Polliann Maher is the Lived Expertise Lead, Families with the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. She is the spouse of a Veteran with PTSD and brings more than 20 years of lived experience navigating the mental health system to her role. She has a background in community service work, earned by returning to school through the Veteran Affairs Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program in 2009. Polliann spent slightly more than 10 years providing peer support to Family members with the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program as a Family Peer Support Coordinator in southwestern Ontario. This experience allowed her to utilize her own lived experience and her understanding and knowledge of mental health to help peers navigate the systems that can be so overwhelming to many Family members. She was instrumental in the planning and executing of online opportunities for Family members during the pandemic with a psychoeducational webinar series through the OSISS program. Polliann is passionate about educating the Veteran community and sharing her knowledge of the resources that are available to them. She is a strong advocate around changes that encompass the Family, which are many times forgotten or an afterthought.

Polliann has also served on several committees, including the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors with the Southwestern Ontario Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). She is the co-author of the article “Coping as a spouse of a military Veteran with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic,” published in the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. Polliann has also developed and co-facilitated a series of OSI Family workshops with the Parkwood OSI clinic.

Laryssa Lamrock is the National Strategic Advisor for Families at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. She has a unique blend of experiences in nursing and military Family deployment support. In addition, she has extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of peer support as well as lived experience as the spouse of a Veteran living with PTSD. She is also the daughter and mother of military members. Laryssa draws from these experiences as she advocates passionately for and represents the voices of military and Veteran Family members.

After 12 rewarding years with the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program, Laryssa believes strongly in the importance of Family involvement in the recovery process. It can improve the prognosis of mental health issues and have positive impacts on Family functioning and wellness. She feels many more services and programs can be developed and made accessible to those supporting those who serve and have served in the Canadian military, particularly parents and adult children of Veterans.

Her work has provided her with numerous outreach opportunities, including speaking engagements at the National Conference on PTSD, an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. She serves on a number of committees, including the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Advisory Council and the VAC Ministerial Advisory on Families. She is the author of the article “Loving a Broken Soul – The lived experience perspective on the implications of Veterans’ moral injuries for Families,” published in the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. Laryssa has also co-developed and co-facilitated a series of OSI Family workshops.

Recently, her focus has also broadened to include first responders and their Families — an impassioned interest as her son is a first responder. She is driven to help identify the gaps and share lessons learned from the military and Veteran community. Laryssa has realized that it doesn’t matter what uniform you or your loved one wears.

Fardous Hosseiny (he/him) is the President and CEO at the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (formerly the Centre of Excellence on PTSD), located at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre in Ottawa.

Before coming to Atlas, Fardous was most recently the interim National Chief Executive Officer and the National Director of Research and Public Policy, at the Canadian Mental Health Association.

His research work focuses on strategic policy issues related to mental health system transformation, parity legislation, Veteran and their Families mental health, substance use and addiction and mental health for newcomers and underrepresented groups. Fardous is also a frequent commentator on these issues for Global News, CBC, CTV News, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, among others.

Fardous was a part of the Canadian delegation to the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and played a role in the development of the first ever United Nations event dedicated to mental health.

Fardous also serves on many national and international committees, including as a member of the Five Eyes Mental Health Research and Innovation Collaboration, an executive advisor on the Global Alliance for Mental Health Advocates (GAMHA), co-chair of the Research Reference Group at Atlas Institute and past co-chair for the Canadian Alliance for Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) and Canadians for Equitable Access to Depression Medication (CEADM).

Fardous is a clinical investigator at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research.

Fardous completed a Master of Science with a focus on the neuroscience of addiction and a BSc Honours, both at the University of Toronto. He also holds a Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Fardous is on the Board of Directors – Canadian Juries Commission and Renascent Addiction Treatment Centre.

When it comes to mental health, Stéphane Grenier walks the talk.

Indeed, Stéphane’s riveting keynotes are not only thought-provoking, but also lead to tangible action and sustainable change for those leaders who are prepared to rethink how they support their people.

