WHAT’S NEW

SAVE THE DATE! February 24, 2025 — Upcoming needs assessment for service providers who work with Veterans and their Families

For the past four years, the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families has offered live and self-paced evidence-based trainings, resources and other supports for service providers who work with Veterans and their Families. We need your input to help us understand what mental health service providers need now.

On February 24, we’re launching a 10-minute survey for mental health service providers who have experience or interest in providing health care to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veterans and their Families. Save the date and provide your perspective on how the Atlas Institute can better support you in your work providing mental health care to Veterans and their Families.

From tokenism to trust: Meaningful consultation in the Veteran community

Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock unpack the idea of authentic consultation within the Veteran and Family community and what it can practically look like, in a new podcast episode. They discuss the pitfalls of superficial engagement and the need for genuine communication. They highlight the importance of trust-building, honest dialogue and the distinction between dissent and disruptive behaviour in consultations.

Key topics:

• Importance of authentic consultation versus briefing after a decision has been made
• Avoiding using patronizing or tokenistic language when engaging with the Veteran community
• The value of humility in interactions with Veterans
• Distinguishing between necessary dissent and disruptive behaviour

Beyond the red serge: Mounties’ repetitive traumas and treatment needs

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers face unique challenges while in uniform that can impact their mental health and well-being post-service. In a new blog post, Corporal (Ret’d) Sarah Lefurgey, a former RCMP member, reflects on the traumatic events Mounties are exposed to throughout their careers. She emphasizes the impacts that frequent exposure to traumatic events has on serving and former members and their Family members, and the need for specialized mental health treatment options for Veterans with operational stress injuries.

COMMUNITY CORNER

I continue to see how one of the most important things is people coming together to share their experiences so that we can validate each other and continue to affirm that individuals are not alone in their experiences.

— Feedback from a Veteran Family Summit 2025 participant

Thank you for attending our third annual Veteran Family Summit!

This year’s Veteran Family Summit was a huge success, drawing nearly 900 Veteran Families, Veterans, service providers and currently serving members and their Families. Community members have expressed the value of events like the summit, highlighting their desire for more opportunities to connect with one another, better understand the needs of the Veteran and Family community and learn ways to support their loved ones.

If you weren’t able to attend the live event, you can still register to gain full access to the event platform and view video recordings of all presentations.

EVENTS AND TRAINING

TRAINING FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

Trauma-exposed professionals training for service providers

In collaboration with Wounded Warriors Canada, the Atlas Institute has developed a series of self-paced trainings for service providers and their trainees who work with trauma-exposed professionals (TExPs) such as Canadian Armed Forces members and public safety personnel. The trainings are available in English and French and are offered at no cost. Recognizing that service providers may have different levels of experience in caring for Veterans and their Families, there are no required learning prerequisites for these trainings.

SELF-PACED TRAINING

FEATURED RESOURCE

Parenting with posttraumatic stress injury

Posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) often impacts not only the person experiencing the injury, but also other Family members — and that can include children. Parents who are affected by a PTSI may have questions about how to talk about it with their children, while also wondering how to care for themselves.

To help answer some of these questions, there are now two new resources available on parenting with PTSI, providing practical information on the impacts of PTSI in Veteran Families and tips on how to navigate them:

Parenting with posttraumatic stress injury: A guide for conversations with children in Veteran Families: Information for Veteran Families on how children are impacted by PTSIs, including tips for having age-appropriate conversations on the topic.

Parenting with posttraumatic stress injury: Practical tips for parents in Veteran Families: A practical guide to understanding the impact of PTSI on parenting and Families. It shares information for navigating parenting and helping yourself as a parent with a PTSI, as well as tips for parents who don’t themselves have a PTSI but are impacted by a Family member’s injury.

These guides are informed by research and co-developed with an advisory committee made up of Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and Veteran Family members.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Study participation opportunity: Thriving after service

Atlas is seeking to understand what makes Canadian Veterans feel like they are thriving or flourishing in post-service life. We’re launching a new study that will identify the factors associated with flourishing and positive mental health, with the goal of providing important insights on how best to promote Veteran mental health and well-being. The results will inform the development of resources and help improve programs and services to foster flourishing and thriving among Veterans in all aspects of their lives.

Learn more and participate by completing our survey, which should take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

COMMEMORATIONS CALENDAR

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