The month of June provides the opportunity to raise awareness about brain injuries and their impact on both Veterans and their Families. Brain injuries can be caused by various impacts to the brain, which can result in mild to lifelong damage. In the military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veteran community, brain injuries are often missed, as symptoms can be mistaken as signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is possible to have a brain injury without event realizing it.

“Even with a TBI, people can still live a good quality of life, just in a different way.”

— Veteran and Family member

Throughout Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Atlas Institute will spotlight different resources and initiatives focused on building understanding about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

New TBI resources for Veterans, Veteran Families and those who work with them

Veterans and Veteran Families should have the information they need to feel empowered to confidently advocate for themselves. These resources were created as tools to use throughout all stages of traumatic brain injury and even to help identify TBI in yourself or someone you love. These resources can also be used by those who work closely with Veterans, enabling them to offer more effective support. Learn more.

Learn more about TBIs in the military and RCMP Veteran community. Listen to one of our Mind Beyond the Mission podcast episodes featuring both the lived experience of a person with TBI and the clinician perspective:

• Traumatic brain injury — with Dr. Lyn Turkstra: With more than 30 years of experience, Lyn lends her expertise and talks about the symptoms to look for, how these symptoms can overlap with those of PTSD, how TBIs can impact women differently and the gaps in what we know about TBIs.
• Traumatic brain injury — with Veteran and former CFL player Ryan Carey: Listen to Ryan’s unique experience of living with a TBI, how his symptoms were mistaken for PTSD, and practical advice for Veterans living with a TBI.

June is also designated as PTSD Awareness Month, offering a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding about PTSD and its potential overlaps with symptoms of brain injuries. Learn more

Additional resources

 Here are some other resources and support for individuals at all phases of TBI recovery and for for their Families and caregivers.

• Brain Injury Canada: Explore a resource hub for those with brain injuries, Family members and health care professionals.
• Concussion Legacy Foundation: Resources for Veterans and Families affected by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and concussions.
• Operation Brain Health: The Concussion Legacy Foundation’s library of brain health resources for members of the military community and others affected by brain trauma and their caregivers and loved ones.
• Project Enlist Canada: Learn about how you can help support military Veterans with TBIs by participating in research to better understand the impacts of brain trauma and provide insights on prevention and treatment.

Each person’s experience of a traumatic event can look different — and this can include how and whether they are impacted by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veteran community, PTSD can be diagnosed after being exposed to death or potential death, acts of violence during service or vulnerability to any incident causing distress. PTSD can also affect Family life, with Veteran Families often experiencing vicarious (indirect) trauma, feelings of rejection and compassion fatigue as they support their impacted loved one.

It is crucial to remember that there is no shame in living with PTSD and that support is available. Learning more about PTSD and its symptoms can be an important tool to help navigate its impacts on your life. Here are a number of resources to help you better understand and manage PTSD:

• PTSD and some treatment options: Overview of PTSD, including causes, symptoms, how it’s diagnosed and information on therapies and treatments.
• Public safety personnel and posttraumatic stress injuries: Educational resources and videos providing coping tips and strategies for people living with PTSI, including peer support and the impacts on Families.
• MindKit: A mental health education hub for young Family members of Canadian Veterans living with a posttraumatic stress injury, including hands-on tools, comics, videos and more.
• Resources for Families and friends: Overview of the effects of PTSD on the Family, including coping strategies and resources.
• Resources for children and youth: Information and resources for children with a Family member experiencing PTSD and coping tips for children dealing with secondary trauma stress.

Related information

• Neurofeedback: A promising new treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A fact sheet about how neurofeedback words to heal parts of the brain impacted by trauma
• Mind Beyond the Mission: Episode 10 – Posttraumatic growth — with RCMP Veteran Jason Anderson: Listen to our conversation about how traumatic experiences can sometimes spark posttraumatic growth that can foster openness, strength and compassion.
• A guide to moral injury for Veterans and Families: Understand what moral injury is, how it is different from PTSD, and next steps
• National Collaborative on PTSD and Related Mental Health Conditions: Convened by Atlas and the Canadian Institute on Public Safety Research and Treatment, the National Collaborative on PTSD aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge about PTSD between organizations that serve the military, Veteran and PSP communities and their Families.

