The BFLF Women Veterans Program, a joint venture of the Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation and the Quebec Veterans Foundation.
BFLF Women Veterans Program
The Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation and the Quebec Veterans Foundation join forces to empower women veterans to live in dignity.
This assistance program for women veterans is funded by the Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation and the Quebec Veterans Foundation is responsible of its development and administration.
With this initiative, we aim for our contribution to reduce the rate of isolation and suicide among women veterans by encouraging organizations to provide resources that are tailored to their unique needs. In transitioning to civilian life, women veterans must have access to a support system that reflects their reality.
Goals
BFLF Women Veterans Program encourages the development and offering of wellness activities specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Quebec women veterans, as they experience the challenges of the transition from military to civilian life.
A platform will be created to centralize resources exclusively dedicated to women veterans.
The BFLF Women Veterans Program will support and disseminate research that will address women veteran specific challenges and needs to optimize their transition to civilian life.
Dr. Karen Breeck says the government has moved to address individual problems for female veterans as they arise but what is lacking is a more systemic, top-down overhaul of veterans programs. “They were designed by men, for men, about men — so whenever women have had issues along the way, we have to, from the bottom up, come up with those solutions.”
Dr. Karen Breeck
I loved my experience. It allowed me to make peace with certain events in my life. Whether they were military or personal. I grew out of this experience. I use all the techniques and tools that were shared with me and others.
Female veteran, participant of the Transition Skills Course (July 2020)
The professionalism and delicacy of the clinicians and peer supporters opens up a great deal of trust and openness of heart. The location chosen for this program brings a calm and an opportunity to reconnect with the camaraderie between sisters in arms. The many tools presented by the clinicians will be useful to me on different levels and at different times.
Female veteran, participant of the Transition Skills Course (July 2020)
I participated in this program not knowing what to expect, in total nothingness. When I arrived, I was welcomed by the support group, which immediately gave me confidence.
Female veteran, participant of the Transition Skills Course (July 2020)
Funding Recipients
Women veterans can access the following activities and services free of charge – some activities have limited admission capacity:
Dave Morrow Personal Training
Healthy Veteran Initiative – Personal training sessions for women veterans
The goal of this program is to significantly improve the health and wellness of
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans through online training based on lifestyle,
fitness, nutrition and state of mind.
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HUB
Guiding Principles
The aim of this platform is to centralize resources exclusively dedicated to women veterans. We encourage you to learn more about the listed organizations’ missions, services and codes of ethics. The Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation and the Quebec Veterans Foundation are funding organizations and are not in a position to dispense or offer clinical advice of any kind. Please contact your family physician, your VAC representative or go to the hospital’s emergency ward if you are concerned about any aspect of your or someone else’s mental or physical health.
The More You Know
Women have been permitted to join the CAF for many years. However, it was not until 1989 that the federal government allowed women to serve in most military occupations. That is how we have seen the number of women in the military grow and being to work in jobs that have been traditionally reserved for men, but not necessarily adapted to them. The number of female veterans is increasing annually and according to the most recent data, approximately 12% of the Regular Force members released from the CAF are women. If the CAF’s efforts to recruit women are successful, the proportion of female veterans is likely to increase substantially in the coming years.
The military environment and veteran assistance system are constantly evolving. Over the coming decades, we will see the CAF and VAC transform to better adapt equipment, training, support, and treatment to match the specifics of women and men. For example, transitioning military women were often invited to join military spouse support groups, in the absence of dedicated services
It is in this spirit of change that the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, recently announced the creation of the Office of Status of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans at Veterans Affairs Canada.
Articles
Research Studies
Webinar
Virtual Conference
Code of ethics
- Inclusion: Valuing diversity and enabling all veterans to have access to the same opportunities.
- Respect: Consideration for others, accompanied by courtesy, listening and openness. Prohibit and denounce all forms of harassment.
- Fairness and integrity: Behave fairly and honestly. Provide fair treatment with absolute respect for righteous. Proscribe and denounce all forms of discrimination, judgment or segregation.
- Impartiality: Be neutral and objective. Make decisions in accordance with the applicable rules and laws. Work without partisan consideration.
- Diligence: Act morally, responsibly, consistently and thoughtfully.
- Innovation: Openness to change paired with creativity to optimize performance
Our Missions
The Barry F. Lorenzetti Foundation is committed to improving mental health care in Canada by bridging the gaps in the current system. We aim to do so by supporting grassroots initiatives, forging long-term national partnerships to escalate our cause, and positioning ourselves as a leader in mental health care. The mission of the Foundation is to advance mental health care in Canada by improving access to care and combatting stigma, with two areas of focus: youth mental health and military-related PTSD.
The Quebec Veterans Foundation (QVF) provides tangible support to veterans transitioning to civilian life. The QVF finances programs that provide direct services to veterans in long-term care at Ste. Anne’s Hospital, suffering from post-traumatic stress injuries or experiencing homelessness or addiction. The QVF strongly believes that women and men who have served our country should all feel pride and be able to continue to contribute to their communities in the context of their civilian lives.
