inconsistencies. Making sure assessments are done by qualified, independent professionals using standard methods is key to maintaining trust in the system.
Legal Issues: Even with presumptive coverage, legal disagreements can still happen. These might involve the diagnosis, the extent of the injury, the treatment plan, or return-to-work decisions.

Presumptive Coverage Concept

Additional Programs and Support

Besides WCB coverage, several programs in Alberta support police officer mental health.

Government Funding: The Alberta government provides funding for mental health support programs for first responders, focusing on PTSD in first responders. This funding often supports special programs that go beyond standard WCB coverage.
Funding for Returning to Work To assist public safety personnel, funding is available for programs that support a return to the workplace.
Police and Crisis Teams (PACT): PACT units team up specially trained police officers with mental health experts from Alberta Health Services. They respond together to calls involving people with mental health crises. Having a mental health professional with a police officer can help calm situations, provide immediate support, and connect people with mental health services. This approach aims to improve outcomes for both those in crisis and the officers involved.
RCMP Regional Police and Crisis Teams (RPACT): Similar to PACT, RPACTs within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) combine police and mental health resources. These teams work in areas served by the RCMP, providing a similar response to mental health calls.

PACT Team Scene

A Wider Canadian View: Comparisons and Challenges

Mental health challenges for police officers aren’t just an Alberta issue; they’re a concern across Canada.

National Issue: Mental health problems among police officers are a major concern nationwide. Different provinces have or are developing programs to address this, with varying success.
RCMP Issues: The RCMP, as a national police force, has seen an increase in mental health-related incidents among its members. This shows the widespread nature of the problem and the need for consistent support.
Civilian Staff: Research shows that civilian employees in police organizations may also face significant mental health challenges, sometimes even more than sworn officers. This highlights the need for tailored mental health support for police that includes all police service personnel, not just officers.

Statistics and Data

Statistics show the impact of mental health issues among first responders in Alberta.

2021 WCB Claims: In 2021, WCB-Alberta accepted 565 claims for mental health injuries from first responders, including police officers. Out of 792 claims, 227 were denied. This shows that even with presumptive coverage, the process isn’t automatic, and many claims are rejected.
Rising Trend: Data from 2016 to 2020 showed that mental health disorder claims were the third most common type of claim leading to time off work and WCB benefits. This growing trend highlights the increasing recognition of mental health as a major workplace health and safety issue.

Moving Forward

Alberta has made significant steps in supporting the mental health of its police officers, mainly through presumptive coverage for mental health injuries. This has made it easier for officers to access WCB benefits and mental health therapy for police. However, the system is constantly evolving.

Ongoing focus is needed on the fairness of psychological assessments, making sure officers receive complete and unbiased evaluations. The number of denied claims suggests there’s room for improvement.

Further research into why claims are denied could help improve the process. Clear communication with officers about their claims and the reasons for decisions is crucial for building trust and ensuring fairness.

The teamwork between WCB-Alberta, Alberta Health Services, law enforcement, and the government, through programs like PACT and RPACT, is a positive step. Continued investment in these and new, evidence-based programs will be vital in preventing and treating mental health issues in police officers.

The mental health of police officers is important for public safety. Officers with untreated mental health problems may be less effective, affecting their ability to respond to emergencies, interact with the public, and make good decisions. Supporting their mental well-being is essential.

If you are a police officer in Alberta seeking help or more information, contact Responders First. We are here to support your mental health and well-being.

Don Davis

15+ years of emergency response experience. Passionate about connecting our first responder communities with critical resources. Author of hundreds of articles and guides on First Responders mental health care. When not responding to emergencies, you can find me playing with my dogs, hiking, or enjoying a good book.