He was appointed to the Order of Canada and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Guelph and Humber College for his contributions to the field of workplace mental health.

His autobiography, After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture, tells his story from the day he landed in the midst of the Rwandan genocide, through his journey of changing mental health culture in the Canadian military, developing national Guidelines for Peer Support with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, all the way to creating Mental Health Innovations (MHI); a consultancy that leads innovative and sustainable change in organizations to enhance the mental health of their people.

Today, he and his business partners, along with countless associates, develop non-clinical mental health interventions as a complement to traditional clinical care for private and public sector organizations, as well as for provincial healthcare systems.

Stéphane’s vision is a world where people no longer face barriers to good mental health.

Maude Arsenault joined the Valcartier MFRC team as a Veteran Family Support Worker in 2019. She holds a Bachelor's degree in social work and began her career in a correctional institution. With her expertise in mental health and strong empathy, Maude focuses on the issue of compassion fatigue among caregivers and developed a workshop on the subject, aimed primarily at spouses of military personnel and Veterans with operational stress injuries. Committed to providing the best services to her clients, Maude has helped develop and strengthen connections with key partners in the community, leading to the implementation of innovative projects to improve services offered to the community.

Daphne McFee is a retired RCMP sergeant who has spent most of her career within national security threat assessment and investigations. She joined the RCMP in 1986 and was released on a medical discharge in 2015. Daphne is a certified yoga teacher, poet and published author of two children’s books. Her second book, It’s Not Cuz of Me, focuses on helping children understand PTSD and facilitating discussions within the Family unit. When her own husband was diagnosed with severe PTSD, she realized that there was little to nothing out there to help their four children understand what was happening. This is ultimately what led her to create the story.

Daphne’s interests include writing, drawing, painting, swimming and walking her dog. She and her husband Paul have been together for 28 years and reside in Ottawa. They enjoy travelling and spending quality time with Family, especially with their young granddaughter.

Jeanette Slater is the wife of a Veteran and the mother of a Veteran, both of whom served with the Royal Canadian Navy. Jeanette was born and raised in Nova Scotia, moving to Ontario where she worked with adolescents and young adults in the secondary school system. After many years of helping her son through his diagnosis and treatment of PTSD, Jeanette lost her son tragically in 2018 in a vehicle accident. She will share how she and her Family are learning to read this unfamiliar map that is their new navigation, reminding each other that grief is not a solitary journey.

Elizabeth Gough is a spouse of a CAF reservist. Her husband, Andrew Gough CD, is a member of the military police/Close Protection Operator and medically retired police sergeant with the London Police Service. In 2019, they found V-EH! Veterans and Everyday Heroes, a federal not-for-profit organization. They have spoken on their journey through an OSI to offer their reflections on posttraumatic growth (PTG).

Professionally, Elizabeth is an Early Years Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Education. She is also a dedicated community volunteer and a leader in several initiatives that champion sport, children and women’s causes. Elizabeth and Andrew have two teenage children and reside in St. Thomas, Ont.

Tabitha is a retired master corporal who served as a CAF medic. Her story of her experience with PTSD highlights the unique struggles related to women’s mental health, being in survival mode, numbness and learning to live again with feelings and emotions.

Jonathan Archambault is an author, mental health advocate and certified life coach/trauma coach dedicated to helping clients maximize their potential, whether as entrepreneurs or leaders within their organizations. As a Veteran and former police constable, he also helps military members and first responders confront the effects of trauma and successfully transition to new careers.

He is a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) — Special Operations Forces Veteran and served as a frontline police constable, with a combined 18 years of service. In 2019, he was diagnosed with complex PTSD, dissociation, depression and mental fatigue due to work-related trauma. Utilizing various therapies, he developed a program that allowed him to effectively manage his complex stress injury.

In 2021, he published his book Operation: Wired Differently, detailing his experiences and journey back to mental health.