This year, Mental Health Week takes place from May 6 to 12, 2024 in Canada. This year’s theme is “A Call to be Kind” and is centred on the healing powers of compassion, which has an important role in how we connect to others and support each other through difficult times. Veterans and Veteran Family members are the perfect example of how compassion brings a community together as they support each other through the thick and thin of a life of service.

This week, we will be highlighting different mental health initiatives from our teams at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families and our work to provide access to safe, meaningful resources and supports that protect dignity and identity, create foundations for hope, connection and community, and improve mental health and well-being.

Check out some of the mental health resources and projects the various portfolios at Atlas have been involved in.

Implementation

To help mental health care and peer support providers and organizations better serve Veterans and their Families, Atlas offers evidence-based implementation resources and training opportunities.

• Introduction to trauma-exposed professionals: An online course developed to increase health care providers’ understanding of the unique cultural differences experienced by trauma-exposed professionals such as Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and public safety personnel (PSP).
• What is implementation?: Learn more about implementation and how it integrates research and practice with the goal of improving outcomes for Canadian Veterans and their Families.

Knowledge Mobilization

Making knowledge more accessible, available and usable is a key part of building awareness and understanding of issues relating to the mental health and well-being of Veterans and their Families. The Atlas Knowledge Mobilization portfolio works with members of the community to create tools and resources for Veterans and their Families to support their own mental health, as well as information to help service providers better care for the Veteran community.

• Suicide prevention resources: Research suggests that Veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide. This suite of suicide prevention resources, created for and by Veterans and their Families, includes two practical toolkits, a conversation guide with an accompanying wallet card, and quick facts, statistics and additional resources related to suicide prevention.
• MindKit: A mental health resource for young Family members of Veterans impacted by a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI). Featuring youth-friendly tools, strategies and downloadable resources to cope with PTSI and other mental health challenges in the Family.
• Military sexual trauma resources: Military sexual trauma (MST) describes the psychological, physical and social “wounds” that people may feel after experiencing or witnessing sexual and gender-based discrimination, harassment and violence. These resources include tips and strategies to support people impacted by MST and introductory information for health care providers on the unique military and Veteran-specific factors that can affect care for those who have experienced MST. More resources focusing on supporting Family members of impacted Veterans will be added soon.

Lived Experience

Everything at Atlas is shaped by lived experience in one way or another. Our Lived Experience portfolio, which is made up of Veterans and Veteran Family members, helps guide each project to ensure that our work is accurate and culturally relevant to the community. The team also works to amplify the voices and experiences of Veterans and Family members from across the country.

• Veteran Family Virtual Summit 2025: Save the date! The third annual Veteran Family Virtual Summit will take place January 23 – 24, 2025. Join us for a meaningful conversation dedicated to sharing information, resources and inspiration about Veteran Family mental health and well-being.
• Digital stories: Join us on June 26, 2024 for a screening of our newest digital stories. Created by CAF and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans and Family members from across Canada, they share a thread of recovery and resilience.
• Mind Beyond the Mission podcast: Join Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock as they have authentic conversations about the real issues experienced by Veterans and Veteran Family members living with mental health injuries.
• Perspectives blog: Hear from people with lived experience on a variety of topics related to Veteran and Veteran Family mental health.
  Are you a Veteran or Family member with a story to tell? Get in touch with us and you may be featured!

Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

Atlas is just one part of a wide-ranging, extended network of organizations collaborating to serve a common purpose of improving mental health services for Veterans and their Families. Together, we seek to increase knowledge creation, sharing and collaboration.

• Engaging with Veterans and Families: Creating a new approach to collaboration: This engagement framework aims to improve our shared understanding of how Veterans and Veteran Families prefer to be engaged in research and participate in knowledge development projects and initiatives.
• Public policy engagement process report: Discover the highlights from the Atlas Institute’s engagement with organizations in the health, mental health, and Veteran and Family public policy space, including insights on practices that make for effective public policy work and priority areas identified for public policy related to Veterans and their Families.
• National Collaborative on PTSD and Related Mental Health Conditions: The Collaborative serves to facilitate knowledge sharing about and enhance our collective understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related mental health conditions, making use of the extensive expertise available across Canada.

Research

Atlas undertakes and supports research that seeks to improve the well-being of Veterans and their Families. Research projects are designed to answer the questions that matter to Veterans and their Families. Participation in research projects from Veterans and Veteran Family members is important to inform the culturally sensitive delivery of treatments, programs and services.

