Marking 10 Years of Talk Today: Petes Mental Health Coach, Jack Veitch
For many years, the topic of mental health has steadily become more accepted to talk about. This is extremely important for younger athletes, and this is where a Mental Health Coach becomes essential. For the Petes, that coach is Jack Veitch. He has been the Mental Health Coach with the team since 2014, but also an integral part of the Peterborough community as he is the Manager of Community Engagement and Education with the HKPR Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
CMHA, Veitch and the Petes tested a program over 11 years ago to help initiate a conversation around suicide intervention. Shortly following the first training, an OHL player took his own life. This sparked the need for the training to be within all Major Junior Hockey organizations. Veitch worked with CMHA and the OHL to build the Talk Today initiative to bring the training to every player in the league. “It’s a great partnership that promotes wellness for athletes, and the community and adds a small piece to a larger part of suicide prevention,” Veitch explained.
Originally launched by CMHA Ontario in partnership with the Ontario Hockey League during the 2014-15 season, Talk Today provides an important opportunity to address the mental health needs of athletes across Canada. Through this program, over 1,850 OHL players and 575 coaches, billets and staff have received mental health and suicide prevention training across the league.
Throughout his 10 years working with the Petes, Veitch has many different tasks that he deals with. Acting as a liaison for the players and the staff for all issues that they may deal with. “My job is to try and get them to that care and direct them to support as soon as possible,” he mentioned. “It’s like having free mental health support right in your back pocket.” The issues might be personal or they may be related to their performance. Building a relationship between the players and the Mental Health Coach is extremely important. “I am open to any questions, guide people to care, and get people help as soon as possible,” described Veitch.
As everyone is still learning about mental health, a Mental Health Coach is someone who is there to help you along the way. Veitch can bring educational awareness to a community with a passion for high-level athletes. “It is a real blessing to be able to share the knowledge that I have built, that this program has, with so many people,” Veitch says. “Partnering with the Petes allows us to expand our reach even further than we could have before.”
Ten years after the inaugural Talk Today event, the Petes and CMHA HKPR are continuing to encourage conversation. This year, the annual Talk Today event takes place at the PMC on February 1 when the Petes take on the rival Oshawa Generals. The event is presented by Grain Farmers of Ontario and Syngenta Canada. Fans can still get tickets for the game by clicking here, or by contacting the Grant Thornton Box Office.