I have been working in the field of trauma and emergency response for the past 20 years. I've dealt with individuals, teams, organizations, and communities that have been through many types of critical incidents. I am committed not only to improving the lives of first responders, military personnel and communities but also to advancing the field of emergency response at a local, provincial, national and international level. My proactive style, vast experience, and widespread knowledge in the field are valued when it comes to framework and program development, keynote speaking, training, consulting, and intervention.

EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD

  • International Keynote Speaker

  • University Associate Professor

  • Trauma Expert (PTSD & OSI) and National Subject Matter Expert

  • First Responder Trainer, Military and Corrections Resilience Trainer

  • Disaster Response Team Lead

  • Program Development Lead

  • Conflict-Resolution Consultant

  • Media Spokesperson

  • Hospital Director of Strategic Development (current)

  • Director of Community Crisis Services, Mental Health Services and Addiction Services (past)

  • EMDR Certified Clinician, Consultant and Facilitator

  • Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council Member, Ministry of Health (Ontario)

ORGANIZATIONS

  • Canadian Red Cross

  • Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management

  • NAV Canada

  • Ontario Provincial Police

  • Fire Departments (e.g. East Hawkesbury)

  • Paramedic Services (e.g. County of Lennox and Addington)

  • Ministries of Community Safety and Correctional Services, of Health, of Long Term Care, of Labour

  • (See "WHERE" under W5 below for a more extensive list)

SPEAKING AND TRAINING TOPICS

OSI AND PTSD

  • Boot Camp Trainings, Levels I and II

  • PTSD Advanced Trainings

  • PTSD and the Brain

RESILIENCE

  • Resiliency Training for First Responders, Modules 1 to 5

  • Top 10 Techniques to Empower Critical Incident Responders

  • How to Dispute My Thinking Distortions

  • Supercharge My Brain with ESER: Eat, Sleep, Exercise, Relax

  • Powerful Gains: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

  • 10 Most Impactful Rapid Relaxation Techniques

STRESS AND
ANXIETY

  • Mastering Stress and Anxiety

  • Calming Arousal and Stress Reactions

  • Overcoming Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Trauma

EDMR THERAPY

  • EMDR: What's It All About?

  • Self-Help EMDR Techniques

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

  • Formula for Happiness and Wellness

  • Creating a Meaningful Life

  • Top Tactics to Thrive @ Home, Work & Play

  • 21 Days to Wellness

DEPRESSION

  • Essential Steps to Beating Depression

  • From Surviving to Thriving: A Lifestyle of Difference

SUICIDE
AND LOSS

  • Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide

  • Ultimate Guide to Suicide Prevention

  • Is There Life After Loss?

Testimonials

Excellent teacher, passionate, very adaptable to the group.

It's been a while since we had such an interesting training, focused on OUR needs. Very beneficial professionally and personally.

Dr. Filion was very engaging, extremely passionate, and knowledgeable. Helped to change my perception on self regulating stresses.

-CISM Peers (Critical Incident Stress Management), Resilience Training / L'Orignal, Ontario / Nov. 2017

THE W5 OF SERVICES

WHO?

PUBLIC SAFETY FIELDS that benefit from services:

 

 

  • 911 and All Emergency Call Takers and Dispatchers

  • Aviation

  • Corrections, Probation and Parole

  • Emergency Medicine

  • Firefighting

  • Forestry

  • Healthcare

  • Inquiries and Investigations

  • Military (Air Force, Army, Navy)

  • Paramedics

  • Peace Keeping

  • Peer Work

  • Police
    (Municipal, Provincial, RCMP)

  • Rescue Work

  • Security

  • Ski Patrol

  • Welfare Work

WHAT?

Types of SERVICES offered:

KEYNOTE SPEAKING AND TRAINING

From "how to be resilient" to “what are the lessons learnt from canadian frameworks”, my presentations cover a variety of topics. Participants' evaluations show a high level of satisfaction pertaining to personal growth and increased professional knowledge and competency. Participants tell me that they appreciate my dynamic style, compassionate outlook, experience, skills and knowledge in the field. I thoroughly enjoy speaking and training!

PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

Clinical services are offered at the prevention level (e.g. resilience building and burnout and compassion fatigue prevention) and the intervention level (e.g. debriefing, counselling and psychotherapy), and on an ongoing basis (e.g. symptom management, self-help techniques, disputing thoughts, mindfulness and relaxation tactics). Of course, emergency intervention services during critical incidents are also available.

CONSULTATIONS AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Whether it be a telephone consultation about a problematic issue at work or full-fledged program development within an organization, community, ministry, or province, I have extensive experience in this field. From program conception to implementation, my approach is based on empirical facts, best practices, interprofessionalism, and respect for your environment and culture. Values of quality, integrity, equity, safety, excellence and compassion permeate all my development work.

COORDINATION AND DIRECTION

Leadership, entrepreneurship and collaboration are my strengths, as evidenced in all my activities relating to business and finances, team management, community engagement, strategic direction, quality improvements and media relations. I directed multi-million dollar crisis, mental health and addiction services. I provide consultation as well as hands-on coaching services.

WHEN?

CRITICAL INCIDENTS requiring services:

 

  • Abuse

  • Accidents

  • Deaths

  • Explosions

  • Homicides

  • Illnesses

  • Killings

  • Mass Fatalities

  • Natural Disasters

  • Sexual Assaults

  • Suicides

  • Workplace Harassment

  • Others

WHERE?

ORGANIZATIONS that have benefited from services:

  • Canadian Mental Health Association

  • East Hawkesbury Fire Department

  • Hawkesbury and District
    General Hospital

  • Lahaie & Sullivan Funeral Homes

  • Military

  • Ministry of Community and Social Services

  • Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

  • Ministry of Education

  • Ministry of Health
    and Long-Term Care

  • Ministry of Labour

  •  Municipality of Champlain

  • NAV Canada

  • Office of the Fire Marshal
    and Emergency Management

  • Ontario Provincial Police

  • Paramedic Service - United Counties
    of Prescott-Russell

  • RCMP

  • Royal Ottawa Health Care Group

  • Russell Township

  • School Boards, e.g. Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

  • Others

Because I truly care for the field of public safety!

WHY?

RATIONALE for services:

Dr. Filion (in red) with Tina from the CRISIS SERVICE OF THE HAWKESBURY AND DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL.Dr. Filion is going door-to-door, providing prevention and intervention mental health services to the victims.

Dr. Filion (in red) with Tina from the CRISIS SERVICE OF THE HAWKESBURY AND DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Dr. Filion is going door-to-door, providing prevention and intervention mental health services to the victims.

Natural Disaster: 
Clarence-Rockland Flood

EASTERN ONTARIO, 2017

A disaster intervention model integrating mental health services was developed during this natural disaster, involving an interprofessional team from the United Counties of Prescott-Russell Paramedic Service, the Clarence-Rockland Fire Department, Victim Services of Prescott-Russell, the Centre de santé communautaire de l'Estrie, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit and the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital. 

There was a 24-hour turnaround time from the initial conception of the model to the physical set-up and to service delivery. What a team!

Thanks to all, especially the victims who sparked this initiative by sharing their needs and intervention ideas with us during community meetings.