Safeguard programs and mandatory mental health checks in Canadian police agencies: history, trends, and future directions

Authors

  • Kyle Handley Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • R.N. Carleton Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • A.A. Deschênes Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • J. Devlin Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • K. Kamkar Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • V. Lee Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • R. Mackoff Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • C.A. Martin-Doto Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • N. Shields Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • K. Stockdale Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • M. Teale-Sapach Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police – Psychological Services Committee, Ottawa, ON, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.414

Keywords:

mental health, police, Safeguard, routine mental health checks

Abstract

This paper traces the emergence of Safeguard programs in Canadian police agencies and explores the research and methods of delivering routine, mandatory mental health check-ups to sworn and civilian personnel in positions with frequent exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic content or situations. A definition for Safeguards is proposed and future directions for police leaders and research are discussed.

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Published

2025-03-20

How to Cite

Handley, K., Carleton, R., Deschênes, A., Devlin, J., Kamkar, K., Lee, V., … Teale-Sapach, M. (2025). Safeguard programs and mandatory mental health checks in Canadian police agencies: history, trends, and future directions. Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, 10(1), 38–42. https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.414

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Social Innovation Narrative(s)

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)

Creative Commons License

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