Sandy Phillips is the wife of a medically retired RCMP officer who released due to severe PTSD. She is a mother of two and an educational assistant. Sandy continues to advocate, support and manage services for her husband while learning to cope with his OSI. Since she knows how challenging these situations are to navigate while dealing with mental health injuries, Sandy has made efforts to assist other first responders in need. The Family lives in southwestern Manitoba.

Lyn S. Turkstra, PhD, CCC-SLP, BC-NCD(A) is a professor and Assistant Dean for Speech-Language Pathology in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University. Her research focuses on effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on cognition and communication. She is co-author of international practice guidelines for TBI rehabilitation and is a TBI subject matter expert for the U.S. Department of Defense and Veterans Health System.

She and Jackie Bosch, PhD, Assistant Dean for Occupational Therapy at McMaster, are leading a clinical trial of cognitive rehabilitation for Veterans with mild TBI, in collaboration with the Atlas Institute.

Kevin Capobianco earned his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo. He has experience assessing and treating PTSD and other mental health challenges in hospitals, operational stress injury (OSI) clinics and other outpatient clinic settings. He finds working with first responders, CAF members and their Families particularly rewarding.

He integrates various psychotherapeutic techniques in his clinical work to tailor his approach to fit the needs of each client. He strongly believes in the value of sharing scientific and clinical insights from psychology with those outside the profession through outreach events

Associate Clinician, Co-Founder of Shoulder to Shoulder
Director of Warrior Kids Program with Wounded Warriors Canada

Dr. Helena Hawryluk, PhD, RSW and Jerris Popik, MSW, RSW, are co-founders of Shoulder to Shoulder Supports for Occupational Stress Inc. and directors of the National Warrior Kids Programs offered through Wounded Warriors Canada, available to children and youth from military and first responder families impacted by a parental psychological injury.

Dr. Helena Hawryluk and Jerris Popik have spent more than a decade creating a space for the development and provision of meaningful mental health services for Veteran and first responder Families. They believe in critically examining what the research offers in terms of new knowledge on this population and translating this into evidence-informed practice.

Dr. Hawryluk completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Concordia University, a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary, followed by her Master of Clinical Social Work and then her Ph.D. with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Dr. Hawryluk was awarded the Wounded Warriors Doctoral Scholarship for her research with youth in military Families impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder, post-Afghanistan war.

Jerris Popik received an applied psychology degree from Concordia University and her Master of Clinical Social Work from the University of Calgary. Both have practised as registered social workers for more than 15 years with Families of the Canadian Armed Forces and public safety personnel.

Adult Child

Bethany Easterbrook (she/her) is a clinical psychology PhD Candidate at McMaster University, and an Atlas Institute military family reference group member. Her father served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 29 years , and her brother is a currently serving CAF member. She previously obtained her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a major in Psychology from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. Her doctoral research focuses on moral injury and mental health outcomes in military members and public safety personnel.

Spouse

I'm a British guy that came to Canada over 25 yrs ago (by myself!).

I have travelled all over the world and worked/lived/play in the UK, France, B.C. I have settled in Barrie Ontario where I work and live.

I enjoy the outdoors, travel, music and Mountain Biking (my main sports hobby).

My spouse and I have been married for 9 years and together for 13 years. We were together when she retired from the Military.

We enjoy a very loving and connected relationship and through many struggles that PTSD brings, we are still in love and each others Number 1.

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran

I joined the Canadian Armed Forces, Infantry in 1988. Sometime later, I then transferred as a Supply Technician. My postings were, Wainwright, Calgary, Edmonton Alberta, Comox BC and Shilo Manitoba. In my career I completed 3 Tours, Bosnia, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates. I retired as a Warrant Officer from the Canadian Armed Forces in Dec 2013. Once I retired I took some time off to go fishing and see what I wanted to do with a second career. In 2014 an opportunity to work with veterans and still serving members was presented with The Department of National Defense, Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program as a Peer Support Coordinator. I knew that was going to be a great fit for me. I was hired Aug 2015 until Feb 2022. I have since retired and now live in Ontario where I am involved with the Royal Legion, get to spend quality time with my family, leisure time fishing and look for opportunities to be involved with the Military & Veteran community.

