WHAT’S NEW

Listen, learn, lead: The Atlas Institute 2023-24 impact report

The work at the Atlas Institute over the 2023-24 fiscal year was shaped by intentional dialogue with the Veteran and Veteran Family community. This is reflected in our latest impact report, which highlights achievements throughout the year in service of Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police and their Families.

Read the impact report now to see how we have engaged in different opportunities by:

• Listening
  • Developing platforms to share the stories and experiences of others
  • Gathering those with lived expertise to help guide our work
• Learning
  • Making military culture accessible through knowledge mobilization
  • Enhancing mental health care service delivery
• Leading
  • Hosting webinars and presenting at mental health conferences
  • Undertaking and supporting research projects

Perspectives: Making sense of why I am like I am: The journey of adult children of Veterans

A self-proclaimed military brat shares about her key part in a research study about the experiences of adult children of Veterans in her role as co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) of the study. This collaborative method aims to integrate the voices of lived experience into the research process, fostering a more inclusive approach to understanding the unique experiences of Veteran Family members.

Mind Beyond the Mission — Hypervigilance and the hidden strain on Veteran Families

Hypervigilance — being constantly on high alert and keenly aware of your surroundings — is a critical skill for a soldier. It can also be exhausting for a Family to cope with when navigating daily activities and events. Brian and Laryssa explore:

• The impacts of hypervigilance on Veteran Families
• Strategies for navigating high-pressure scenarios like crowded malls and restaurants
• “Snowplowing”: Loved ones trying to buffer against potential triggers and developing their own hypervigilance
• Communication techniques for managing hypervigilance within a Veteran Family

COMMUNITY CORNER

Images from the 25th anniversary of DND Family Days in Halifax, N.S.

Atlas in Halifax

It was an honour to hear their stories.

Members of the Lived Experience team had the opportunity to meet Veteran and Family community members at the 25th anniversary of DND Family Days in Halifax from June 21 to 22. Although this was the first introduction to Atlas for many, they honoured us by sharing some of their experiences about the rewards and stressors of military life and living with mental health injuries. We thank those who trusted us enough to talk to us openly about their experience of military sexual trauma. We admire the parents who picked up MindKit resources and included us in conversations about posttraumatic stress injury with their children. We will be reflecting on the insights people shared with us about moral injury resulting from their service, as well as the dedication of those who confided with us their journey as caregivers to Veterans.

We look forward to using this knowledge, as well as to continuing to learn from and engage with those who expressed interest in volunteering their time with our Lived Experience Cadre, to co-develop future mental health resources for Veterans and Families.

Thank you for having us, Halifax. We look forward to seeing you again.

EVENTS AND TRAINING

October 21 – 23, 2024 — CIMVHR Forum 2024

Atlas will be at CIMVHR Forum 2024, taking place in Winnipeg, MB from October 21 to 23. Every year, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) hosts an annual forum that brings together hundreds of researchers, policy makers, service providers, peer support organizations and intermediary organizations to present the latest research focused on military and Veteran health.

If you are attending CIMVHR Forum 2024, we invite you to visit our booth and attend our symposium, podium and poster presentations to learn more about how we are bridging the divide between research and practice to create positive change for Veterans and Families across Canada. Keep an eye on our website and social media as more details about our presentations become available.

TRAINING FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

New training opportunity — Managing problematic anger

A self-paced virtual training course designed to equip service providers with the skills to assess and treat problematic anger in military and Veteran populations is now available. Offered in collaboration with Phoenix Australia, this training is available in both English and French and there is no cost to eligible licensed service providers.

SELF-PACED TRAINING

FEATURED RESOURCES

MindKit

Having a loved one with a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) can be challenging, so it can be helpful to have a toolkit of strategies to deal with difficult feelings and support mental health when times get tough.

In honour of International Youth Day on August 12, check out MindKit, a mental health education hub co-developed by Atlas together with and for young Family members of Canadian Veterans living with a PTSI.

MindKit features interactive mental health tools and downloadable resources, including a webcomic, journal prompts, hands-on coping strategies and ideas, and real-life stories from children of Veterans.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

New publication: Experiences of Afghan-Canadian language and cultural advisors

A small group of civilians, known as language and cultural advisors (LCAs for short), were a critical — yet largely unknown — part of Canada’s more than decade-long presence in Afghanistan. Their role ensured the safety and well-being of Canada’s troops, but very little is known about their experiences. As a first step in building knowledge and improving understanding of this particular group, the Atlas Institute has published a study on the experiences of former LCAs, guided by an advisory group. What emerged was a significant gap between what is available for LCAs after returning to Canada and what is needed, with many describing an absence of appropriate mental health and well-being supports despite the lasting impacts of their service.

Ongoing recruiting studies

Atlas is always looking for participants to get involved in various ongoing research projects. Join our recruiting studies to help turn your experiences into learnings that inform treatment and policies for Veterans and Veteran Family members. Take a look at the recruiting studies page of our website to see which projects you may be able to participate in, and bookmark the page, as new studies are added frequently.

PARTNERSHIP AND STAKEHOLDER SPOTLIGHT

Now available: Scan of public policies affecting Veterans and Families

Building on the public policy criteria of our mandate, Atlas initiated three foundational projects to start mapping out a role related to public policy influence. One of these projects, a public policy scan of academic and grey literature specific to mental health and well-being policies and policy recommendations that impact Veterans and Veteran Families, is now available.

The findings revealed gaps where more detailed scans will be required to get a more complete picture in areas such as disability benefits and policies, health and mental health standards, policies that impact Families and those that are specific to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and their Families.

COMMEMORATIONS CALENDAR

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