OTTAWA - The government has expanded support for military families, hiring eight counsellors and some administrative staff for its Operational Stress Injury Social Support program.
The program helps military personnel, veterans and families affected by operational stress injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depression and addiction.
Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson says the stress of military operations deeply affects families and society as a whole, as it does soldiers and veterans.
And Defence Minister Peter MacKay says family support is critical to any patients' recovery and expansion of the support network is critical to the welfare of military families.
The government is ponying up an additional $1 million to expand the countrywide program to 20 "family peer-support co-ordinators."
The co-ordinators help families cope with operational stress injuries, military operations, physical injuries and death by listening, providing information and connecting families.
The program is led by professionally trained veterans and family members who have faced operational stress injuries first-hand and can use their own experiences to help others.
Established in 2001, it has received international recognition for its innovative approach.
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Article online since May 6th 2008, 0:00
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