The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families at the 2022 CIMVHR Forum
For the first time as the Atlas Institute, we joined the CIMVHR Forum 2022 to introduce the following topics:
Podium:
Experiences of Afghan-Canadian language and cultural advisors who served with Canadian Forces abroad
- Presenter: Jean-Michel Mercier, MSc, Senior Research Partnerships Associate
- Date/Time: Tuesday, 18 October 2022, 12:20 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
- Session: 3B05
- Summary: During Canada’s time in Afghanistan, Afghan-Canadian citizens were recruited to work as Language and Cultural Advisors (LCAs). These LCAs accompanied members of the Canadian Armed Forces outside the wire assisting with translation and teaching local culture and customs to the soldiers. Guided by an advisory committee, this ongoing qualitative study aims to identify the current mental health status of Language and Cultural Advisors who served with the CAF in Afghanistan, their perception of their experience and transition back to civilian life, and the types of support they perceive they would have needed upon their return. This presentation shared the preliminary results of the study, as well as described the process of working with an advisory group from the inception of the study.
Symposium:
- Presenter: Sara Rodrigues, Ph.D., Director, Applied Research
- Date/time: Tuesday, 18 October 2022, 4:50 p.m. – 5:10 p.m.
- Session: 5E02
- Summary: This presentation drew on the results of a study of the lived experiences of potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) and their impacts for 38 public safety personnel. Our findings demonstrate that for PSP, PMIEs arise during the performance of role-specific duties, within or because of the organizational culture or climate, and as a result of inadequacies in the broader health care and social welfare systems. This presentation highlighted specific types of events that PSP describe as PMIEs, and the impact that these events have in terms of personal and professional values, as well as mental health and well-being.
Posters:
- Presenter: Ashlee Mulligan, MSc, Director, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
- Summary: The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are collaborating as part of the Glossary 3.0 Senior Authors’ Team. This diverse, multi-institutional pan-Canadian group of academics and clinicians is working to develop Version 3.0 of the PTSD Glossary of Terms, which will be published in an upcoming special issue of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada (HPCDP). The purpose of the Glossary of Terms is to improve the accessibility of language related to mental health and mental health conditions for all Canadians and to work towards a universal set of terms for clinicians, scientists, policymakers, people with lived experience and the general public.
- Presenter: Gabrielle Dupuis, MSc, Director, Research Partnerships
- Summary: Peer support, or support between individuals with a similar lived or living experience, has been utilized for many years in various populations, including Veterans, Serving Members, and their Families. However, ambiguity still exists regarding the categorization of these activities and how they can be used to improve the well-being of individuals. This scoping review aims to describe the nature of peer support activities for Veterans, Serving Members, and their Families in the literature, and align their outcomes within the seven domains of the Veterans Affairs Canada well-being framework.
- Presenter: Cath Virelli, MHSc, Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist
- Summary: Evidence from the United States suggests that stigmatizing language in news stories about Veterans’ mental health may significantly influence public perceptions of Veterans. In turn, this can have negative impacts on Veterans’ and Veteran Families’ quality of life post-service. Problematically, the literature lacks guidance for journalists covering Veterans’ mental health and related concerns, such as suicide, particularly in the Canadian context. To begin to address this gap, the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families collaborated with Dr. Robert Whitley of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute to develop a set of guidelines that may help journalists ensure news stories about Veterans’ mental health and related concerns are balanced, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented.
The Atlas Institute hosted an information booth to meet with military, Veteran and Family, researcher and service provider communities and to highlight some of our projects.
Learn about our pre-CIMVHR session and post-CIMVHR workshop, which took place on October 16 and 19, 2022, covering topics important to Veterans, their Families, and those who provide support services:
Pre-CIMVHR Session: Research and lived experience interactive panel discussion
The Pre-CIMVHR Research and Lived Experience Interactive Panel Discussion offered a space to promote understanding of research and empower Veterans and Families in research. Veterans and Veteran Families were invited to enter into an in-person dialogue with researchers to discuss research methods and life cycle, priorities, facilitators and barriers in research, and Veterans and Families’ needs in research.
Registration is closed.
AGENDA
Enhancing Veteran and Veteran Family engagement in research: Reflections from an interactive panel discussion
- Cultural awareness and building trust
- Developing studies with the engagement of people with lived experience in mind
- The future of engagement
- Final takeaways
Lived Expertise Lead, Veterans – Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families
Post-CIMVHR Workshop: Advancing the vision for a transformed mental health system for Veterans and their Families
This workshop featured a panel presentation sharing the results and implications of a collaboration between the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families and Phoenix Australia to develop a new vision and implementation approach for Veteran and Veteran Family mental health systems globally. The session also facilitated dialogue among participants to identify stakeholders’ perspectives and resource needs in the implementation of a transformed model of care to improve the well-being of Veterans and their Families in the Canadian context.
Registration is closed.
Post-CIMVHR Workshop: Advancing the vision for a transformed mental health system for Veterans and their Families
Both sessions were held:
In person
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel,
1919 Upper Water St.,
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3J5
