Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) Program
The Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) Program was created to:
- Establish, develop and improve social support for CF members, Veterans and their families affected by operational stress
- Provide support to bereaved families of military members and Veterans
There is no need to suffer alone.
If you or someone you love is having difficulty and would like to speak to someone who has been through a similar experience, who understands, and will respect your need for privacy and confidentiality, contact OSISS toll-free at 1-800-883-6094. You can also locate the peer closest to you by logging on to www.osiss.ca, clicking on the “Contact us” link and then choosing either the “Peer” or “Family Support Network” map.
Support Networks
The OSISS Program consists of three separate support components to help you:
- Peer Support Network consisting of CF Veterans across the country who have experienced an operational stress injury (OSI), have regained control of their situations and now offer help to CF members suffering from an OSI, along with providing support to their families
- Family Peer Support Network which provides support to spouses and other family members who are providing support to a loved one with an OSI
- Bereavement Support consisting of trained volunteers who themselves have experienced a similar loss and provide caring, nonjudgmental and safe support to family members who have lost a loved one, serving member or Veteran
An Operational Stress Injury (OSI) is defined as any persistent psychological difficulty resulting from operational duties performed by a member of the Canadian Forces and includes a host of problems such as anxiety, major depression, alcohol abuse and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
