Engaging community

At the Atlas Institute, our mission is to generate evidence, mobilize knowledge, influence policy and build capacity among service providers to improve the mental health and well-being of Veterans and Families, side by side with Canadian Veterans and their Families. We do this in partnership with other organizations advancing this work and by encouraging community engagement. We collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders — Veterans, Veteran Families, researchers, service providers, policy makers and other organizations — to shape our efforts through their unique insights.

Ways we engage:

• Formal partnership agreements
• Inviting network members to participate in Atlas projects, advisory committees and working groups
• Leading or co-leading communities of practice or other network tables related to the mental health needs of Veterans and Families
• Participating in joint initiatives led by other organizations
• Organizing and leading national events and campaigns

Our Network of Networks approach

The Atlas Institute functions as an intermediary organization within the ecosystem focused on the mental health of Veterans and Families across Canada. In this role, we bridge the gap between research and practice to ensure that the latest evidence about Veteran and Family mental health needs inform best practices and policies.

Our work thrives on collaboration with the broader Veteran and Family community, forming what we refer to as our Network of Networks. By collaborating with various groups and their networks nationwide, the Atlas Institute helps minimize overlap and promote synergy within the Canadian mental health and well-being system. We are dedicated to sustaining and growing our network relationships, engaging stakeholders across Canada and fostering new partnerships. We also encourage and facilitate the formation of new connections among network members to address emerging needs in the system.

For a deeper understanding of how the Atlas Institute leads and collaborates within the Veteran and Family mental health sector, visit our Network page.

The Veteran and Family engagement framework

We are guided by our framework, Engaging with Veterans and Families: Creating a new approach to collaboration, which is designed to enhance understanding and foster meaningful engagement. It outlines principles and practical methods for involvement within the mental health system. The framework was developed with input from:

• An external advisory committee of Veterans, Family members, researchers and service providers
• Consultations with Atlas reference group members from the Veteran and Family community and our Lived Experience team
• Reviews of existing literature on engagement

Learn more about and download the Veteran and Family engagement framework, as well as related resources, including a brief guide and two videos detailing the framework and its key advantages.

Engagement in practice

Veterans and Veteran Families

Engaging in conversations with Veterans and their Family members — conversations that resonate with their experiences — is crucial for comprehending their mental health needs. This approach not only enhances the relevance and applicability of research but also leads to the development of better services for Veterans and their Families that are designed with their unique experiences and needs in mind.

We engage with the Veteran and Veteran Family communities to understand and address their mental health needs through:

Organizations

Communities of practice and roundtables

At the Atlas Institute, we engage in various communities of practice (CoPs) and roundtables to better understand the needs of our communities, coordinate our efforts effectively and help us avoid duplication of work. We are also involved in leading or providing support to the following groups:

Canadian Moral Injury Research Community of Practice

This CoP brings together experts from different fields to share knowledge and collaborate on the topic of moral injury among Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police members, Veterans, Veteran Families, health care workers and public safety personnel. It is a platform for Canadian researchers to learn from each other, bridge gaps between disciplines and develop fresh ideas and approaches to understanding moral injury.

National Collaborative on PTSD

In partnership with the Canadian Institute on Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), we launched the National Collaborative on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions. This initiative aims to enhance our collective understanding of PTSD and related mental health conditions by tapping into the extensive expertise available across Canada.

Active partnerships

Working to the full strength of our mandate means working in partnership with peer organizations. Developing partnerships with organizations with a complementary mandate allows us to further our reach and strengthen our work. A partnership may include committing to working together, sharing information and resources, promoting or working jointly on events and/or exploring opportunities to collaborate on research or knowledge mobilization work.

Some factors that we consider in establishing a partnership include: shared values, use of evidence-based practice, commitment to involving lived experience, alignment with our current work plan, organizational capacity and reputation of the potential partner.

Here is a list of our current active partnerships*:

Fellow intermediaries

• Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR)
• Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (CPCoE)

Community organizations

• Canadian Legacy Project

Academic and research organizations

• McMaster University
• Mount Saint Vincent University
• Queen’s University
• The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research
• Toronto Metropolitan University
• Université Laval
• University of Alberta
• University of Regina
• University of Waterloo

Health care centres

• Sinai Health
• The Centre of Clinical Excellence for Veterans & First Responders (CCE)

International groups

• Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation
• Phoenix Australia
• Veterans Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center “Lisova Polyana” of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine

*The Atlas Institute strives to establish partnerships with a diverse array of national and international collaborators. This list is refreshed regularly to showcase our active partnerships and does not include historical or previous affiliations.