B.C. Rotary club, veterans program to provide mental health support in Ukraine
A Metro Vancouver Rotary club and a program that helps veterans with the mental health impacts due to war are going to be taking their sense of service and their expertise to Ukraine.
The White Rock Rotary Club and the Veterans Transition Program at UBC are teaming up to provide mental health supports to Ukrainians. Today they signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the “Ukraine Trauma Support Initiative."
Tim Laidler, who is with the Institute for Veterans Education and Transition program, says whether its military or civilians, the impact is hard to ignore. Ukrainians have been under siege for nearly 500 days.
"The common denominator is the trauma and living in a high-stress environment on an ongoing basis. That's what our militaries have experienced. That's what I experienced myself in Afghanistan," Laidler explained.
In Ukraine, civilians are stepping up to join the military and the trauma is like a rolling wave. There may be a pause, but the conflict is ever-present.
"They're continually getting bombed. They're continually getting shelled. They don't know what's going to happen with power. There's all sorts of stress on them," said Laidler.
Veterans at the Rotary club also know about the impacts of war. With a focus on mental health supports this year, they're now teaming up with the UBC program to get veterans, counsellors and others on the ground to train up mental health staff in Ukraine. The UBC program has been around more than twenty years.
Bob Sutherland, is a former participant who says he knows what it feels like to be "always on the edge." He plans to travel to Ukraine and is helping the Rotary club with its fundraising efforts.
"I know firsthand, what generational trauma will do to families and if we can hit the first generation, it could nullify that impact,” Sutherland said, adding, "one of the main things was I learned to forgive myself.
Alan Plett, another veteran who plans to help, said after an adrenaline rush there might be a reprieve, but the stress inevitably comes back.
"Eventually the body wears out and there's more down than up," Plett added.
The hope is to give people the training so that when the war ends they can rebuild. That will include physical structures, and communities, as well as emotional healing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton dead following prison attack
Convicted B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who preyed on women he lured from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to his rural pig farm, has died.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
DND moving 1,000 employees out of Ottawa office building due to safety concerns
The Department of National Defence is moving approximately 1,000 employees out of an office building in Ottawa's Lowertown neighbourhood, citing safety concerns for its employees.
Baby dead after being delivered via emergency C-section to woman who was in police custody
A newborn is dead after being delivered via emergency C-section to a woman in police custody.
Biden speaks after Donald Trump's conviction in hush money case
A day after a New York jury delivered a historic guilty verdict in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee held a press conference Friday where he spoke publicly about the conviction and his White House bid.
More counterfeit drugs seized, hot water boiler causes fire: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada recalled various items this week, including more unauthorized products, counterfeit drugs and bassinets.
Jennifer Lopez cancels summer tour: 'I am completely heartsick and devastated'
Jennifer Lopez has cancelled her 2024 North American tour, representatives for Live Nation confirmed to The Associated Press.
How did Ontario's bankrupt 'Crypto King' travel the world on Scene+ points?
Newly released documents suggest Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ paid for months of world travels with $13,000 worth of Scene+ points while bankrupt – but how?
Mediterranean diet helps women live much longer, a large new study finds
Women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet lived much longer than those who did not, according to a new study that followed more than 25,000 women for 25 years.