Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon and BGen (Ret’d) Hugh Colin MacKay, QUOI Media
The federal government has pledged to spend billions over the next decade to increase defence spending to five per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product in line with other NATO allies, to meet the challenges of an increasingly dangerous and divided world.
As Ottawa considers it defence spending priorities, it must not overlook the health and well-being of its most important asset – the people who provide safety and security to Canada and those who support them, who will most certainly be impacted as they meet the new challenges they will face. They are critical to Canada’s defence revitalization.
It is now more important than ever for the government to continue to support and invest in organizations – in particular four pivotal organizations – dedicated to supporting the physical and mental health of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, veterans, public safety personnel (PSP) and their families.
The four organizations – Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR), Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (Atlas) and Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (CPCoE) – all play a critical – in some cases, life-saving – role in the health and well-being of these communities.
Operating at arm’s length from the government, they make up only a tiny proportion of the federal budget, but play an outsized role in enhancing quality of life for those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
While each organization is unique, their work is complementary, and their mutual collaboration creates synergies that did not previously exist – and could not easily be replaced.
CIMVHR is the hub for leading scientific military, veteran and family health research in Canada.
Working with researchers at Canadian universities and abroad, it has built a network of collaborative relationships within academia, government, industry and the philanthropic sector to advance military, veteran and family health and well-being research.
Its work is instrumental in ensuring that CAF members and veterans receive the most up-to-date and evidence-based treatments and support for service-related injuries, illnesses and post-service challenges.
CIPSRT serves as a national knowledge exchange hub, integrating the best contemporary research evidence into free online mental health resources that support current and former PSP and their families to maintain and improve their mental health and well-being.
With studies showing that over 23 per cent of public safety officers could have post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues, CIPSRT’s work is essential in safeguarding their health.
Atlas works with veterans, their families, service providers and research partners to create, gather and share knowledge on veteran and family mental health. Veterans and their families are actively involved in identifying issues and in collaborating to develop evidence-informed solutions in the areas such as moral injury, intimate partner violence, substance use and suicide prevention.
It also trains service providers in evidence-based therapies, ensuring that the latest data on veteran and family mental health needs informs best practices and policies.
CPCoE is a research centre dedicated to improving the well-being of veterans with chronic pain. Studies show that veterans are two times as likely to suffer from chronic pain as other Canadians – particularly female veterans.
Its research is built on veterans’ lived experiences, allowing the centre to directly address veterans’ daily challenges with chronic pain, while also advancing evidence-based pain management treatment.
Trusted among the populations they serve, CIMVHR, CIPSRT, Atlas and CPCoE are critical to ensuring that CAF members, veterans, public safety personnel and their families have the support they need to improve their quality of life and that their healthcare providers have access to the best evidence-based knowledge and treatments to enable their well-being.
All four organizations also promote knowledge sharing – hosting forums, webinars, podcasts and other events and widely publishing their research – ensuring that their work benefits not only those in the military and PSP community, but also Canadians in all walks of life.
Their expertise also plays a pivotal role in informing government policies, practices and programs. Their research was fundamental to a recent Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs’ report on the serious challenges affecting women veterans and the federal government’s veterans’ employment strategy.
The work they do today will pay long-term dividends. Afterall, better health outcomes mean a more resilient military, PSP and veteran community, with improved productivity and operational readiness and reduced healthcare costs.
In this rapidly changing world, Canada needs the research and insights that these organizations provide now more than ever.
The federal government’s defence spending priorities must include continued support and increased investment in their vital work.
