Features Holding the Line Opinion
Partnership opportunities? For-profit and non-profit organizations come together

In the world of policing, we look at our resources; whether we are referred to these resources by someone who has the clarity to notice we’re in a time of need, or whether we ourselves—either through that same clarity recognize our need for support, or perhaps hitting a familiar rock bottom—see a variety of options at our fingertips. These resources may look like therapy, either individually, in a group, in-person or online, equine assisted, psycho-educational, training, research, residential, or outpatient, delivered through non-profit and for-profit organizations.

Policing organizations sometimes have a specially designed mental health concierge service. A few examples of this are the Ontario Provincial Police Association’s (OPPA) Encompas, whereby members have the opportunity to be guided by a care manager who assists in finding the best possible match(es) in care in a timely fashion, free of waitlists; in-house training programs available to all members of the organization; or the organization may have a preventative/reactive program, like Edmonton Police’s Reintegration After Critical Incident and Long-Term Leave program, implemented by a variety of police services like Niagara Regional Police, Calgary Police Service, York Regional Police and Peel Regional Police.

Whatever those resources look like or feel like, in their delivery they are classified as either for-profit or non-profit. Many are for-profit or run by for-profit organizations, which often means there are greater costs to the client but have more to offer as a result. The focus is usually on the profit, to ensure the services provided are the best they can be while still remaining profitable, and the client receives care and experiences lower numbers on their waitlists and greater access and availability. An organization called Diversified Rehabilitation Group in British Columbia is an example of a for-profit.

Other resources are non-profit and offer similar services that may be less expansive due to the scope of their funding, however may be more financially feasible for the client, with potentially a longer waitlist. These still provide good opportunities. La Vigile, an organization in Quebec, is an example of a non-profit.

With the belief and understanding that funding is available whether we work solo or in partnership, the gathering of funds, and the opportunity and creation of grant funding may be even more lucrative when working in a collaborative fashion.

Both Diversified Rehabilitation Group and La Vigile have programming specific to first responders and uniform personnel, and both provide powerful, evidence-based programming through a reintegrative lens.

Having a greater understanding of the power and value of such programming, as well as the perhaps unintentionally siloed delivery of most mental health resources/programming, it came to mind the potential opportunity in collaboration that might exist if non-profit and for-profit organizations were to create a partnership of sorts. With the belief and understanding that funding is available whether we work solo or in partnership, the gathering of funds, and the opportunity and creation of grant funding may be even more lucrative when working in a collaborative fashion. The skillset that each team member might bring to the collaboration of the for-profit and non-profit team only creates expansion in both the quality of programming and the development and implementation of future research in the area of mental health, potentially dissolving the siloed barriers.

What might that partnership look like? Working on the implementation of The Haven—a non-profit, occupational-specific, residential and outpatient treatment centre which is founded from the successful La Vigile—and considering the organization’s values, intentions, target population and available resources, what for-profit might be a match? Having had the opportunity to meet with the CEO of Diversified Rehab Group – which serves the general population and has specific programming for first responders – provided an opportunity to understand their values, intentions and the oasis in which Diversified serves their clients. These aspects, along with making their clients’ successful ongoing mental health care their priority, the intensive training and ongoing learning their team members are required to commit to, is what inspired the for-profit/non-profit potential partnership vision for me. The natural oasis in which clients are held, the focus on return to work and aftercare with Diversified, and intention of The Haven’s space in an equine oasis in which their clients will be held, with a focus on program delivery through an overall reintegration lens, makes them a potential match to further explore. The matching of organizational values, vision and mission are key in success and flourishing of this partnership.

Will this be a match made in heaven? Will it even be entertained? At this time, we don’t know. It is exciting to see this most amazing, for-profit organization that has specialization in first responders programming, with the care, focus, skill and wholistic approach Diversified Rehab provides in the beautiful oasis it is provided in. Let’s hope they bring this resource to Ontario so the barrier of access to excellent, specialized residential care is minimized.

I always say there is never a need to reinvent the wheel. Somewhere, somehow, someone has thought of and created an amazing resource all first responders can benefit from. Especially those resources that are tailored to our specific needs ,with an understanding of our culture. I hear a lot about the siloed approach – the challenges that are experienced from an accessibility perspective and the potential confusion that can arise, and may minimize resources’ effectiveness. Always solution-focused, the exploration of potential partnership between for- and non-profit mental health resources and organizations only makes sense to me. Collaboration and sharing every time.

Michelle Vincent PhD/MACP is a retired officer and the founder of The Haven, Ontario’s first non-profit, inpatient treatment centre exclusive to first responders and uniform personnel. Contact her at michelle.vincent@thehaven.cloud.