Employee & Family Assistance Program
Confidential counselling through Brown Crawshaw (BCI Consulting) — at no cost to you or your family. Substance use, stress, relationships, and more. Calls returned within 24 hours, appointments within 2–3 days. Masters-level counsellors minimum.
1-800-668-2055 · 604-683-3255
info@bciconsulting.ca
Connection to Care
Free, anonymous, and confidential phone support for BC municipal workers. Registered Clinical Counsellors available Monday to Friday, 8AM–10PM. Call 778-247-2273 (CARE).
Access ProgramCIRM / Peer Support Team
Your fellow firefighters trained in Critical Incident Response Management. After a hard call or a hard stretch — talk to someone who gets it.
View Shift Directory988 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Call or text 988. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across Canada. Free, confidential, and multilingual. If you or someone you know is in crisis, support is available.
Visit 988.caCritical Incident Response (CIR)
Free, confidential, voluntary counselling for up to 3 weeks after a traumatic incident on the job. Call 1-888-922-3700 — available 7 days/week, 9AM–11PM.
Learn MoreFire Department Chaplain
Non-denominational spiritual and emotional support for NWFRS members. Chaplain contact information coming soon.
More Info Coming SoonLoon Lake Resilience Program
NWFRS funds up to 4 placements per year. An immersive, evidence-based resiliency retreat for BC fire service personnel and families.
Learn MoreSpousal & Family Resources
The job affects everyone at home too. Family nights, spousal resiliency programming, and education for the people who support you.
Get InfoOvercoming Loss Support
Resources for bereavement, line-of-duty deaths, compassion fatigue, and navigating life's hardest moments.
View ResourcesSubstance Use & Recovery Support
Resources for alcohol and substance use — EAP access, treatment programs, peer support, harm reduction, and help for family members. No judgment, no lecture.
View ResourcesYour peer supporters are colleagues who've sat in the same seats, been on the same calls, and chosen to get trained specifically to be someone you can talk to. They're not counsellors or clinicians — they're not writing anything down, not reporting anything up the chain. They're there for a debrief after a rough shift, a check-in when something's been sitting wrong, or just a conversation with someone who actually gets it. You don't need a reason to reach out.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or reach Connection to Care at 778-247-2273 first.
Phone numbers and emails for the peer support team are available in the member directory. Requires your @local256.ca Google account to access.
First responder experience in a counsellor matters more than most people realize. Someone who understands shift work, occupational trauma, the culture of not asking for help, and what a bad call actually looks like will get further faster than a generalist who needs the basics explained. The counsellors listed below have been recommended specifically because they have that context.
A note on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): it's an evidence-based therapy that processes traumatic memories differently than talk therapy — it's particularly effective for PTSD and OSI, and has strong research support in first responder populations. It sounds unusual but the outcomes are well-documented.
Counselling quality varies enormously between practitioners. If you've gone five or more sessions and things aren't moving, that's useful information — it probably means this counsellor isn't the right fit, not that counselling isn't for you. Shopping around is normal and encouraged. Keep going until you find someone who actually moves the needle.
These counsellors have been recommended by NWFRS members and have experience working with first responders or trauma. Listings are member-submitted and are not formally vetted or endorsed by IAFF Local 256. Always confirm a counsellor's credentials and suitability for your needs directly.
Alison Bell & Associates
Counselling group with many specializations, experienced with first responders. Surrey. Phone: 604-372-1545.
Visit WebsiteJandy Kim — Trauma Recovery
Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in trauma. Burnaby/Coquitlam. Phone: 778-715-1125.
Visit WebsiteKellie Shamenski — RCC
Trauma, anxiety, and couples counselling. West Vancouver. Phone: 249-504-1813.
Make ContactHeather Rattai — EMDR Therapy
Registered Clinical Counsellor offering EMDR therapy for trauma. Langley. Phone: 604-375-3010.
Visit WebsiteJesse Frender — MA, RCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in trauma and life transitions. Video and phone sessions throughout BC. Phone: 604-329-2904.
Visit Website