• Research Compass: Research Compass showcases the latest information about our Veteran and Family well-being and mental health research. Each issue includes updates on recruiting studies, recent research, how to get involved and our latest publications.
• Recruiting studies:
  • Examining the association between unmet health and well-being needs and mental health for women Veterans of the CAF and RCMP: Created by women Veterans and for women Veterans, the objective of this study is to understand the experiences that women Veterans have with their health and well-being and their access to care during and after service in the CAF or RCMP.
  • Feasibility and effectiveness of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention for Veterans with mTBI: This four-week, virtual study aims to compare methods for helping people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) deal with daily cognitive challenges, such as difficulties with learning new work tasks or changing a routine, or having trouble remembering appointments, among others.
  • Brain measures linked to hyperarousal in PTSD using MRI imaging: The purpose of this magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study is to examine a particular type of brain image (neuromelanin-sensitive MRI) that has been shown to be related to a brain chemical called noradrenaline and see if it is related to PTSD symptoms.

Every April, we celebrate the Month of the Military Child and highlight the strength, perseverance and resilience of military children. The Atlas Institute is proud to shine a spotlight on the stories and experiences of the children of serving and Veteran members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) through the ups and downs of military Family life. We hope their voices and words inspire and provide hope to all children of those who serve and show them that they are not alone.

Military “children” come in all ages, whether they are 3, 30, or 90 years old. No matter how old they are, the “military brat” identity never truly goes away. They often experience life differently than the average Canadian, coping with their parents’ deployments, trainings, postings, transitions, life after service — and sometimes, the long-term mental health outcomes of their work. Through it all, they display adaptability, flexibility and strength. Like the dandelions that thrive wherever they are carried by the wind, military children often journey in various directions and flourish where they land.

Join us in commemorating this special month by honouring their spirit and contributions,  acknowledging their qualities and offering support. Check out the following links to discover stories from military children and various resources.

Hear from military children

The following videos feature military and Veteran children talking about what it’s like to live with someone with a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) in the Family and how they take care of their own mental health.

On March 8, people around the world mark International Women’s Day in celebration of the achievements of women. The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families is taking the opportunity to salute all women, but especially the women of our Veteran and Veteran Family community. As part of their military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) service, they have experienced unique challenges and barriers. We also recognize the equally important contributions of women in Veteran Families, as they support their currently serving or Veteran member. Today, we salute them and renew our pledge to advance research with the goal of better understanding their experiences and improving the services available to women Veterans and Family members.

#InspireInclusion

The International Women’s Day 2024 campaign theme is #InspireInclusion, which aims to create a more inclusive world for women where there is a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment. The battle for inclusion felt by active and Veteran women from the military and RCMP has created challenging careers for some and has often impacted their life after service.  Yet, women members have also shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of these challenges. These efforts have helped to blaze a trail and create a better, more inclusive future for other women following them.

We asked women Veterans to share their experiences of serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) or Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and how inclusion played a role in their careers. Read the new Perspectives blog post to discover what they had to say.

Learn about other initiatives focused on women Veterans at Atlas:

The Athena Project: We are proud to have gathered a group of women Veterans of the CAF and RCMP under the umbrella of the Athena Project, an initiative dedicated to research and building connections in support of women Veterans’ well-being. We consult and collaborate with women Veterans to shape the initiative and all projects that will come out of it.

Veteran women: Consider participating in a new Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families study: The first project to come out of the Athena Project is a study examining the association between unmet health and well-being needs and the mental health of women Veterans of the CAF and RCMP. We know that women Veterans of the CAF and RCMP experience mental and physical health conditions differently than men Veterans and women in the general population, including having higher rates of chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders.

To begin to understand the unique health experiences and needs of women Veterans, we want to know how women accessed care during service and how they are accessing care now.  We are also interested in how women Veterans have supported their own well-being and their current mental and physical health. Finally, we want to know if any experiences from service relate to health and well-being as a Veteran.

For some, the holidays are a period of joy and festivity. For others, including many Veterans and their Families, it can be marked by a persistent sad or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, or even irritability, frustration and restlessness. Separation from Family and friends during the festive season can also create intense feelings of sadness and longing. With the holidays following closely after Remembrance Day, this can also be a solemn time.

