Some of our image-laden pages may load more slowly depending on your internet service. Patience if they don't display immediately. You'll be glad you waited.

South Okanagan Photos

Kelowna and Victoria – satellite centres for vets

The federal government has announced it will invest about $200 million over the next six years to expand mental health services and research for Canada’s veterans, members of the military and their families.

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces also announced that about $16.7 million in ongoing funds will also be made available to support soldiers and veterans.

The new initiatives include the opening of a new Operational Stress Injury clinic in Halifax, set to open in the fall of 2015. The clinic will provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment services for any veterans and soldiers living with operational stress injuries, as well as their families.

Satellite clinics will be opened in St. John’s, Montreal, Chicoutimi, Pembroke, Brockville, Kelowna and Victoria.

In addition to the clinics, the funding will also go toward:

  • Programs designed to raise awareness about mental health issues and support Canadian Armed Forces members and their families;
  • Brain-imaging technology, to help researchers diagnose and treat soldiers, as well as technology to help digitize CAF members’ health records;
  • A new four-year pilot project that will expand access to Military Family Resource Centres at seven different locations across the country;
  • Research on issues including: new treatments for soldiers with mental health conditions, how to transition soldiers from military to civilian life, and veteran suicides and suicide prevention.

Suffering soldiers

Mental health has become a growing concern for current and former member sof the Canadian Forces.

In August, a Statistics Canada survey found approximately one in six full-time members of the Canadian Forces reported experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder or alcohol abuse within the past year .

Current and former soldiers face a variety of mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse, panic and anxiety disorders. Suicide has also become a growing issue among veterans struggling with mental health problems.