There is no substitute for being among people who are going through the same things as you are.

In response to the need for peer support, The Mood Disorders Society of Canada’s Peer and Trauma Support Systems (P.A.T.S.S.) Team, led by facilitator’s with years of lived experience will share their knowledge and experience in the training of peer support groups.

Peer support is intended to complement clinical care that may already be provided to veterans through the various assistance programs.

It is well documented that peer support group members can offer greater feelings of empathy and connectedness than what occurs in a typical patient-therapist relationship.

There are six key components to the training for veterans that make it stand out:

  1. All the workshops include a mental health worker addressing certain specific objectives and lived experience facilitators.
  2. Every participant receives a working manual.
  3. All the objectives that are shared are evidence-based and well researched since they come directly out of the evidence-based and well researched MHCC Guidelines.
  4. Every facilitator has personal experiences themselves that validate the existence and need for the various objective to be included in the training.
  5. Every workshop includes a practical application in that every participant gets to develop a peer support group and actually test run a peer support meeting.
  6. Every participant receives a certificate for 16 hours of peer support training from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada.

Our Peer and Trauma Support Systems (P.A.T.S.S.) Team is proud to be offering six workshops specifically for veterans in 2019. Two to be held in Alberta, two in Ontario and two in Quebec. The dates are to be announced soon and will be available on the MDSC website.

The grant that the Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) is receiving from the Bell True Patriot Love Foundation will allow the participation of military veterans in the Peer and Trauma Support (PATSS) Training Program in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. Six workshops will be offered to veterans led by facilitators with years of lived experience. There is no substitute for being among people who have gone through the same things and who share their knowledge and experience. The PATSS program assists veterans and their families in healing and will provide the foundation for the veterans to use peer support to maintain wellness and support each other to live fulfilling lives. MDSC is very grateful to the Bell True Patriot Love Foundation states Dave Gallson, National Executive Director, MDSC.

For more information:
(613) 921-5565
info@mdsc.ca