NOTE:
As one of the first women to enlist in the Infantry combat trade, I openly share my experiences of facing abuse, discrimination and harassment while proving myself as an infant soldier. What helped me overcome the pain and the anguish was my strength, resilience, and to the power of kindness.

Sibling

Lorraine Brown has worked in education for over 27 years in the roles of teacher, vice principal and principal. Through her lived experience, Lorraine has developed a passion for teaching and writing about equity, diversity and inclusion. She has taught on these subjects at the elementary, secondary and university levels, as well as, given workshops in private sector. Lorraine believes in giving back and does so by mentoring young women and teachers.

When Lorraine is not spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren and extended family, you will find her in the great outdoors, engaging with Mother Nature through walking, hiking, biking and photography. She also enjoys visits with friends, cooking, baking, meditation, yoga, reading and listening to Motown and Jazz music.

Lorraine is the sole caregiver of her “big” brother, a proud, yet broken, Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Jason served 20 years in the RCMP and medically retired in 2021 as a result of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis. He transitioned to a career as a social worker / psychotherapist in Brantford, Ontario where he specializes in working with first responders, public safety personal and military veterans dealing with occupational stress injuries and PTSD. He also volunteers with the Brant County / Brantford CISM team as a mental health support. In 2019, following his involvement with a residential treatment program, Jason assisted in the establishment and functioned as the main facilitator of a peer support group for public safety personal and military members. Before his career as a police office, Jason worked as youth care worker and social worker providing him extensive experiences running therapeutic treatment groups.

J Don Richardson is a psychiatrist and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Western University. He serves as the Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Operational Stress Injury Clinic in London, Ont. and the Scientific Director at the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre at the Parkwood Institute.

He is the Medical Advisor for the Atlas Institute. He holds a fellowship with the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). For more than 25 years, he has been a clinician-researcher and educator, with more than 90 peer-reviewed articles and chapters focusing on military and Veteran health.

J Don Richardson est psychiatre et professeur au département de psychiatrie de l'université Western. Il occupe le poste de directeur médical au St. Joseph's Health Care London's Operational Stress Injury Clinic à London, en Ontario, et directeur scientifique du MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre au Parkwood Institute.

Melanie Noel, PhD, RPsych is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary and a full member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. She directs the PEAK (Pain Education, Advocacy, Knowledge) Research Laboratory within the Vi Riddell Children’s Pain and Rehabilitation Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Her expertise is on children’s memories for pain and co-occurring mental health issues and pediatric chronic pain. She has published guiding conceptual models of children’s pain memory development, co-occurring PTSD and chronic pain, and fear-avoidance in 183 peer-reviewed publications. She is passionate about partnering with people with lived experience to transform how we understand and treat people with pain. She is an advocate for the use of developmentally tailored interventions for pediatric pain management and serves on committees to promote and implement evidence-based interventions within her children’s hospital and beyond. As an evidence lead on the Help Eliminate Pain in Kids & Adults team, she co-authored clinical practice guidelines on pain and fear management for vaccine injections. Many of these recommendations were adopted by the World Health Organization.

Nigel Blake was born and raised in British Columbia. From an early age, he felt a call to service and joined the British Columbia Regiment (Canadian Forces Primary Reserve) straight out of high school, serving for five years. Nigel became an RCMP Auxiliary in 1992 and then a regular member of the RCMP in 1999, serving in multiple roles in various communities, including general duty, community policing, plainclothes, crime reduction and as a Police Explosives Technician. In 2011, Nigel deployed for a year as part of Canada’s contribution to the NATO effort to rebuild Afghanistan’s civilian police.

Nigel has lived with the effects of PTSD since 2001 and was temporarily sidelined from police work for an extended period after a critical incident in 2017. He was posted to a federal investigative unit in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia in 2017 and did border integrity work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigel retired from the RCMP in 2022.