The pressure to be social and partake in holiday activities can at times be too much for those living with a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI).  PTSIs can have an impact on day-to-day functioning, mental health and the experience of the holiday season. The experience, traditions, needs and feelings of Veterans and their Families may be diverse during this season.

It can be a difficult time to navigate, but there are ways to make it easier to manage for Veterans and their loved ones. It is important for Veterans and their Families to know that it’s okay to focus on their own needs first. This might include coming up with a plan to navigate the holidays that feels good for them, even if that means stepping away from busy festivities and making new traditions.

And although connection is an important part of the holiday season, this can look different for everyone. It could mean spending time with your Family members and friends, or even come in the form of peer support.

Holiday resources for Veterans and Families

• Tips and strategies for supporting our kids during the holidays: To help support the youngest members of Families living with PTSD, we’ve developed some tips and strategies to help you help them get the most out of the season.
• 10-minute guided meditation: Bringing on holiday cheer: A breathing exercise to help manage holiday stress: This 3-step process — check-in, movement, check-in again — is an easy tool you can take with you throughout these holidays.
• MyGrief.ca: Grief doesn’t stop for the holiday season. MyGrief.ca is a free e-learning resource to help people better understand and move through grief in different situations, including grief after trauma.
• Managing holiday stress: This video shares ideas for making this holiday season a little happier and less stressful.

As we enter the holiday season, our thoughts are with the Veteran and Family community, as well as the active military members who are deployed over the festive season and Royal Canadian Mounted Police members who are working during the holidays to keep communities safe, and with their Families who are keeping the home fires burning. We appreciate you.

In times of war and peace, countless Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members serve and have served Canada at home and around the world, on land, at sea and in the air. Far too many have made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of peace and freedom for all. Many of those who made it home have returned with visible and invisible wounds, their lives forever changed.

Veterans’ service is as varied and diverse as Veterans themselves. They have served on multiple missions and campaigns such as the Second World War, Korean War and participated in peacekeeping and peace support operations. More recent operations include Afghanistan (2001–2014) and current missions in Latvia and Iraq. At home, Veterans have served on a multitude of domestic operations, including the response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic by bringing aid and support to long-term care facilities, as well as Operation LENTUS, the CAF’s response to natural disasters. All who have served are Veterans once they leave the CAF, and we recognize and thank them all for their service.

As we mark the start of Veterans’ Week 2023, we remember those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country. We commemorate them by sharing their stories and experiences. We honour the Veterans who are still among us, including those who now live with posttraumatic stress injuries and other physical, emotional and moral injuries as a result of their courageous service.

Our thoughts are also with the military and Veteran Families who have lost loved ones. Families play a vital role in providing care for serving and Veteran CAF members, and we honour them as well.

This Veterans’ Week and every day, we invite you to take a short pause — at a minimum two minutes — to reflect on how Veterans have given us the life and freedoms we know.

A few ways to observe Veterans’ Week

Veterans’ Week 2023 video: On this Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day, we ask ourselves how best to honour Veterans and their Families today and every day of the year. The answer is quite simple: listen to their stories, learn from their experiences, take the time to pause and reflect, and never forget what each Veteran and their Family have given to us, as individuals and as a country.

View our new video in honour of Veterans’ Week 2023:

• Holding our breath — Creating a sacred space for remembrance: Read a blog post by Blackfoot artist Adrian Stimson who reflects on his experience in Afghanistan as part of the Canadian Forces Artists Program.
• Ways to remember: From watching, listening to and reading Veteran stories, to organizing and attending commemorative events, this article shares various ideas for actively participating in remembering the sacrifices and achievements of the Canadians who served and continue to serve our country at home and abroad.
• Military history resources: Explore Canada’s proud military history by visiting one of Canada’s military and aviation museums, downloading educational resources, or browsing online exhibits and photo galleries.
• Indigenous Veterans Day: On November 8, join in honouring and giving thanks for the service and legacy of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Veterans.
• Remembrance Day ceremonies: On Remembrance Day, November 11, attend the 2023 National Remembrance Day Ceremony in person at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, or watch the ceremony live on TV or online. You can also find the closest local Remembrance Day ceremony in your community using the Royal Canadian Legion’s event locator tool.

