Alterra Mountain Company Partners With Responder Alliance To Bolster Employees Mental Well-Being & Resilience
Alterra Mountain Company and Responder Alliance are joining forces to enhance mental well-being and resilience in the ski industry. Together, they are launching a three-year training initiative to provide cutting-edge stress resilience training and incident support tools to Alterra destination patrol teams and heli-ski guides at Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley in California; Stratton Mountain and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Schweitzer in Idaho; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia.
Responder Alliance provides industry-leading stress resilience training and guidance for outdoor professionals, combining operational best practices with innovations in science. Responder Alliance forwards an internationally recommended approach and is trusted by organizations to innovate manage the risk of burnout and traumatic stress in high-risk occupations.
As the mountains’ first responders, ski patrollers and heli-guides routinely face stressful and potentially traumatic situations, scenes and events. After a successful two-year in-house training initiative, Alterra Mountain Company decided to expand the program and seek out the globally recognized Responder Alliance to bolster patrollers and heli-guides’ well-being.
“Our world-class ski patrollers and heli-guides are critical to the safety and overall guest experience on our mountains, and we value them immensely,” said Jared Smith, CEO, Alterra Mountain Company. “Understanding some of the unique challenges that come with these careers, we are excited to be able to offer them this new level of mental well-being training and support. I can’t think of a better partner to help us extend these benefits to our teammates than the industry’s leaders in this area, Responder Alliance.”
Over the next three years, Alterra’s ski patrollers and guides will be working with Responder Alliance to train on industry-leading skills for stress mitigation. They will begin training on Psychological First Response for Rescue this fall, then move onto more advanced skills on Stress Injury Awareness and Incident Support over the coming seasons. These skills will ensure Alterra’s teams are among the best equipped in the industry for recognizing and responding to stress on the mountain for themselves, each other, and guests.
Griffin Lawrence, Responder Alliance Director, comments, “It’s inspiring to see Alterra advancing industry standards for company-wide stress injury mitigation. To align with international recommendations, all employers in alpine environments should have a comprehensive risk-management plan, which includes routine training on the hazards of stress exposure. Alterra’s work in the coming years will not only support employee wellness; it will improve guest experiences, reduce unnecessary turnover, and give everyone the confidence of having a science-based plan for managing major incidents. We’re honored and excited to be part of Alterra’s industry-leading program.”
This initiative raises the bar for stress resilience training for ski patrollers and guides across North America and showcases Alterra’s deep commitment to its employees’ mental well-being. The result will be a more resilient workforce prepared to recognize and mitigate stress impacts over the course of their careers.
“Learning about psychological first aid and how to measure our own resilience showed our team how to be more prepared during the difficult times, helped us provide better support for our guests, and gave each participating patroller tools to work towards mental wellbeing and ultimately personal resilience and patrol success,” added Zach Akselrad, Winter Park Ski Patrol Manager.
