There is an increased awareness of secondary impact trauma and its effects on children, especially those with a parent diagnosed with Operational Stress Injuries (such as PTSD) from service-related experiences. While several treatment programs have been designed for caregivers, limited programs exist that support children/youth through the stressors connected to parental Operational Stress Injuries.

In this episode of Vanguard Radio, J. Richard Jones talks with Dr. Helena Hawryluk about a program for kids who face this type of trauma. She is a Registered Social Worker and has a PhD in Social Work from the University of Calgary. She has practiced as a social worker for over 15 years with families of the Canadian Armed Forces. Through her work, she has become a disrupter for change, advocating for voices of families to be heard and recognized as requiring mental health support from service providers who truly understand the unique culture of military, Veteran and First Responders. 

Hear more about Dr. Helena Hawryluk’s work, her experience working with the families of Canadian Armed Forces members, the Warrior Kids Camp program conducted through Wounded Warriors Canada, and how this is helping kids.

Vanguard has an active program in place where we are partnering with Wounded Warriors to spread the news of what Wounded Warriors is doing and also supporting financially through our subscription program. For each subscription to Vanguard magazine, we are donating a portion of it to Wounded Warriors so that Veterans, First Responders, and their families can benefit from programs like the Warrior Kids Camp.

To support, subscribe to Vanguard magazine by going to vanguardcanada.com/subscription.

Thanks for listening.