Waterloo centre to provide mental health services to veterans

Friday, April 8, 2016

Dr., David Moscovitch giving a tour of CMHR at UWaterloo
WATERLOO — More veterans, military and RCMP can now get specialized mental health services closer to home in Waterloo.

The University of Waterloo's Centre for Mental Health Research has partnered with St. Joseph's Health Care London to offer assessments to those experiencing psychological problems caused by their service.

"So people from this region don't have to travel to London to simply have an assessment," said Ian Nicholson, centre director.

An assessment, which lasts three to four hours, can be quite draining and regular breaks are needed as the person talks about what they experienced and the impact it's having.

"What they're talking about can be so overwhelming," Nicholson said. "It's nice to be able to put it closer to home for them."

The added bonus is that Waterloo students will learn through this partnership, too.

"It's really about building that future capacity," said Heather Tales, director of veteran's care at St. Joseph's.

A psychologist from the London office supervises assessments with senior psychology students at Waterloo. The London office is the main centre for the services funded by Veterans Affairs Canada, supported by Toronto, Hamilton and now Waterloo, which is doing one or two assessments a week.

"We're very excited to be a part of this," Tales said. "This is a wonderful option for us."

Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of several persistent psychological difficulties, also known as operational stress injuries, that military and RCMP personnel can develop from their job. Others include depression, substance abuse, anxiety and difficulty adjusting to civilian life.

"That can show itself in many ways," Nicholson said. "It can have an impact not just on them, but their families."

Waterloo Region Record