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Canadian veterans may face a ‘recipe for disaster’.New police program aims to help

A new program for police officers to safely assist veterans in crisis is now available to law enforcement services nationwide.

Launched in September by the Toronto Police Department, the Military Veterans Wellness Program is a long-standing initiative by two Canadian soldiers who turned police to help veterans experiencing homelessness and mental health crises. These are the results of our activities.

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This program provides training to officers, mindful of both military training and potential experience of severe trauma, so that they can better respond to veterans they encounter on duty.

We also provide officers with a referral form to easily connect veterans to the many supports they are entitled to receive, but otherwise may be difficult to access.

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Helping Veterans Heal and Reintegrate


“The social services we partnered with for this program saved my life,” says Const. One of the program’s co-founders, Jeremy Burns, knows all too well how the trauma of military service can linger long after veterans return home.

“We lost 14 people on tour, and we lost a few more when we got home,” Barnes said. “I don’t know what could be more tragic.”

Burns served three and a half years in the Canadian Army stationed in Edmonton with the 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment.

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After being deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, Burns said he returned home as a different person, struggling to adjust to the society he fought to protect.

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“To go to war and serve, I really had to transform myself into a very different kind of person,” he said. But if you leave it on and alert all the time you’re home, it will wear you out and set you apart from everyone else.”

Jeremy Burns was sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for approximately six months. He says he struggled with his own identity after returning home and leaving his army. (Courtesy: Jeremy Burns).

(Credit: Jeremy Burns)

Burns discovers a kinship with fellow veteran Const. Aaron Dale. The two met in 2018 and signed a contract to join the Toronto Police Department.

Dale served in the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) for approximately five years. CSOR is an elite special forces unit deployed worldwide and specialized in operations in high-risk environments.

Leaving the close-knit unit was more difficult than expected, as Dale lost his colleagues and struggled to find a new purpose.

Aaron Dale served several years as a reservist before being selected for the Canadian Special Operations Regiment, which specializes in mountain operations and intelligence. (Courtesy Aaron Dale).

(Credit: Aaron Dale)

He credits Burns with helping him deal with that loss of identity and encouraging him to seek help.

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“He sat me down and said, ‘Hey, you’re not as good as you can be right now. There’s no shame in asking for help. Let’s get help,'” Barnes said.

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Veterans often face challenges resulting from military service, including impaired physical and mental health, difficulty integrating into civic life, and reluctance to seek help.

The Military Veterans Wellness Program provides frontline officers with a simple form to more easily connect veterans at risk with the range of support available. (Global News).

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A 2019 Statistics Canada report found that the transition to civilian life can be particularly difficult, with 36% of veterans reporting very or somewhat difficult.

“They feel disconnected from everyone,” says Geneviève Boudreau, a psychologist who specializes in combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder and who helped develop the Veterans Wellness Program.

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“Add that irritability and coping mechanisms like alcohol and drugs. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

Without support, these challenges make veterans more likely to lose jobs, struggle to manage relationships, find themselves on the streets, and, in some cases, interact with police in crisis mode. there is.

“There’s a lot of help out there, but it’s hard to navigate, it’s hard to ask for help, it’s hard to do it when you’re in pain,” Dale said.

When Burns and Dale encounter a veteran in crisis at work, they quickly realize that others share their struggles and worse.

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One of those veterans was Garrett Oliver, who lived in his truck when he first met Dale while he was going through a mental health crisis.

Oliver said having help from a fellow veteran who knew what resources would help him get through the impending crisis was invaluable in turning his life around.

“He guided me on the right path to correct the situation in my life,” he said. “I owe the world he and Jeremy did for me.”

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It’s a similar experience to Barnes and Dale when they first created the Veterans Wellness Program.

Developed in partnership with the Ontario Police Department, the Toronto Police Veterans Association, the Royal Canadian Legion, Veterans Affairs Canada, and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operational Stress Injury Social Support Program, this program recognizes Barnes and Dale’s first-hand experience as veterans. It’s a combination of experiences. We have the latest expertise in the areas of mental health, incident response and de-escalation.

Barnes and Dale hope police across the country will pick up the program, especially as veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are discharged from the Canadian military.

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While veteran homelessness and suicide remain daunting challenges, Barnes said he hopes the program will help the country selflessly get the help it needs and deserves. I’m here.

“Whatever difficulties they face, there is something available to help them,” Barnes said. “We have to get to a point where everyone feels comfortable asking for that help.”

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.



Canadian veterans may face a ‘recipe for disaster’.New police program aims to help

Source link Canadian veterans may face a ‘recipe for disaster’.New police program aims to help

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