A new support group for first responders dealing with PTSD is already making a difference in Chatham-Kent.
The group called "Wings of Change" met for the first time earlier this week in Chatham.
"We weren't quite sure how it would go but really good response," says organizer and local police officer Brian Knowler. "Some excellent dialogue, a really nice cross section of that first responder community, and definitely seems like something that's going to take off. Now all we need is to get the word out a little bit more."
Knowler says it's something he's talked about doing for about three years.
"I read about the Wings of Change model, and all of a sudden we had a vehicle that seemed to fit ideally," he says. "It cut across services, it cut across specific disciplines, and when I floated the idea, lots of support and now here we are."
The monthly meeting are anonymous take place on the second Wednesday of every month at the Canadian Mental Health Association offices on Grand Ave. W in Chatham.
The meetings are open to traditional first responders like police, fire, and EMS. But also corrections officers, health care workers, animal welfare, military, dispatchers, and funeral workers.