School Counsellors Working with Military and Veteran Families

The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), in partnership with the Canadian Military and Veteran Families Leadership Circle, have released the second in the series of awareness publications, School Counsellors Working with Military and Veteran Families.

Canada’s military and Veteran families are highly diverse, and their unique perspectives enrich schools, communities and workplaces across the country. Within this diversity, however, there are a number of experiences shared by these families related to military life, such as high family mobility, recurring periods of separation and higher levels of risk for serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). These realities have an impact on the 462,000 children and youth growing up in military and Veteran families, most of whom attend civilian schools with peers, teachers and educational professionals, such as school counsellors, who may have little or no experience with, understanding of or training on military and Veteran life.

The Vanier Institute of the Family, CCPA, Veterans Affairs Canada, Military Family Services and other key members of the Canadian Military and Veteran Families Leadership Circle collaborated to publish School Counsellors Working with Military and Veteran Families. This bilingual resource has been designed to increase military literacy1 in schools to foster inclusion, provide support and optimize services for children and youth growing up in military and Veteran families.

School Counsellors Working with Military and Veteran Families answers four key questions:

  1. What is the military and Veteran lifestyle?
  2. What resources are available to school counsellors to assist them in their work with children and youth of military and Veteran families?
  3. How can school counsellors promote mental health and advocate for students of military and Veteran families in schools?
  4. How can school counsellors support classroom teachers in their work with students of military and Veteran families?

“Children in military and Veteran families are diverse, resilient and strong, and they – like their families – demonstrate a high degree of adaptability,” says Vanier Institute CEO Nora Spinks. “Resources such as this can help ensure family health and well-being so that children and youth reach their full potential.”

Download School Counsellors Working with Military and Veteran Families. Print copies are available from the CCPA, MFS or local MFRCs.

 

Note

  1. “Military literacy” refers to one’s awareness of the experiences of military and Veteran families, including (but not limited to) frequent periods of separation from family, higher family mobility and the possibility of higher risk for serving CAF members.

Published May 18, 2017

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