National Defence committee  This is more integrated than behavioural therapy. It does involve behavioural components in that we are doing active skills rehearsal in a group context, allowing them to actually practice situations that they're going to encounter as they transition, but it's more than that. This also looks at their thoughts and their emotions when they're in these processes.

National Defence committee  It's a good question. My expertise has to do with psychological interventions, so my mind goes to what psychological interventions we might be able to do. I would love it if, included in the roster of services for transition, was employment counselling, quite directly helping veterans.

National Defence committee  There are services available. There are case managers. There are psychological support services available, of course, with VAC. What I am advocating for here is that these services be made more specific, that they're made more practical and skills based, and that they're made more social based.

National Defence committee  Let me make sure that I understand the question. I think you're saying that the armed forces and veterans are, in a way, siloed away or maybe less connected with other aspects of society or other groups than would be positive. I absolutely think that is a challenge. In some ways it's necessary, considering the intensity of skills and training and what we ask of them for them to end up being quite cohesive within themselves.

National Defence committee  One of the themes that I'm attempting to get across here is that these are not individual concerns and that these are connected. We are connected. Part of that connection involves that transition does need consistency, as you're talking about, or would benefit from consistency.

National Defence committee  You've brought up two different things here. The first has to do with intergenerational trauma, and the second has to do with minority populations. To speak to intergenerational trauma, one of the largest correlates with mental health challenges and the development of PTSD is that, rather than a person experiencing something stressful or traumatic and having it convert into PTSD, it has to do with a history of traumatic incidents in their lives.

National Defence committee  I think the system is making great improvements in documenting this sufficiently.

National Defence committee  I know that I continue to repeat this point, but mental health challenges and personal struggles cannot be addressed unless society acknowledges they exist. Our society has made great strides in acknowledging the challenges of minority populations and of women in the past years, and this cultural shift is affecting institutions like the armed forces.

National Defence committee  Our organization has a combination of funding through Veterans Affairs and private donors. It's a tapestry of different funders supporting us. I'm very happy that we are able to have that funding. I think it's really important that our programs are free for the people who use them.

National Defence committee  This is a question of how much we can do. The more funding we receive, the more we are able to do. To date, we are serving 160 veterans per year through our programs. The more funding we're able to attain, the more we can do. In addition, we recently received funding from a private donor to begin a couples transition program.

National Defence committee  Women represent the minority in the military. I was just, as you were talking, trying to look up the figure so that I could cite here the percentage of women versus other genders in the military, but they're in the minority. Minority populations face additional challenges. They have less social support.

National Defence committee  Yes, I would love to see this integrated on a policy level, where programs such as the ones that VTN offer are something that's available every time, including screenings, whether just for transition challenges or more occupational stress challenges, to make sure of hitting each member as they leave the service rather than waiting until that member expresses a distress to the point where more intensive and expensive interventions are necessary.

National Defence committee  If all of us think about the things that make it easier for us to meet the challenges in our lives, I would bet that we're all thinking about the important people in our lives and how they make it okay for us to face those challenges. Similarly, armed forces members are going from a very socially integrated, tight community to a place where that's not guaranteed for them anymore, and we can do a lot of good by helping them, as I say, jump-start that social connection in a non-military context.

National Defence committee  I'm seeing an improvement. I think we're just getting started. As I say, society has to acknowledge something exists before we can take care of it, and we are now acknowledging that some of these challenges exist. Meetings like this are a sign that we're looking to take care of them.

National Defence committee  Not in all cases.... Often a psychologist is employed or contracted specifically by either the Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs or privately. There are opportunities in which people are able to continue. I have a private practice as well with a number of clients I see transition from the service to after service.