WHAT’S NEW
Celebrating Month of the Military Child 2025
April is Month of the Military Child, a time dedicated to recognizing the unique role that children — both young and grown — play as they stand alongside their parents in service. It is important to recognize the challenges military children face and to show appreciation to them for their strength. The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families extends a heartfelt thank you to each and every military child for their service, resiliency and courage. We hope you know that you are truly valued and appreciated.
We encourage the Veteran and Family community to show their support to our military children. Take time to listen to their stories and explore resources that can help them develop lifelong resilience.
In case you missed it
International Women’s Day 2025
On March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day, a day to honour the achievements of all women across the globe. The Atlas Institute recognizes the women serving in or retired from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as the women in Families who stand beside those who have served. Your sacrifices have paved the way for future generations of women.
In case you missed it, we invite you to visit our International Women’s Day campaign page to discover ways we can take action to support women in our community, including information about women-focused initiatives at the Atlas Institute that are shaped by the lived experiences of women Veterans.
Mind Beyond the Mission
Turning pain into purpose with Emily Zufelt and Andrew Gough, CD
In a new podcast episode, Laryssa Lamrock is joined by guest co-host Andrew Gough — a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran and medically retired police officer — and guest Emily Zufelt, a former police dispatcher, advocate for first responders, military members and Veterans, and host of the What’s Your Twenty? podcast.
Some key topics they explore:
- The links between the mental health and well-being journeys of Veterans and first responders
- The power and challenge of overcoming stigma related to posttraumatic stress injuries
- The importance of self-advocacy in mental health treatment
- Navigating identity beyond professional roles in uniformed services
COMMUNITY CORNER
“To be acknowledged by all of the speakers on both days about how important Family was to them when they were serving as well as after their release was very much appreciated.”
— Veteran Family Summit 2025 attendee
Veteran Family Summit 2025: Post-event summary report
Veteran Families have made sacrifices to support and serve alongside their loved ones. They fittingly deserve a space to have their unique needs and experiences heard and understood. The Veteran Family Summit was created to provide that space for Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Families. At this year’s summit, attendees shared that they felt appreciated, seen and validated by the speakers, which included Veterans, Veteran Family members, researchers and service providers who work directly with the community.
We are excited to share that you can now read the highlights from this year’s event, which was a huge success with nearly 900 people registered, more than doubling the number of registrants since we hosted our first Veteran Family Summit in 2023.
Celebrating women Veterans
The month of March was filled with opportunities to celebrate the contributions and needs of women Veterans and women in service. Atlas was proud to be attend and be part of several events in Ottawa that celebrated the service and leadership of women, as well as bringing women together to inform policy makers of their needs.
The month kicked off with an event hosted by the National Police Federation, titled “The March Forward: Honouring 50 Years of Women as Leaders in the RCMP.” This panel presentation gathered women leaders from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and shared stories about their journeys, careers, obstacles and more. It was a meaningful opportunity for Team Atlas members to learn more about the experiences of women RCMP officers.
Later in the same week, Atlas ran a booth at Veterans Affairs Canada’s “Honouring Her Service: 2025 Women’s Forum.” Participants were able to check out some of our most recent resources on topics such as traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma and suicide prevention. They also learned more about ongoing research focused on the mental health and well-being of women Veterans and how to participate.
As well, members of the Atlas team also attended True Patriot Love’s Captain Nichola Goddard Women in Leadership Series event on March 18. Created to honour the memory of Captain Nichola Goddard, this annual event features a panel of women Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members discussing military leadership from their perspective. Our team was honoured to be able to attend and draw inspiration from Colonel Jennifer Causey, Chief Petty Officer, 1st class, Line Laurendeau and Dr. Leah West as they shared their thoughts on what sacrifice and resilience mean for servicewomen, the challenges women leaders face in balancing strength with vulnerability, empathy and relatability and how it’s important to be true to oneself to be an effective leader. We also heard from Kate Goddard who shared about her sister’s lasting legacy as a leader and inspiration to other servicewomen.
EVENTS AND TRAINING
SELF-PACED TRAINING
Managing problematic anger
Trauma-exposed professionals training
FEATURED RESOURCE
Study Notes
Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with brain training: Exploring the optimal approach
We’re excited to introduce our new Study Notes series, providing plain-language summaries of research projects led or supported by Atlas. Every Study Notes summary includes highlights of the research and key takeaways for Veterans, Families and those who work with them.
Our first Study Notes resource outlines research findings on brain regions service providers can target with neurofeedback brain training to enable people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to manage their symptoms. The study looked at using functional MRI (fMRI)-neurofeedback to help people choose the strategies that work best for them to regulate activity in the parts of the brain associated with trauma.
Interested in learning more about neurofeedback?
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Recruiting study
Women’s well-being in post-service life: Evaluating the factors association with transition from the Canadian military
We are still actively seeking participants for an important study on women’s experiences during transition from the Canadian military, in collaboration with the Canadian Legacy Project.
Women Veterans’ experiences in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) can be different from that of men Veterans and their experiences during the transition to post-military life come with a unique set of challenges. With this study, we hope to identify some of the key factors that impact transition and generate evidence needed to inform the design of appropriate programs and supports for women Veterans.
Share your experience by completing an online questionnaire. Participation is voluntary and will take about 45 minutes of your time.
Recruiting study
Study participation opportunity: The Minority Stress Study
The Minority Stress Study, led by the Clinical Research team and its Director Dr. Andrew Nicholson, has reopened for recruitment. The goal of this research study is to understand minority stress and its impact on the brain and body.
Minority stress is the excess stress, discrimination and prejudice individuals face due to their minority status and stigmatized identity, such as sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, gender and other social identities. This study is currently examining the impact of sexual and gender minority stress. This work has broad implications, especially for 2SLGBTQIA+ Veterans and CAF members who may also experience unique stressors related to both identity and service.
We are currently seeking CAF members, Veterans and civilians who identify as sexual and gender minorities and are living in the greater Ottawa area to participate in the Minority Stress Study. Your participation in this research would involve a brief telephone screener, a clinical assessment interview, completion of online questionnaires and visiting the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre for a neuroimaging functional MRI (fMRI) scan. There is also an optional blood draw component.
Eligible participants will be compensated for their time and will also have the option to receive an image captured of their brain during the fMRI scan.
For more information about the study, please contact Jill Horning, Clinical Research Coordinator: jill.horning@theroyal.ca
COMMEMORATIONS CALENDAR
| April | Month of the Military Child |
| April 1 | National Caregiver Day |
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