WHAT’S NEW

“…you’re taking this trauma and over the course of the storytelling workshop you’re turning it into a story, and the more and more that story is told, the less it’s living in someone in a way that’s difficult to process.”

Atlas’s Joy Pavelich featured on Co-Created podcast — Empowering Veterans with digital storytelling

Joy Pavelich, Executive Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs at Atlas, was recently featured on Co-Created, a podcast hosted by Kristy Wolfe that looks behind the scenes of digital storytelling.

Joy and Kristy discuss how storytelling can be the start of a pathway to healing, especially for Veterans and Families. They also explore the impacts of Atlas’s storytelling workshops for Veterans and their Families, highlighting the importance of prioritizing the well-being of participants and creating safe environments to share stories. With September being Suicide Awareness Month, Joy speaks candidly to her experience of being a suicide loss survivor and how that loss has impacted her life and work.

Army brat through and through

“Having lived experience feels like an extra instrument in my toolkit that I get the privilege to use to contribute to bringing mental health supports to a community that means so much to me.”

Growing up in a military Family shapes you in ways you don’t always see at the time. For Lori-Anne, the daughter of three Canadian Armed Forces members, being an “army brat” was part of her DNA — but it wasn’t always easy.

In a new Perspectives blog post, Lori-Anne shares her journey, from opposing the military lifestyle as a teenager to marrying a Military Police Officer and finding purpose in supporting Veteran and public safety Families through her work at Atlas.

COMMUNITY CORNER

If we’re talking about our general public, it’d be tough to find anyone in the world that isn’t touched or hasn’t been touched in some way by suicide. And it’s always the same. It is, you know, a ‘thank you for bringing this forward. Thank you for making me feel like I can talk.’”

— Dennis Mackenzie, Veteran

World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10

Veterans are more likely to experience traumatic events, less likely to seek help and are at a higher risk for suicide. It’s important for Veterans and their Families to know that supports are available. Listen to Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Dennis Mackenzie sharing about the loss of his friends to suicide, as he advocates for more open conversation and support in the Veteran and Family community.

EVENTS AND TRAINING

September 17, 2025 — Webinar: Exploring evidence-informed peer support guidelines for Veterans, military, public safety personnel, and their Families

We are less than two weeks away from a webinar, co-hosted by Atlas and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), on new peer support guidelines for Veterans, military, public safety personnel, and their Families.

It’s not too late to register! Registration closes on September 16.

Join us as we discuss how the guidelines were created and why they are needed in the community, and answer questions from participants. We hope to see you there!

September 18, 2025 — Webinar: The psychiatric management of PTSD (for prescribers)

PRESCRIBERS: Gain valuable insights into the unique treatment needs of Veterans living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Join us for the first session of The psychiatric management of PTSD, a new webinar series hosted by Dr. J Don Richardson, Medical Advisor at the Atlas Institute, on September 18, 2025 at 12:30 p.m., Eastern time.

Designed specifically for prescribers, this webinar will cover medication classes, dosing, side effects and considerations like polypharmacy risks and co-occurring conditions. Stay up-to-date on recent advancements and learn how to provide effective, compassionate care tailored to Veterans’ needs.

September 19 – 21, 2025 — Canada Army Run

The Canada Army Run is fast approaching! Atlas is proud to be an official partner of this meaningful event, which gathers participants from across Canada and the world and champions the Support Our Troops and Soldier On charitable causes.

Register today! As a race partner, we are proud to be able to offer the Atlas community a discount code for 30% off your in-person or virtual registration fee. Run, walk or roll in person in Ottawa, ON September 21, or participate virtually from wherever you are between September 5 and 26. Participants can sign up for race distances of either 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 21.1 km or 26.1 km. Use code ATLAS to save at checkout before September 15.

We hope to see you at the Atlas booth in the Expo Hall on September 19 and 20, where you’ll be able to discover our resources and ways to get involved. Best of luck on your race if you are participating. Team Atlas will be cheering you on!

October 20 – 22, 2025 — CIMVHR Forum 2025

Join us at CIMVHR Forum 2025 in Ottawa, ON, hosted by the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). This year, Atlas will be presenting on a variety of topics and research projects, including women Veterans’ well-being, aging Canadian Veterans, peer support guidelines, machine learning and more. Be sure to visit our booth and attend our symposium, podium and poster presentations to learn more about our research on military and Veteran health and how, together, we are creating positive change for Veterans and Families across Canada. Find out more, including the full list of Atlas presentations, on our event page.

