Durham, Ont., police officers with PTSD say the service fights against their workplace benefits

Multiple Durham Region police officers diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) say the service is compromising their recovery by fighting their access to workplace mental health benefits. 

Chief Peter Moreira said the service challenges very few Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims and only does so to get more details about the worker’s case. 

The officers’ accounts follow the release of a six-year report by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission that found, in part, the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) "vigorously opposed virtually every” officers’ PTSD application to the WSIB.  

That report was released via a freedom of information request and was heavily redacted, so it doesn't include details about officers' testimonies.

While the report is based on an investigation that began in 2019, five of the six officers who spoke with CBC News say the service has continued pushing back under Moreira, who became chief in March 2023. 

“When it comes to what police stand for, we’re helping people. I figured I’d get the same help, and I didn’t,” said Connor. 

CBC News is using pseudonyms to protect all the officers, whose WSIB claims are ongoing at this time.

According to DRPS data, the service has submitted intent to object forms for roughly 10 per cent of all WSIB claims, the majority of which are mental health related, since 2023, but rarely escalates those objections to a formal appeal. 

All six officers CBC News spoke with had their cases objected to, and three of them are now in the formal appeal process.

A WSIB spokesperson said there are several ways employers can get information about a worker’s claim that don't require challenging it.

But Moreira said the provincially-run system is plagued by delays, so the service submits objections to get timely access to more information. 

“There's no other mechanism by which, as an employer, we can find out any information with regards to how the injury happened, how we can best support it, and how we can prevent it from happening to somebody else,” he said in a one-on-one interview at police headquarters. 

When the WSIB approved Stephen’s PTSD claim, he said he was dealing with bursts of rage, sadness and frequent nightmares. He felt disconnected from his family and friends. He also had a PTSD diagnosis from his psychologist and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

But DRPS appealed.