Apr 30, 2020
Guest 1 - Matt Johnston, First Responder Health Overcoming Mental Health and Addiction for First Responders Matt Johnston is a full-time professional firefighter and mental health clinician based in the Metro Vancouver area. In 2018, Matt co-founded First Responder Health Services, a company dedicated to closing the gap between mental healthcare and public safety organizations. Utilizing customized apps built specifically for public safety personnel, First Responder Health Services offers online counselling, annual wellness programs and psychoeducational e-learning services to organizations. The overall goal of First Responder Health Services is to foster inclusive access to competent upstream mental healthcare providers for all public safety groups across Canada. Recently, Matt’s efforts garnered national attention as he was the only individual appointed from Western Canada to Tiger Team 3; a committee in charge of implementing Bill C-211 - the Legislative Framework for PTSD in Canada. Matt is proud to be part of the BCPFFA Mental Health Taskforce and realizes the value of collaboration in stemming the mental health challenges facing public safety personnel in Canada. Learn more at: https://firstresponderhealth.org/ Guest 2 - Lizzie Allan - Hilarapy Addiction Recovery and Mental Wellness using Comedy Therapy Hilarapy harnesses the healing power of comedy to inspire human connections with the spark of shared laughter. It all began in the UK as Addictive Comedy, the brainchild of comedy therapist and performer, Lizzie Allan. She found her niche in the comedy space and began developing a new, nourishing eco-system where comedians can thrive rather than survive. This passion evolved into the birth of Hilarapy, a seriously jovial place to share real and vulnerable stuff in a healthy and supportive environment. Lizzie is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor and Stand-up Comedian with a degree in Comedy Writing and Performance. You can connect with her every Friday at 12:30 on Facebook Live at Hilarapy Studios.