Helpful information for Veterans and Families

Veterans’ Week is the start of a season that can be challenging for some Veterans and Veteran Family members. Here are some resources that are available for Veterans and Families:

• Directory of services: List of resources and supports for military members, Veterans, and their Families, including links to crisis services, counselling and therapy, educational tools and peer support.
• Managing holiday stress: This downloadable PDF shares some tips to help Veterans and Veteran Family members manage the stress of the holiday season.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has played a significant role in Canada’s history since 1873. As the national police service, the RCMP has become an integral part of the country’s identity, earning global recognition for policing excellence and iconic “Mountie” image in their red serge uniform.

Beyond safeguarding communities both here in Canada and internationally, members of the RCMP are also dedicated community volunteers and active citizens who strive to make a positive impact. There are many examples highlighting their unwavering commitment to supporting communities, such as the Kindersley, Sask. detachment’s successful collection of over 1,000 pounds of donations for the local food bank and the RCMP’s national youth engagement program.

May 23, 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of the RCMP’s service to the public and to the security of our country. With more than 750 detachments from coast to coast to coast, the RCMP provides services in eight provinces, three territories, 150 municipalities and 600 Indigenous communities.

Join us as we honour this milestone anniversary across the country. To stay up-to-date with RCMP 150 events, activities and interesting facts, visit: rcmp-grc.gc.ca/rcmp150-grc150

We serve: A video series honouring and recognizing the many roles RCMP Veterans and their Families play

Community service comes with unique challenges that can impact the mental health and well-being of RCMP Veterans and their Families. Responding to high-intensity crime scenes, natural disasters, hostage situations and other challenging incidents often exposes them to physical and emotional risks. These experiences also disrupt their personal lives, which can result in feelings of isolation, exhaustion, loneliness and stress. Their loved ones, including children and youth, may feel the impact, even if they have not directly witnessed any traumatic events.

We are excited to announce the launch of a video campaign honouring the RCMP’s 150 years of dedicated service to keeping our country safe. To foster community empathy and raise awareness about the diverse experiences of RCMP Veterans and their Families, this series features short documentary profiles of current and former RCMP members sharing what it means to serve and the impact their service has had on them and their loved ones.

New episodes will be released in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to bookmark this page and stay tuned as we unveil each captivating story!

In celebration of the Month of the Military Child 2023, the Atlas Institute is proud to showcase the children of serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members as well as those of Veterans. Military and Veteran “kids” can be all ages – from senior citizens whose parents fought in the Second World War to middle-aged individuals to young adults and youth. These remarkable individuals have displayed adaptability, flexibility and strength in various situations, playing a vital role in their Family units. Like the dandelions that thrive wherever they are carried by the wind, military and Veteran children often have journeyed in various directions and flourished where they land.

This month of celebration provides an opportunity for us to highlight the strength and perseverance of military and Veteran children through their stories. By sharing their experiences, we hope to inspire and provide hope to others who may face similar experiences.

Join us in commemorating this special month with our heartwarming video animation that highlights military children, both past and present, as superheroes! Let’s honour their spirit and contributions by acknowledging their superhero qualities and offering support wherever they may be. Share this video with friends and family to spread the love and appreciation!

Visit our latest blog, Perspectives, to read new profiles and hear diverse voices sharing what it’s like to be military and Veteran child.

While many of us are gearing up for the holiday season, for some Veterans and their Families this time of the year is marked by grief, anxiety and depression. The pressure to be social, festive and joyful can be too much for many living with a post-traumatic stress injury. For others, separations from Family and friends can create intense feelings of sadness and longing.

At the Atlas Institute, we know that the season can be a difficult one to navigate. We know that Veterans can be surrounded by their Families and friends and still feel lonely. Veterans can be spreading kindness in their communities during this season and still feel hopeless. It’s possible to be experiencing the joys of this season with people you love and still feel discouraged. You are not alone – there are many resources that can help.

Follow us on our social channels and get 12 days of ideas and resources for making the season a little brighter.

To get started, take a look at our special resources;

• Managing holiday stress
• Coping with the Holidays
• Tips and strategies for supporting our kids during the holidays

You’ll find tips and ideas for managing the harder parts of the holidays. You’ll also find some ideas for creating celebrations that work for you!

Take a look at our new video that shares ideas for making the holiday season a little happier.