Occupational Stress Response Collective
Your people already carry each other. We help make it last.
We partner with fire services, police services, paramedic services, and frontline agencies to build peer support teams, keep them clinically supported, and bring families into the circle. Two clinicians, one three-phase model, and a partnership that stays for the long run.
of Canadian public safety personnel screened positive for symptoms consistent with at least one mental disorder.(Carleton et al., 2018)
of firefighters in a large U.S. study reported having suicidal thoughts at some point in their career.(Stanley et al., 2015)
When a critical incident happens at a partner organization, we are on site within 24 hours.OSRC service standard
Our mission
We believe those who serve on the front lines are best positioned to support one another. First responders already carry each other through the hardest calls with strong, informal networks of support. Our mission is to formalize that strength: giving those natural systems the structure, training, and clinical backing they need to become lasting, trusted programs of care.
How we work
One model, three phases.
Peer support programs fail for predictable reasons. A team is trained, it launches, and the structure around it quietly disappears. Every OSRC partnership follows the same three phases so that does not happen.
Development
Building the peer team and the framework that governs it.
- Peer recruitment and selection
- Written policy and activation protocol
- Certification and peer team training
Sustainability
Clinical oversight that keeps the program safe and working, year after year.
- On site within 24 hours of a critical incident
- Ongoing clinical consultation and monthly team meetings
- Externally facilitated debriefs and refreshers
Family Integration and PCIS
Bringing families into the program and offering deeper care for those who need it.
- New member and family orientation
- Family workshops and wellness events
- Post Critical Incident Seminar
Why an external clinical partner
“It is important that peer support specialists be supported by behavioral health clinicians, as peer support specialists are not trained as or intended to be therapists.”
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), U.S. Department of Justice (2024)
Independent of management
We sit outside the chain of command and do not report to management on cases. That separation is what makes members willing to use the program.
Capacity without a full-time hire
National practice standards note that clinicians supporting a peer team do not need to be full-time staff and are often on contract or retainer (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2024).
The program stays yours
The policy, the training records, and the peer team belong to your organization. We are here to build capacity, not dependency.
Who we serve
Built for the people who answer the call.
We work with services of every size, from all-volunteer fire halls to large municipal services, and tailor each program to the culture and structure of the organization.
- Fire services, career and volunteer
- Police services
- Paramedic services
- Emergency communications and dispatch
- Community agencies with frontline staff
- First responder families
Phase three
Post Critical Incident Seminar
A three to four day residential program for members who are still carrying the effects of a critical incident months or years later, delivered by clinicians and trained peers together, with partners invited to attend.
- Trauma education, debriefing, and peer-led small groups
- Individual sessions with a clinician, which can include EMDR
- Sessions for members and partners together
- A written after action plan and connection to follow-up care
From the blog
Latest updates
September 28, 2026
Recovery Is Part of Readiness: A Two-Minute Breathing Reset for After the Call
Your stress response is built to mobilize. Here is a simple paced breathing tool we teach first responders to help the body shift back toward recovery after a hard call.
Read post →September 27, 2026
Showing Up: A Night of Thanks for Niagara-on-the-Lake Firefighters
We were invited to the Firefighter Appreciation Night in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a night of years of service recognitions, retirements, and a community showing up for its firefighters.
Read post →Let’s talk about your organization.
Whether you are starting from scratch, formalizing an existing team, or responding to a critical incident, we start by understanding your service. Initial consultations are complimentary.
References
- Carleton, R. N., Afifi, T. O., Turner, S., Taillieu, T., Duranceau, S., LeBouthillier, D. M., Sareen, J., Ricciardelli, R., MacPhee, R. S., Groll, D., Hozempa, K., Brunet, A., Weekes, J. R., Griffiths, C. T., Abrams, K. J., Jones, N. A., Beshai, S., Cramm, H. A., Dobson, K. S., . . . Asmundson, G. J. G. (2018). Mental disorder symptoms among public safety personnel in Canada. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(1), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743717723825
- Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. (2024). Best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs for first responder agencies: Report to Congress 2024 (COPS R1176). U.S. Department of Justice. https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1176-pub.pdf
- Stanley, I. H., Hom, M. A., Hagan, C. R., & Joiner, T. E. (2015). Career prevalence and correlates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among firefighters. Journal of Affective Disorders, 187, 163–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.007