If you’re in crisis, go to your nearest hospital or call 9-1-1 or a crisis line.
The Canadian Mental Health Association offers a list of resources and contact numbers, cmha.ca.
If you know someone who may benefit from our programs, tell them about us.
The Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs have programs to help military personnel and their families who are struggling with mental health issues. They include:
- 24/7 member-assistance program at 1-800-268-7708. The program provides telephone counselling for issues such as marriage trouble, depression, alcohol or drug abuse and suicidal thoughts
- 24/7 family information line at 1-800-866-4546. The program offers telephone counselling to military families
- The Canadian Forces has information online about its mental-health resources, forces.gc.ca.
Homewood Health Centre is a 300-bed mental health and addiction facility in Guelph, Ont. The centre has a specialized traumatic stress recovery program. For details, visit homewoodhealth.com/health-centre or call 519-824-1010.
Project Healing Waters Canada offers fly-fishing instruction and excursions for ill and injured veterans. The program provides camaraderie and a focused activity that gets vets in touch with nature along with teaching them a new hobby. For details, email gervaisjeffrey4@gmail.com or visit leseauxcuratives.com.
Outward Bound Canada teaches resilience and leadership through outdoor adventure in four provinces and has a program tailored to helping vets struggling with the physical or mental impact of their military experiences and transition back into civilian life. Visit outwardbound.ca or call 1-888-688-9273, ext. 205.
Citadel Canine Society is a Vancouver-based charity that trains and delivers service dogs across Canada to new veterans and first responders with occupational stress injuries for no charge. Visit citadelcanine.com or email info@citadelcanine.com.
And there are further programs and support online. Among them:
Veterans Emergency Transition Services helps homeless and vulnerable veterans reintegrate into civilian life by connecting them with health care, veterans’ benefits and employment opportunities. The non-profit organization was started by a veteran in Halifax in 2010 and has grown to include volunteers nationwide. For details, visit vetscanada.org or contact the group at 1-888-228-3871 or vetscanada@gmail.com.
Military Minds is a website and Facebook group that links the afflicted and their families to the right agency and raises funds for vets in Canada, the United States, Australia and Great Britain. It’s managed by Canadian veteran Scott Casey, a former United Nations peacekeeper who served in the former Yugoslavia. For more information visit militarymindsinc.com or facebook.com/MilitaryMindsInc.