Mr. Chair, I'll give you a general answer and I'll ask Colonel Blais to amplify my remarks when I'm finished.
In my estimation, I think we are leading Canadian society in many respects on peer support.
Two programs leap to mind. One is the OSSIS peer coordinators and the joint speakers bureau, which Colonel Blais can expand on momentarily. The other is what we call the HOPE program, part of the shoulder-to-shoulder bereavement program that we now offer, HOPE standing for helping our peers by providing empathy.
There are people, often spouses or parents, who have lost a son or a spouse, have gone through that terrible grieving process of premature loss, and have come out the other side wishing to reach out and help people who have recently gone through that terrible experience. It is proving increasingly popular. We have a lot of people who are willing and able to get involved and to help people through that time, and we are facilitating that program through web access and putting people in contact with other people.
That program has paid huge dividends. I've been to several seminars and conferences where I've seen people with first-hand testimonials of just how much peer support meant to them. Some people just didn't know where to turn. They couldn't get out of bed because of the grief they were dealing with. For them, to be able to talk to somebody who has gone through that and come out the other side has proven to be invaluable.
I'll ask Colonel Blais to speak to the OSSIS program. I think it's another real success story that continues to grow.