That's very much part of the peer support training they receive--crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and how to develop healthy working relationships. That's part of what they receive.
We know from experience that a lot of people, when they initially come forward to access services...it has been a long time for them. They've been struggling and trying to cope on their own and they are very angry. They feel as though organizations, communities, even families, have let them down. That's how they feel. So yes, they do come to us with a lot of anger.
The people they come to, the coordinators, need to know how to deal with that anger and not to take it upon themselves. They try to get the individuals to understand where they are. Because they were there themselves at one time, they can re-frame it for them and try to get that out of the way so they can get on the road to recovery.
I want to focus on the stigma there too. This program is about reducing stigma.
You've heard today from both Cyndi and Laryssa. They give their personal stories; their stories are public. When individuals see where Laryssa and Cyndi have been and where they are today, they become beacons of hope for others. For those who are angry and struggling with operational stress injury, they become examples they can aspire to--they're now working for the Government of Canada and have good jobs. So they become that kind of beacon of hope that says, “I was once where you are today, and look where I am now. But I didn't simply jump from this to this.”
The road to recovery can be long sometimes, and sometimes it's not very easy. But we--