Final report summary: Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association

Overview:

The Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association (SFNVA) utilized funding from the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund (VFWF) to investigate the impacts of chronic escalating trauma among First Nation Veterans and their families and develop recommendations for the development of an Indigenous-led mental health care strategy.

Project goals:

The goals for this project were as follows:

• Investigate the social, political, and historical intersections contributing to the ongoing traumatization of Veterans and their families using the determinants of health model;
• Compare the determinants of health for Indigenous Veterans to other Veterans to emphasize the disparity in health status that impacts on quality of life;
• Enhance knowledge to create and adapt existing programs and services to address gaps created by the misdiagnosis of Aboriginal Veterans; and
• Identify ways to better respond to ongoing urgent needs where no supports currently exist.

Project activities:

The activities for the project were as follows:

• Facilitate the formation of a culturally sensitive and relevant research plan;
• Produce a team of First Nations researchers to complete the investigate;
• Publish a final report describing the unique needs of First Nations Veterans and the steps required to address these needs; and
• Develop and pilot a survey to identify needs of First Nations Veterans.

Project results:

The project concluded with the publication of a research paper entitled Reconciling Relations With First Nations Veterans: Carriers of Chronic Escalating Trauma (2022) which includes six recommendations to guide the development of an Indigenous-led mental health care strategy. As well, the Association developed a trauma-informed process to safely conduct the needs survey among a larger sample of First Nations Veterans.