Lennox and Addington County have been recognized nationally for their “It’s OK to not be OK” Corporate Peer Support Program by the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA). L&A County was presented with the 2021 CAMA Willis Award for Innovation in the 20,001-100,000 population category during a Virtual Awards of Excellence Ceremony held Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
In late 2019, the County began working with the existing paramedic peer support program team members, as well as the County’s four Health & Safety Committees to develop a corporate peer support team. The Peer Support Team (PST) provides confidential peer-based debriefings (individually or as a group) to any employees who experience work-related trauma or incidents, as well as during times of other stressful work or personal events.
In early 2020, when many services were being scaled back because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PST realized the importance of providing this service to their co-workers and doubled-down on their efforts, launching the program months earlier than anticipated. The PST assists in fostering a culture of inclusion and helps staff feel more empowered and hopeful. The program promotes a productive and engaged workforce, supports employees, and reduces costs related to absenteeism and turnover.
“CAMA is pleased to recognize the County of Lennox & Addington for their peer support program for employees of all service areas,” said Jake Rudolph, outgoing president of CAMA and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Nanaimo, BC. “Having a resource for employees to turn to after experiencing a difficult situation at work can make a big difference to their mental health.”