LEST WE FORGET 13 WHAT DOES THE LEGION DO? …continued Wellness Program - This new program was designed to assist Veterans in their journey to wellness. While insurance plans and Veterans Affairs Canada can offer treatment benefits for psychiatric and physical conditions, rarely will they cover activities that are not of a medical nature such as a gym pass, yoga class or use of a sweat lodge. There is a never-ending list of wellness activities and initiatives that could be beneficial to someone based on their needs. The assistance provided in this program helps the Veteran by reducing their symptoms. Taking better care of wellness can help to result in reducing symptoms such as stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. PAWS for Veterans – PAWS for Veterans serves two main purposes; to raise funds to provide Service Dogs to Saskatchewan Veterans and raising public awareness and education about Service Dogs. Through this program the Legion sponsors trained service dogs and assists to pair them with qualifying Veterans and their families. As the use of service dogs expands into many medical areas, there is a growing need for the general public to understand the role of these highly specialized dogs with their handlers. Some types of specialized training can include; PTSD, seizure, mobility assistance, diabetic alert, hearing assistance, heart attack & stroke and much more. Mental Health First Aid Veteran Community – This thirteen-hour Course focuses on the basics but is also tailored to the needs of Veterans and the people who care for, and about them. The program is designed to help members of the Veteran Community developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. It does not train people to become counsellors or therapists and just like with physical first aid, we need to ensure that those most in contact with members of the Veteran Community can identify an emerging mental health problem and respond effectively in the event of a crisis. Who should become certified in this course? Veterans, family members, relatives, friends, volunteers and other caring community members, former RCMP members, health professionals and providers of Veteran services OSI-CAN – OSI-CAN is an Operational Stress Injury/Post-Traumatic Stress Support Initiative. Created in January 2016, as a partnership between the RCL Sask Command and the Canadian Mental Health Association Sask Division. This network of service supports includes such things as; referrals into Centres of Excellence, professional counseling, lifeskills training, addictions programs, equine-assisted therapy, service dogs, PTSD Coach Canada Mobile App, psychosocial rehabilitation, vocational training, pharmacist assistance, recreation programs, housing supports, family preservation services, veterinary support for service dogs, supportive websites such as Mood Disorders Canada, PTSD support, phone in support and much more. The network of supports continues to grow as individual needs are identified. “Recovery is the process of gaining control over one’s life and the direction that one wants that life to go.” Remembrance Poppy Campaign – Every year, from the last Friday of October to November 11 th tens of millions of Canadians wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s Veterans and remember those who have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today. While the Poppy is distributed freely to all who wish to wear one, the Legion gratefully accepts donations to the Poppy Fund. The Poppy Campaign is very much a local initiative, conducted by Legion Branches in cities, towns and communities across the country. Donations collected during the Poppy Campaign are held in Trust at the Branch level to directly support Veterans and their families within their community and to help ensure Canadians ‘never forget’. The RCL, since its inception in 1926, has become known for its annual organization of the November 11th Remembrance Day Services and Events. The Poppy Campaign also features a new Digital Poppy . The Digital Poppy can be found online at www.mypoppy.ca. Canadians who donate online will receive a Digital Poppy in Remembrance of a Veteran of their choosing. continued ...
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