By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
Mental Health Awareness Month. I expected a few comments and perhaps a few smiles. What I didn’t expect was one of the most powerful conversations I’ve ever had on social media.
The response was overwhelming. Thousands engaged with the post, but what struck me most wasn’t the number of likes or shares—it was the number of men who quietly, and often courageously, shared their struggles. Men who admitted they were hurting. Men who spoke of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and the weight of trying to carry life’s burdens in silence.
Their honesty served as an important reminder: mental health doesn’t discriminate. While the campaign focused on men, the reality is that mental illness affects women, children, seniors, friends, spouses, neighbours, and colleagues alike. It touches every family and every community.
As long as I have the privilege of serving the people of Haldimand–Norfolk, I will continue fighting for a mental health system that ensures no one has to struggle alone. Whether it is a father, a mother, a teenager, a veteran, or a senior, everyone deserves timely access to compassionate care and the hope that comes with knowing help is available.
One of the other wonderful things that came from that post was the number of men who reached out to tell me what they are doing to make a difference. One group of men who reached out, and whom I met with last week, was Boots on the Ground, which is a peer support group designed especially for First Responders. The helpline is Ontario-based, 24/7, anonymous, and callers can talk to trained volunteers who have been in the caller’s boots so to speak.
Callers include firefighters (professional and volunteer), police officers, paramedics, nurses, corrections workers, dispatchers, military, or veterans whether in active duty or retired.
The conversations often centre on challenges that can quietly overwhelm a person’s life: strained relationships, sleepless nights, financial pressures, alcohol or drug dependency, or the frustration of navigating systems such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Regardless, there remains a common thread, which is that they are experiencing a very normal human response to abnormal circumstances or difficult situations. No matter the issue, the goal of Boots on the Ground volunteers is to ensure every caller feels heard and validated.
Blaine Phibbs, of Caledonia, is the Program Manager for the organization and said that early intervention can mean the difference between a frontline worker becoming a difficult coworker, a disengaged spouse, a drinker, or the combination of it all.
Boots on the Ground is a registered charity and non-profit organization that does not receive ongoing core government funding but does align and partner with government-funded initiatives, such as Warrior Health and Connex Ontario. Its day-to-day operations and peer support helplines are sustained almost entirely by private donations, community fundraisers, and corporate partnerships.
While many of our frontline workers have access to benefits, you might be surprised to learn that some Emergency Medical Services employees are capped at just $2,500 per year for counselling. Even more concerning, their plans reimburse only about $35 per counselling session. With the average cost of a session ranging from $180 to $285, that leaves these first responders paying $145 to $250 out of pocket every visit.
For the very people we rely on in our darkest moments, financial barriers should never stand in the way of accessing the mental health care they need. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken about the need for government to take a hard look at its systems and direct funding in more meaningful ways. That means putting resources into the hands of the people who know how to use them effectively and who consistently deliver positive outcomes. Boots on the Ground is a prime example, and government should be looking for opportunities to strengthen organizations like this, not leaving them to rely on fundraising alone.
If you know a frontline worker who could benefit from Boots on the Ground, please have a look at the resources available at www.bootsontheground.ca and share the information with them.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk