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Support Centres Provide Multiple Services, One Roof

When Canadian Forces (CF) personnel are faced with an injury, illness or special need, seeking help should be a welcoming experience, not an overwhelming one.

With this goal in mind, Integrated Personnel Support Centres (IPSCs) have been established to connect CF personnel, veterans and their families with all of the services they require under one roof. Service providers – including the Military Family Services Program (MFSP), Veterans Affairs Canada, the Director of Casualty Support and Management, the CF Case Management Program, Operational Stress Injury Social Support, and SISIP Financial Services – provide consistent, integrated support throughout the CF personnel’s recovery, rehabilitation, and transition back to military or civilian employment.

“We all work as one team,” says Kim Fortune, Family Liaison Officer delivering the MFSP at the Petawawa IPSC. “I think the IPSC is a great service in Petawawa because personnel and families just have to go through one door and they’re instantly connected to 10 service providers who are ready to help.”

As a Family Liaison Officer, Kim is an employee of the local Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC), but provides programs and services within the IPSC. Family Liaison Officers act as a bridge connecting families with services available through the MFRC and other partners in the community. They advocate for families, offer support, counselling, and workshops, and also work with the IPSC team to make the family perspective on illness, injury and special needs apparent to the Chain of Command.

“The Chain of Command in Petawawa has been very supportive,” says Kim. “They are eager to have families get tailored support, and be involved in the recovery process for personnel.” 

Kim is working hard reaching out to as many CF families as she can. Her day includes connecting with families who’ve experienced an illnesses or injury over the past several years to let them know she’s available if they need support. She also connects with the 300-500 CF personnel who walk into the Petawawa IPSC every month, and lets them know she’s there to help their families with their present needs. And she’s looking to the future to plan for Petawawa’s upcoming deployment in 2010, and the challenges families may face.

“The next deployment is unique for us because we’re seeing serving personnel who may have been ill or injured on their first rotation in Afghanistan who are now recovered and are returning for a second deployment,” says Kim. “I’m working with their families through the experience of re-deployment, and a unique set of anxieties.”

As the local service delivery centres for the Joint Personnel Support Unit, IPSCs have now been established in various locations across Canada: St. John’s, Moncton, , Halifax, Gagetown, Edmonton, Wainwright, Shilo, Toronto, Valcartier, Bagotville, St. Jean, Montreal, Petawawa, Ottawa, Trenton, London, Meaford, Kingston, Winnipeg, Calgary, Mainland British Columbia, and Esquimalt. More IPSCs are expected to open throughout 2010-2011.