Federal government announces $200 million in mental health initiatives for Canadian Forces

By Suzanne Coolen

BELLEVILLE – The Federal government has announced new and expanded mental health initiatives for Veterans, current military members and their families, strengthening treatment, care and research.

These initiatives, which amount to an investment of approximately $200 million, include a new operational stress injury clinic in Halifax and additional satellite clinics in St John’s, Pembroke, Brockville, Kelowna,Victoria, Montreal and Chicoutimi.

Daryl Kramp, MP for Prince Edward-Hastings says he is committed to ensuring military members and their families have access to the mental health support and services they need.

“I believe in investing further in education and treatment,providing greater support to families, and better harnessing technology and research,” he said. “These new initiatives reflect the most innovative thinking and evidence-based approaches to mental health and suicide prevention, leading to world class care and treatment for mental health illness and injury.”

Highlights of the initiatives

• Veterans Affairs Canada will partner with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to develop a Veteran-specific mental health first aid training program across Canada which will be delivered to an estimated 3000 Veterans, their families and caregivers over the next five years.
• Digitalization of CAF member health records will be increased to speed up medical documentations transfers to VAC.
• The peer support program for members, Veterans, and their families living with operational stress injuries will be augmented with additional staff to meet the needs of the military community. The Operational Stress Injury Social Support services are a lifeline for CAF and Veterans’ families seeking immediate assistance, with no requirements for referrals. Up to 2,200 Veterans and their families will benefit from this expansion over the first five years
• Additional research to find better treatments, promote faster recoveries and achieve better outcomes for Veterans and serving members with mental health conditions.