Family First Responder
Wayfound is partnering with the Family First Responder team to bring mental health programming to police, fire, and paramedic members and their families. Sponsored by funding from the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Family First Responder team from the University of Calgary have designed a psychoeducation and support program called Re: Building Families specifically for spouses and partners of first responders. This program aims to support and strengthen the first responder partners’ own mental health and resilience, which may in turn, support and strengthen the mental health of the first responder and other family members.
A pilot telementoring program to build the confidence and skills of Ontario care providers in supporting the mental well-being of public safety personnel (PSP), including firefighters, paramedics, police, corrections and communications personnel.
ECHO Public Safety Personnel (ECHO PSP)
Wayfound is committed to ensuring the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program is evidence-informed and rigorously evaluated. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology (2021) showed that BOS led to improvements in PTSD symptoms, quality of life, stigma, and social support among public safety personnel.
Follow-up studies confirm that BOS is effective across delivery formats. A 2024 study demonstrated that virtual delivery is just as impactful as in-person, while a 2025 evaluation of BOS On-Demand found that the self-paced program produces results consistent with earlier formats. In addition, a 2025 qualitative study (Stress and Health) highlighted how BOS supports participants’ personal health journeys, creates a ripple effect in their workplaces and families, and fosters practical, empowering strategies despite organizational challenges.
To date, BOS has reached more than 74,000 trauma-exposed professionals across North America, providing accessible, research-supported training that strengthens mental health and resilience for those who serve our communities.
BOS Research Publications
Functional Disconnection And Reconnection | March 2021
Background: North American public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., police, firefighters, paramedics) training programmes often focus on the importance of controlling emotional reactions (i.e. remaining stoic) to make sound decisions in high-stress environments. Many PSP carry avoidant coping strategies into their personal lives, however, resulting in disrupted relationships and deterioration of well-being.
