“As Canada’s leading national foundation for the military and Veteran community, our partnership with CIMVHR has supported the True Patriot Love CIMVHR Research Initiative which funds priority areas of research that in turn provide a deeper understanding into the needs of serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans and their families. This critical research has allowed us to gain added insight into the strengths and challenges of the military and Veteran community across the country to better inform our funding decisions and to advocate on behalf of this community within government. In particular, we were proud to fund the Quebec Feasibility Study which will help us continue our support for Francophone military and Veteran families in the Province.”

This study aimed to improve our knowledge of mental health programs and services targeted towards families of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and serving military members in the province of Quebec.

In total, the research team found over 330 programs and services for Veterans and serving military families in Quebec. This breaks down to 24 national programs and services; 28 federal programs and services; 0 provincial programs and services; 92 community programs and services; and 193 private services. One of the main findings is that depending on administrative regions and military installations in the province, Quebec’s mental health program and service network for Veterans and serving military families is characterized by major disparities.

The second component of this study developed exploratory research to grasp Veteran and military family needs regarding mental health programs and services in Quebec. The main recommendations that emerged from the survey were the following: better publicizing of existing programs and services; offering more services and facilitating access to them, in particular by responding or providing care more rapidly, ensuring a service is offered in Quebec’s various regions, offering services at home, and increasing staff; placing more attention on priority issues such as transitioning to civilian life and PTSD; and during the process of transitioning to civilian life, ensuring that military members are provided information regarding mental health services in the region where they plan to settle.

In regards to programs that could be developed to meet needs, the research recommends addressing some specific areas, such as PTSD, addiction, transition to civilian life, and conjugal life, for specific target populations (e.g. families, children and spouses). There are several different modes of delivery to consider, such as information service on programs, Veterans group meetings with a facilitator, services at home, and increasing the services offered in regions.