PTSD paramedics will be silenced by discrimination, critics warn
Licence disputes with paramedics who disclose work-related mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are forcing sufferers underground and endangering the public, say critics of the professional college that regulates emergency workers.
"For us, this is a huge concern," said Elisabeth Ballermann, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents health-care professionals like paramedics.
Her comments followed a CBC News report about Mike Lacourciere, a paramedic who lost his registration (commonly called a licence) and then his job after revealing he had received treatment for PTSD. His story is the latest in a total of three similar cases in Alberta that CBC has reported on — and he claims discrimination.
When applying to reinstate his licence last year, Lacourciere forwarded a letter from his doctor, as well as an excerpt from a workers' compensation board caseworker. Both documents cleared him to go back to work.
But the professional college that regulates paramedics, and is made up of a committee of volunteers who are paramedics and emergency workers, wanted more. They asked for specific details:
- His triggers and responses.
- His medication regime.
- "Co-morbidities such as alcohol and substance abuse." a
- Pre-existing mental and physical health conditions.
The committee appeared to suggest a group of Lacourciere's peers would be better positioned than doctors or psychologists to judge his state of health.
"While recognizing special competencies, the Registration Committee believes that physicians, psychologists, the Workers' Compensation Board, treatment facilities and other parties (individually and collectively) may not possess the competencies required to determine if an applicant for registration renewal is capable and suitable for paramedic practice," reads a document listing reasons for the decision to refuse Lacourciere's application.
'We're going to drive them underground'
Ballermann said the committee is "too intrusive" in the kind of detailed information it seeks. She questioned committee members' qualifications for determining if someone is capable of returning to work.
"The concern is that the registration committee ... are not mental-health practitioners," Ballermann said.
She said although Lacourciere is not a member of her union, the way the college treated him sends a dark message of intolerance.
"We're going to drive them [emergency workers with mental health issues] underground. They're not getting the help that they need. And I don't think that's helping the public."
Reported mental illness cases among emergency medical services staff shot up earlier this year after an Edmonton paramedic with PTSD-like symptoms died of suicide at work, just days before his first appointment with a psychologist.
Critics say this not the time for the college to appear to penalize front-line workers for seeking mental-health treatment.
According to the TEMA Conter Memorial Trust, a non-profit advocacy group, 22 to 24 per cent of Canadian paramedics have PTSD, compared with only 5.3 per cent of military personnel. Between April 29 and Dec. 31 last year, 27 Canadian first responders died by suicide.
"Right now, the majority of members are not going to admit they have an issue [with mental illness]," said George Porter, a 41-year paramedic in Alberta who raised the problem at an annual general meeting of members of his profession in Edmonton.
"After hearing what happened to Mike and Dave, you'd have to be an idiot to say something."
He was referring to both Lacourciere and paramedic Dave McAllister, who recently won back his licence after a nine-month battle with the college.
Porter wants the provincial government to open an investigation into the way the college has handled such cases.
"I think the college is going to get spanked pretty hard and pretty fast here," said Porter.
Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman has directed the provincial health disciplines board, which oversees the college, to review Lacourciere's case.
Statement from Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman:
"Being a paramedic is a challenging, stressful job and these professionals deserve our respect and gratitude for what they do. The college is responsible for ensuring its members are fit for duty, and I would encourage them to continue working with this individual to help him return to work. There have been some other public cases that they were able to resolve and I hope they can do the same with this one. I will also be asking my team to contact the Health Disciplines Board to make sure it is aware of this case, but this member will need to authorize them to review the specifics of his situation."
Statement from the College:
"Our regulatory processes for registration, reinstatement and renewal are in place to ensure Albertans receive care from health care providers with demonstrated proficiencies.
As a regulatory body, it is our responsibility to ensure our processes are aligned with ever changing best practices. We recognize individual variables that can impact the profession resulting in us adjusting processes where needed and within the confines of legislation.
We regulate the profession in the context of each individual case and situation, which are unique and have their own complexities."