SELF-PACED TRAINING

FEATURED RESOURCE

Suicide prevention resources for Veterans and Families

“It consumed me — the worry of my loved one, who is experiencing suicidal ideations.”

— Kayla, Family member of a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran

 

“The harsh reality is that our community faces suicide at a somewhat regular basis. With that harsh reality, it’s nice that we can have things that actually apply specifically to us and speak to those issues and then maybe that will bridge that gap in terms of bringing the numbers back.”

 

— Tabitha, Canadian Armed Forces Veteran

Research shows that Veterans are more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Veteran Family members can also be affected by their loved one’s suicidal thoughts, ideas and behaviours. This is why it’s vital for the Veteran and Family community to have tools to address suicide and promote mental health. It’s important to know there are resources available to equip you to care for both your affected loved one and for yourself.

Atlas has a set of practical information and tools on suicide prevention, specifically created to reflect the unique needs, culture and experiences of the Veteran and Family community. These resources were co-developed with people with lived experience from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veteran and Family communities, as well as the Centre for Suicide Prevention.

What’s included:

• Toolkit for Veterans: Practical information and guidance on suicide prevention for military and RCMP Veterans
• Toolkit for Family members: Practical information and guidance on looking after yourself and others as a Veteran Family member
• Conversation guide infographic: Step-by-step information on talking about suicide with a friend or Family member
• Conversation guide wallet card: Quick guidance for how to talk about suicide with a friend of Family member

You can download these resources and find additional resources and information on suicide prevention on our topic page.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

New research funding opportunities now available

We’ve launched new research funding opportunities in three critical areas designed to enhance understanding and support the mental health and well-being of Veterans and their Families. This initiative aligns with our continuing commitment to expanding knowledge and boosting research capabilities in the field of mental health, working directly with the community to identify areas of particular interest and opportunity.

This year, Atlas will be funding research on:

• Caregiving, intimacy and relational health in Veteran Families
• Veteran resilience after service and rebuilding identity (funded by Mental Health Research Canada)
• Occupational moral injury implications for RCMP members post-service

Proposals will be accepted until October 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, with the anticipated notice of decision in December 2025 to January 2026. For more information about the funding program, visit our webpage or contact the Research Partnerships team at atlasresearch@theroyal.ca.

We need to hear from women Veterans of the RCMP

We are seeking women Veterans of the RCMP to participate in our study on the association between the health and well-being needs and mental health of women Veterans. Your participation will offer important insights that can help to contribute to recommendations for advancing sex- and gender-specific care for women Veterans. The study will ask you about your health care experiences in the RCMP or CAF, how you felt about different aspects of service, how you accessed care and are accessing care, and how you feel about yourself.

Make your voice heard by completing the online survey. Participation is voluntary and will take 45 to 90 minutes of your time.

Seeking participants: Functional MRI neurofeedback study for posttraumatic stress disorder

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITY IN LONDON, ON: Atlas is still recruiting participants for a study at the Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph’s Health Care London to test the use of real-time functional MRI (rt-fMRI) in training the brain to control trauma symptoms.

Researchers will use state-of-the-art fMRI brain imaging technology to provide real-time feedback to participants about the brain’s activity, with the goal of learning how to help those with PTSD self-regulate brain activity associated with their symptoms. This work has implications on the treatment options available to address PTSD symptoms and for Veterans and CAF members, who are more likely to experience operational stress injuries from their service.

You may be eligible to participate if you are between 18 to 65 years of age and have gone through a traumatic event, and experience any of the following:

• Vivid memories or nightmares of the trauma
• Unwanted or upsetting thoughts of the trauma
• Overwhelming feelings related to the trauma

Participation involves:

• 3 MRI scans
• Clinician-administered and self-report assessments
• Wearing a wristband device to measure sleep tracking

Eligible participants will be compensated for their time and travel reimbursement for parking or public transit expenses is available.

If you have questions about the study, please contact jonathan.lieberman@sjhc.london.on.ca.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jean Théberge

COMMEMORATIONS CALENDAR

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