Veterans Affairs Canada has announced $1.46 million in support for mental health and wellness projects for veterans and their families, to be divided between five organizations in Greater Vancouver.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence, made the announcement Thursday (Aug. 10) in Surrey, at Legion Veterans Village at 10626 City Parkway, with Surrey Centre MP Randeep Sarai.
“Caring for our mental health is crucial, and I am pleased to support the impactful projects these devoted groups are undertaking here in British Columbia through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund,” Taylor said. “Veterans and first responders have unique needs and that means we need to work together in providing care, treating PTSD, mental health problems and other medical needs.”
The help comes from VAC’s Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF).
Moving Forward Family Services is receiving $200,000 for its Veteran Wellness and Community Support Program, providing counselling for veterans experiencing mental health problems, isolation, and integrating back to everyday life after their service. More than 200 supervised interns will help veterans not able to afford, or to qualify for, counselling.
Also, included in Thursday’s package is the $500,000 already announced in May for the Legion Veterans Village’s personalized therapeutic program for veterans at its integrated centre of excellence, aimed at tackling symptoms of brain fog and long COVID.
“We are so grateful to Veterans Affairs Canada for its investment towards this innovative Personalized Therapeutics Program at LVV to help many veterans and their families who suffer from Long COVID conditions, such as brain fog, fatigue, cognitive and long term challenges,” said Rowena Rizzotti, chairwoman of the Legion Veterans Village Research Foundation’s board.
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Also embraced in Thursday’s announcement is $60,000 for the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia for suicide prevention training for people and agencies working with veterans, who will have access to 24/7 crisis services and community education, as well as $200,000 for the Veterans Transition Network will receive $200,000 toward training veterans to provide “high-level” peer support and counselling to support other veterans.
“Thanks to the project grant, we will offer free training in skillfully responding to distress and suicide prevention to veterans, staff, and volunteers. Collaborating with Legion branches across British Columbia, we aim to serve diverse veteran populations better,” said Stacy Ashton, executive director of the Crisis Centre of BC.
Finally, $500,000 has been earmarked Wounded Warriors Canada’s project – Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday (COPE) – to provide veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder with “five-day counselling, psycho-education, structured reflection, life review method, group discussion facilitated by two clinicians (life experience peer couple), and six months of life coaching.”
Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada, said the Veteran Family Well-being Fund is a “force multiplier” for service providers like his organization, “working hard to develop new and innovative ways to support ill and injured veterans and their families. We are grateful for the contribution to our Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday (COPE) program and look forward to supporting even more Veteran families thanks to this new funding capability.”
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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