Services for Veteran Families
The process of navigating the supports and services available to Veterans and their Family members is not always easy. While many services may exist, finding the most appropriate program may be challenging. Factors may include where the services are located, the type of support, cost, and eligibility criteria.
In 2024, funded by the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, we undertook a thorough environmental scan to gather all services available to Veteran Families. Our team identified 104 programs within Canada, all with a focus on supporting Veteran Families.
We welcome you to review our findings and explore the repository.
Summary of Findings
The environmental scan found 104 services tailored to support Veteran Families in Canada, most of which are currently active and available to eligible participants residing anywhere in Canada.
The majority of these services either have no cost to the participant or provide direct financial support to Veteran Families.
Many of these services can be accessed without a referral or Veteran involvement.
Of these programs, most focused on providing financial assistance, service liaisons to assist with navigating available services, and mental health education.
Definitions of Services
We categorized services into several types or domains of support, described below. A service may offer support across multiple domains.
Alternative Treatment
Therapeutic options that are not traditionally included in standard care. These may include emerging practices and therapies such as equine therapy, music therapy, meditation, and various forms of movement therapies.
Community Involvement
Participation in the larger community, including a range of activities such as volunteering, participating in local events, joining community groups, and civic initiatives.
Education
Access to educational opportunities that may include, but not limited to, courses and workshops. These activities are typically self-guided.
Employment Support
Support to achieve and maintain meaningful employment through services like preferential hiring, career counseling, job search assistance, and job training.
Financial Support
Provision of financial resources and supports (e.g., bursary, pension, benefit, scholarship, grant, loan, financial planning).
Health Behaviours
Actions that promote someone’s overall, holistic physical health (e.g., fitness tracking, self-care).
Housing Support
Provision of shelter and emergency housing, or housing support while travelling for medical care.
Medical Support
Access to a general practitioner, support for chronic pain and chronic physical illness, and virtual healthcare.
Mental Health Treatment
Mental health practictioner services to support and deliver mental health treatment (e.g., crisis counselling, grief counselling, stress counselling, trauma support, operational stress injury treatment)
Peer Support
Opportunities for mutual assistance to foster a supportive community environment where individuals can find guidance, understanding, and encouragement from peers facing similar challenges.
Psychoeducation
Promotion of mental health literacy by educating individuals about psychological conditions, treatment options, and effective stress management strategies. This approach aims to empowers individuals and families to better understand and manage their mental health.
Recreation
Activities of leisure (e.g., sports, vacationing)
Spiritual Support
Support towards a person's religious or spritual needs (e.g., chaplain services)
Wellness Coordinator/Service Liaisons
Specialists who help navigate the various services available, ensuring individuals receive coordinated support.
Directory of Services
Use the data repository below to explore the directory of services or download our visualizations that summarize the services, both alphabetically and by program type.
Downloadable PDF Summaries
Service Repository
Last Updated March 2024.
Recommendations
The need for an ever-green repository of services
Establishing and maintaining an up-to-date repository of programs tailored to Veteran Families in Canada is crucial for accessibility and discoverability. This can serve as a valuable wayfinding resource for Veterans, Veteran Families, policymakers, case managers, program liaisons, and service providers. Efforts should be made to ensure that this repository is unbiased, allowing for a comprehensive list of programs with impartial, objective information related to program parameters, and without giving preferential recommendations for specific programs.
The need for collaboration across service providers
Program owners should foster collaborations between government entities and local or community organizations. These partnerships could enhance program reach and effectiveness by combining the robust framework of government-backed initiatives with the grassroots-level trust and accessibility of community organizations. This approach may also mitigate potential trust barriers, as Veterans and their Families might feel more comfortable accessing services provided by familiar community faces.
The need for equitable access
Most programs are accessible nationally, but this may not align with the individualized needs of different Veteran Families. Some Veteran Families may require localized, in-person support. Future programs should consider geographical diversity and localized needs, offering more tailored services that can adapt to the specific context and requirements of diverse communities. Incorporating the perspectives of Veteran Families is essential to ensure programs are aligned with their actual needs. This could be achieved through participatory research methods, such as interviews and focus groups, to gather firsthand insights on the types of support required and preferred delivery methods.
The need for rigorous evaluation
There is a concerning lack of peer-reviewed evaluations of the effectiveness of programs and services offered to Canadian Veteran Families. This limits the ability to make informed decisions regarding the continued allocation of resources to support the delivery of these services. Applying appropriate program evaluation methodologies is essential to assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability of programs tailored for Canadian Veteran Families. Implementing rigorous, standardized evaluation processes can better illustrate the true impact of these programs for Veteran Families. Research should not only focus on academically interested programs but also programs that provide practical benefits and community impact. To that extent, to capture the complexity of Veteran Family needs and program outcomes, it is essential to understand these program impacts. Future studies should look beyond immediate program outcomes and explore long-term effects on mental health and wellbeing of Veteran Families. This long-term perspective can provide insights into the sustainability of these programs.
Evaluation in the Canadian context
Program evaluations came exclusively from participants in the United States or United Kingdom. Given differences in national and military cultures, healthcare access, and systems, future research should explore how programs affect Veteran Families within a Canadian context relative to other countries.
Support for this Work
This work was funded by the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families through the RRP “Environmental Scan of Mental Health-Related Programs and Services for Canadian Veteran Family Members.”
Questions and Feedback
Contact us if you have any feedback or questions: osiresearch@sjhc.london.on.ca