2 organizations on P.E.I. receive funds to help improve veterans' well-being

The Serene View Ranch and Lest We Forget Community Veterans Committee have each been awarded $400,000 in funding through the Veteran and Family WellBeing Fund, according to a news release issued by the federal government.

Serene View Ranch, located in Alexandra, P.E.I.,will receive the funding to develop a stabilization, grounding and resiliency program for Indigenous and women veterans.

Caroline LeBlanc, a registered psychologist and owner of Serene View Ranch, said the trauma treatment will be individualized and community-based and will offer a variety of multidisciplinary, and culturally-sensitive treatment approaches.

"Indigenous veterans and women veterans, what we see is that they have experienced within the military difficulties that have not been known to other veterans. The programs that exist presently in Canada are for the general population, and so for us to really hone in on the special needs of these populations, it's very, very important to us."

For us to really hone in on the special needs of these populations, it's very, very important to us. Caroline LeBlanc

The program will be shared with mental health clinics across Canada.

The Lest We Forget Community Veterans Committee, based in Summerside, will also receive the funding to improve the economic security of women and LGBTQ veterans onP.E.I.Itwill developa Veteran Success Centre to support veterans through entrepreneurship and employability programs, employment support services, translation services, career counselling and mentoring services.

The Veteran and Family WellBeing Fund provides about $5 million per year to support private, public and academic organizations striving to improve the lives of veterans and their families through innovative projects, initiatives and research.

"The problem we have in this country is when veterans, some veterans, leave the military life and come into civilian life, they have great difficulty," said Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay.

"This is in order to make the transition much better."