National Paramedic Week: For the People Who Show Up First

Honouring Paramedic Week 2026

This week, Canada celebrates National Paramedic Week — a moment to pause and recognize the diverse and dedicated people who answer the call when everything has gone wrong.

What First Responders Carry

Our jobs shape us. The rhythms of the workday, the colleagues we rely on, the purpose we find in the work — all of it weaves into who we are and how we show up at home. For most of us, a difficult day at work means stress, fatigue, maybe a hard conversation. We decompress, we sleep, and we move on.

For paramedics, a difficult day looks different.

First responders have a unique relationship with their work that few other professions share. They meet their patients not in waiting rooms or scheduled appointments, but in their homes, on roadsides, and in the middle of their worst moments. They witness accidents, trauma, loss, and suffering that the rest of society is largely sheltered from. What flickers across a television screen as a dramatic storyline can be someone’s actual Monday morning.

And it takes a toll.

Fortunately, the culture around talking about mental health is changing in this field. The expectation that first responders should simply absorb what they witness and press on –  —  that badge of toughness — is giving way to something more honest: the recognition that these experiences leave marks, and that seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It is, in fact, an act of courage.

A New Path When Traditional Treatments Haven’t Been Enough

At ATMA CENA, we are seeing a growing number of first responders access our Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) program — and we want those who are still searching for relief to know that this option exists.

For clients dealing with workplace-related PTSD and other mental health conditions stemming from their careers, PAT offers a structured, physician-supervised path forward. It combines medicine (such as ketamine) with psychotherapy in a carefully designed process that includes screening, preparation, medicine sessions, and integration — all delivered by a multidisciplinary clinical team in a safe and supportive environment.

Workers Compensation claims are increasingly covering PAT for health professionals — particularly in cases where traditional treatments such as therapy and anti-depressants have not produced meaningful improvement. ATMA CENA works directly with clients and payors to prepare documents, coordinate with existing healthcare providers, and support the approval process from start to finish. You can learn more about the steps here. 

For those who want to understand how that process works, you can get more info about how we support folks going through WCB for psychedelic therapy.

Meet Sheila

We also want to take this week as an opportunity to celebrate one of our own.

Sheila is the Clinic Coordinator at our Calgary location — and before she joined the ATMA CENA team, she spent 25 years as an Advanced Care Paramedic, followed by 10 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force in Emergency Response. She knows, firsthand, what it means to be a first responder. She has lived the career, the culture, and the weight that comes with it.

Today, she brings that understanding to every client who walks through our doors. Her approach is warm, organized, and deeply human — and she has a particular soft spot for first responder clients, the unique challenges they carry, and the courage it takes to seek support.

Sheila has helped many clients with workplace-related PTSD access services at ATMA CENA, including guiding them through the steps involved in having their treatment covered through a Workers Compensation claim. It is work she does with quiet dedication and genuine care.

Thank You

To all the paramedics across Canada — thank you for what you carry so that the rest of us don’t have to. If you are a first responder who hasn’t found relief through traditional treatment, know that there are options worth exploring — and people here who understand where you’re coming from.