A long-time employee has been recognized for his unwavering dedication and leadership to the creation of a national mental health research and treatment network.
David Miller, director, Research Grant and Contract Services – a unit within the vice-president (research) portfolio – was recently named a founding member of the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT).
CIPSRT operates as a research unit at the University of Regina. President Vianne Timmons was based at the University of Regina when CIPSRT was established and played an instrumental role in the creation of the network. She is also recognized for her leadership and has been named a founding member.
“Access to timely assistance has remained an issue for many.”
CIPSRT is dedicated to working with public safety personnel, leaders, government and key stakeholders to recognize, prevent and treat the mental health concerns facing public safety personnel and their families.
“In recent years there has been much progress expanding the conversation about mental health and wellness,” said Mr. Miller, a Memorial alumnus (B.Sc.(Hon.)’85, M.Sc.’89).
“However, access to timely assistance has remained an issue for many. Given the extraordinary experiences of public safety personnel, it was my great pleasure to work with the CIPSRT team to help move their collaborative vision forward.”
‘Well done’
Dr. Neil Bose, vice-president (research), congratulated Mr. Miller on receiving national recognition for his pivotal role in the creation of the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment.
“Social justice and mental health research are strengths for Memorial,” said Dr. Bose. “Mr. Miller, and his research administration team, contribute to the ongoing success of our researchers in securing critical funding for these activities and initiatives. I also commend Dr. Timmons for her leadership and support for this critical research institute. Well done on being named founding members of CIPSRT.”
About CISPRT
In 2018, CISPRT received $30 million over five years from the federal government to lead research focused on addressing occupational stress injuries for workers such as police officers, correctional workers, firefighters, public safety communicators and paramedics.
That federal funding included $20 million for research on the well-being of public safety personnel and their families and $10 million toward PSPNet, an Internet cognitive behaviour therapy program specific to public safety personnel.
Memorial researchers are a major contributor to the founding and subsequent success of CIPSRT.
Drs. Rosemary Ricciardelli, professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, vice chair, Academic, Researcher, and Clinician Network Advisory committee, CIPSRT, and Stephen Czarnuch, associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and cross-appointed to the Discipline of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, are also founding members.
Learn more about CIPSRT activities here.
