Photo: Interior Health

Shuswap Lake General Hospital's new relational security officer team

Shuswap Lake General Hospital has been selected to be part of the new Relational Security Officer Program and will now have a Relational Security Officer on duty at all times.

Mike Moyer, Interior Health manager of protective services, explained the new security program.

“It was basically put in place to reinforce our commitment to creating safety and improve the healthcare environment for both patients and staff,” Moyer said.

These new security officers have advanced training to better de-escalate conflict situations and have additional training on Indigenous cultural safety.

“It was a program that was launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Health in B.C., where we had 26 sites.” Moyer said. “The initiative was part of a broader provincial initiative with what they call the relational security model.”

Moyer said the new model is now in place at nine hospitals throughout Interior Health.

“What makes our security officers a little bit different is the fact that they are trained professionals who are integrated with what they call trauma informed practices,” he said. “They have education around workplace violence prevention and mental health support.”

“They work with building clinical relationships and client relationships, trying to de-escalate tensions, insure emotions and providing psychological safety where possible,” he added.

Moyer said the team in place at Shuswap Lake General Hospital will ensure there is a Relational Security Officer on duty at all times.

He said his team hired fully qualified security officers with advanced security licensing before giving them additional training.

“We'll enhance them to include Indigenous cultural safety training, anti-Indigenous racist awareness and trauma informed practices,” he said.

“Plus lots of orientation training around the site to ensure that they're not only doing their direct security type of work, but also acting for wayfinding and support for clinical and whatever is requested to support.”

He added the new training will ensure their work is done in “a respectful and inclusive and culturally appropriate manner.”

He added that the program is part of Interior Health’s commitment to prioritize mental health and well being.

“Safety expands beyond the physical measures, to include emotional and psychological aspects,” he said. “So it's a bit broader, because we're within a medical care setting.”

“We want to make sure our officers are thinking critically, they're looking at supporting our visitors and patients that are within the hospital, and we don't want to add more emotional trauma to them when they come into our environment,” he added.

“It's been one of those programs that I believe is really making a difference.”

Moyer said he hopes to see the program expanded to even more hospitals within the Interior Health Authority in the future.

The program was initially launched in hospitals in Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Trail and Cranbrook. It has now been expanded into Salmon Arm and Oliver.